Walden University ScholarWorks Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection 2020 The Influence of Internalized Self-Prejudice on Anti-Gay Hate Crime Motivation Ross Michael Templeton Walden University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection at ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Walden University College of Social and Behavioral Sciences This is to certify that the doctoral dissertation by Ross Templeton has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made. Review Committee Dr. Carolyn Dennis, Committee Chairperson, Public Policy and Administration Faculty Dr. Michael Brewer, Committee Member, Public Policy and Administration Faculty Dr. James Frampton, University Reviewer, Public Policy and Administration Faculty Chief Academic Officer and Provost Sue Subocz, Ph.D. Walden University 2020 Abstract The Influence of Internalized Self-Prejudice on Anti-Gay Hate Crime Motivation by Ross Templeton MA, Ashford University, 2011 BS, University of Minnesota, 2002 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Criminal Justice Walden University May 2020 Abstract The lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, and queer (LGBTQ) community continues to be negatively impacted by high rates of anti-gay hate crime. Gay-rights activists continue to press for public policy changes to improve equality and reduce anti-gay sentiment. However, these efforts have not succeeded in reducing the number of attacks. Little is understood about what motivates perpetrators to commit violent acts against members of the LGBTQ community. This study explored how social coalitions and individual sexual identity development impact the motivation behind anti-gay hate crime from the perspective of convicted anti-gay hate crime offenders. The theoretical frameworks proposed for this study were the coalitional value theory of anti-gay bias and the anti-gay aggression theory. This study was guided by research questions that focused on what social factors may contribute to a perceived reduction in the coalitional value of victims from the perspective of a perpetrator. This study used a general qualitative research design. The data source for this examination was the case studies that were published in Unfinished Lives: Reviving the Memories of LGBTQ Hate Crimes Victims. This study also used interviews of convicted LGBTQ hate crime murder perpetrators presented in the documentary Licensed to Kill. Data from these case studies were coded and analyzed using content analysis. The implications for social change resulting from this study may be reduced violence against, and improved psychological health of the LGBTQ community by providing gay-rights policy activists improved knowledge on what motivates anti-gay hate crimes. The Influence of Internalized Self-Prejudice on Anti-Gay Hate Crime Motivation by Ross Templeton MA, Ashford University, 2011 BS, University of Minnesota, 2002 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Criminal Justice Walden University May 2020 Dedication This dissertation is dedicated to my late uncle Kevin, and the countless others of his generation, who lost their lives due to the AIDS crisis in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. His death, and my family’s confused, sorrowful, and complicated reaction to it, impacted me at a young age in profound ways that could never be expressed in words. I also dedicate this work to my mother, my hero. She served as a role model, a confidant, and guiding pioneer to help me accept and understand my own sexuality. This work is also dedicated to all of my family and close friends who continue to support and tolerate me, even though all which that entails. Acknowledgments I would like to give many thanks and acknowledge the following people. Without their dedication and assistance, I would not have made it this far in my academic pursuits: Dr. Kimberley Blackmon, Dr. Carolyn Dennis, and Dr. Michael Brewer for helping be my shepherds through this process. Without your guidance and direction, this process would seem unmanageable. Also, Dr. Scott Frampton for the assistance, recommendations, and feedback to help formulate this document. I also want to acknowledge Dr. James Linn and Bill Hanson. My undergraduate role models and advisors. Working in the University of Minnesota Dairy Research facility during my undergraduate years is without question one of the most influential reasons I have continued my education to this point. I wish to thank Dr. Stephen Sprinkle for allowing me to use his case studies as the data source for this study. Dr. Sprinkle’s work helped motivate this study, and his work continues to promote and drive positive social change for the LGBTQ community. I also want to acknowledge the amazing work of Arthur Dong. His work helped enlighten this study, and his documentary work is inspiring. Table of Contents List of Tables .......................................................................................................................v Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study ....................................................................................1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................1 Background ....................................................................................................................2 Problem Statement .........................................................................................................3 Purpose ...........................................................................................................................6 Research Questions ........................................................................................................7 Theoretical and Conceptual Frameworks ......................................................................9 Nature of the Study ......................................................................................................11 Definitions....................................................................................................................13 Assumptions .................................................................................................................15 Scope and Delimitations ..............................................................................................16 Limitations ...................................................................................................................17 Significance..................................................................................................................18 Summary ......................................................................................................................19 Chapter 2: Literature Review .............................................................................................21 Introduction ..................................................................................................................21 Literature Search Strategy............................................................................................24 Theoretical Foundation: Anti-Gay Aggression Theory ...............................................26 Theoretical Foundation: Coalitional Value Theory of Anti-Gay Bias.........................28 Heterosexism in American Society ..............................................................................29 i Changes in Public Policy .............................................................................................31 Public Policy Development..........................................................................................32 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, and Queer Hate Crimes Cases ....................33 Typologies of Perpetrators ...........................................................................................39 Homophobia .................................................................................................................40 Sexuality, Sexual Identity, and Sexual Minority Stress ...............................................42 Methodology ................................................................................................................44 Summary and Conclusions ..........................................................................................45 Chapter 3: Research Method ..............................................................................................47 Introduction ..................................................................................................................47 Research Design and Rationale ...................................................................................47 Qualitative Research ....................................................................................................48 General Inductive Approach ........................................................................................49 Role of the Researcher .................................................................................................51