Homophobia, the irrational fear of homosexual behavior or homosexuals, can take many forms, from bullying to discrimination. Some believe it is one of the last accepted discriminatory practices, even in liberal countries. Homophobia can stem from religious views, concern for masculinity, or myths about homosexual behavior. Organizations like PFLAG work to reduce homophobia and its damaging effects. In some societies, homophobia is so intense that it is punishable by death.
Until the early 1970s, homosexuality, sexual preference and same-sex attraction, was listed by the American Psychiatric Association as a mental disorder. Around the same time, the term homophobia was coined by George Weinberg, a gay community activist best known for his book Society and the Healthy Homosexual. While the term homophobia is sometimes debated as to whether it is more linguistically appropriate, most would define it as an irrational fear of homosexual behavior or homosexuals.
It’s a little difficult to discuss all the permutations of homophobia. It could be the quiet whisper or fear of those pursuing a different sexual path than heterosexuals. May express concern that homosexuals (gays and lesbians) seek to convert others to this path. Alternatively it may be expressed by children in bullying behavior, or endorsed by adults who head churches or offer employment only to those pursuing a heterosexual lifestyle. It is the fear of the other, the concern that homosexuality somehow has a direct effect on heterosexuality, that the lives, values, or livelihoods of heterosexuals are threatened by homosexual behavior. This fear can be so intense in some parts of the world that homosexuality is punishable by death.
Some believe that homophobia is one of the last accepted discriminatory practices, even in fairly liberal countries like the United States. The arguments against the institution of equal rights in the form of gay marriage are often those aimed at inducing fear. Opponents of such measures openly and unapologetically state that gay marriage would in some way corrupt or denigrate heterosexual marriage.
Those who oppose allowing gay marriage may do so from a religious perspective and argue that religious teachings specifically prohibit the practice. However, the counter argument is that in many countries the separation of church and state is supposed to exist. This would make an argument based on religion specious in the eyes of the law. However, those who opposed granting these rights to lesbians and gays were able to muster enough opposition in many states to continue to prevent granting this right to the gay community.
There are many reasons homophobia can exist and they are not always limited to religious views. Some theorize that homophobia in men may stem from a particular concern for masculinity. In schools, any behavior considered potentially feminine by other boys, who may or may not be homosexual, can be bullied and teased. Dr. Sigmund Freud discussed the possibility that all adolescents undergo a latent homosexual period, and given how much homophobia exists in the average place, any feelings of latent homosexuality could actually be converted into aggression against those who are openly homosexual. That this bullying behavior may be tolerated by the adult community suggests continued permissibility of some forms of homophobia, although there has certainly been movement in many schools and other youth settings to create zero tolerance policies that abolish discrimination against gender or sexual identity.
Some forms of outright discrimination and hatred toward gay, lesbian and transgender communities are perpetuated through commonly repeated myths about homosexual behavior. Some of these beliefs include the following:
The AIDS virus started in the gay community and now it poses a threat to everyone
Homosexuals are by nature promiscuous
Homosexuality is a choice
Homosexuals are able to convert former heterosexuals to homosexuality simply by being in any position of influence over them (teachers, ministers, scout leaders, etc.)
Homosexuals are pedophiles
Homosexuality is a disease and not a human sexual variation
Gays and lesbians seek world domination
A number of organizations work very hard to counter these myths and reduce homophobia in the general population. One such organization is PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays). Many people join PFLAG with great anxiety about a relative or friend who has announced they are gay, but find support and information to help them gradually overcome homophobic feelings and continue to love and accept gay family and friends.
As with any phobia, ongoing homophobia can cause immense damage. It can separate families, minimize the importance of a specific group of people, and prevent any form of world peace from occurring. It continues to make things extremely difficult, if not life threatening for those who are gay. In most Western countries, there is a concerted effort to reduce this fear, but in many predominantly fundamentalist and theocratic societies, gays and lesbians may pay for the fears of others with their lives.
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