A recent study by Rob Stephenson and Emory colleague Catherine Finneran finds that gay men who hide, dislike, or worry about their sexuality are more likely to be victims of intimate partner violence (IPV). Stephenson studies IPV among gay men, who often have few resources for dealing with it. He points out that societal, as well personal, homophobia can be harmful to LGBTQ relationships. He says: “Living in a homophobic environment exerts a certain level of stress in relationships, and one way that stress can manifest is violence. So tackling homophobia is one way to reduce violence in relationships.”

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