ORIGINAL ARTICLE Slurs, Snubs, and Queer Jokes: Incidence and Impact of Heterosexist Harassment in Academia

Abstract Previous research has suggested that overt hostil-ity against sexual minorities is associated with decrements in their well-being. However, subtler forms of heterosexism and their potential effects have been overlooked, heterosexuals have not been asked how they fare in a heterosexist environment, and no research has examined whether women and men might respond differently to heterosexism. Data from 3,128 northwestern US university students (represent-ing all sexual orientations) address these gaps. Approximate-ly 40 % reported experiences of heterosexist harassment (HH) in the past year, and those who encountered both ambient and personal HH reported worse psychological and academic well-being than those who encountered no HH. Similar patterns of findings held for sexual minorities and heterosexuals, and for women and men