Homophobia

[MalakingTiti]

If they don't care, why would they be homophobic? People are not ordinarily fearful of things they have no interest in.

First off, the term homophobic is misleading on its face since as we all know, phobia means "a fear of", yet it is frequently used as a catch all term to label someone who whatever reason dislikes gay people. While I think its fair to say that someone will naturally dislike something they fear, it can in no way be assumed that someone automatically fears what they dislike.

As far as I'm concerned, I have no issue with homosexuality. Whatever your flavor, go for it. But I also have no interest in it. I'm not gay, could never be gay and frankly the only thing that turns me off about it at all is when some (not all) gay people demand that I as a straight person respect their right to be themselves while simultaneously denying me that right by saying something like all straight men are bi, or something equally as stupid.

 

[MalakingTiti]

I think the term "homophobia" is extremely misleading, it implies an irrational fear towards gay people, whereas what it really means is hatred towards homosexuals.

Why is it that we call hatred of people based on race "racism" but hatred of gay people is somehow passed off as a fear? Do you think white supremecists are scared of other races? From the few encounters I've had, I really don't think that's the case - what they have is a world view which makes them blame things on people from other races.

You never hear nazis going on about how afraid they are of blacks or Jews, you always hear them blame them for "taking our jobs" or "degrading our culture" or "invading out land", there's no real fear in there, there's just irrational hatred. Similarly the rabid Christians who blamed Hurricane Katrina on "the gays" and proclaimed the destruction of New Orleans as "God's Punishment", weren't afraid of gays (God perhaps), and obviously hadn't been to New Orleans or they'd realise the French Quarter was untouched by the Hurricane... and that's where all the gay bars are.

I think we like to say it's fear, because it's like saying "oh look at those stupid people with their small minds who are scared of what they don't understand!", really I don't think it's so much to do with not understanding (though certainly having not much of an understanding about the world plays a part), and much more to do with just being an angry, ignorant person who sees everything as a particular group's fault. If anything the "not understanding" part is about not understanding people or society.

I saw your entry after I submitted mine, and realized that you beat me to the punch.

 

[B_dxjnorto]

Couldn't agree more that people need to deal with their anxieties, but I still think you folks are kidding yourselves if you think prejudice against the LGBT community is all about fear. Not every conflict of value systems fits the "I'm scared of you so I hate you" formula. It's is just an easy way to make ourselves feel superior.

That's the basic mechanism though. In the words of our immortal Jedi master, “Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.”

Superior to what?

It's great people talk and seek to understand.

 

[pitloverfl]

There are plenty of legitimate reasons to be angry and to hate, and they can be quite righteous and productive. Not always to the dark side do they lead. Every human emotion has its place if treated with respect and balance. Perhaps if the ancient one had realized that, he wouldn't have had to spend so much time in exile on Dagobah. But that's largely beside the point before us now.

I would argue that anxiety/fear is one of a variety of mechanisms involved. If we don't take into account the entire picture, then we're not really going to solve the problem. Addressing anxieties is part of the equation, but so is having a real discussion about the other legitimate moral, social, political and legal issues involved.

The way some people talk about homophobia, racism, sexism, etc., hardens views because it uses a kind of shorthand that condescends and mocks the people who have opposing view points. I think some people do that because it makes them feel better about themselves and the situation. It gives them a sense of power over things they fear and draws a clear line between them and the immoral object of anxiety.... but I don't think that's the only reason.

They also do it because they believe they are right and that the other guy is wrong. They've scratched their heads about their position and really think the other guy is doing harm. They do it because they think the bigot is a pariah and should be treated as such. They think the power of social norms (and perhaps the state) should be used to enforce their value system on the wrongheaded because it's good for the culture, the children, the environment, insert your cause here. Does this sound familiar? It should.

Much of this phenomenon arises from the cultural milieu in which these people live. Some of it is reasoned. Some of it is absorbed from the media. Some of it is probably innate to personality whether developmental or genetic. Now maybe you can boil all that down to some subconscious mechanism of anxiety avoidance, but I think that flies in the face of the subjective experiences of billions of people.

 

[invisibleman]

i do not want to see men kissing or getting it up the ass by a man

The world is full of things I don't wanna see. But they are definately there.

 

[dreamer20]

I think the term "homophobia" is extremely misleading, it implies an irrational fear towards gay people, whereas what it really means is hatred towards homosexuals.
Why is it that we call hatred of people based on race "racism" but hatred of gay people is somehow passed off as a fear?

Do you think white supremacists are scared of other races?

Yes. A phobia is an irrational fear or hatred.

but I still think you folks are kidding yourselves if you think prejudice against the LGBT community is all about fear. Not every conflict of value systems fits the "I'm scared of you so I hate you" formula. It's is just an easy way to make ourselves feel superior.

pitloverfl the fear aspect of homophobia should not be discounted. It is quite evident in the following examples:

What causes homophobia:

There are those in N.P.'s community, specifically certain radio talk show hosts, a number of their callers, religious leaders and politicians who take the erroneous idea that virtually all homos have sex with little boys and run with it. Their goal is to create homophobia and stir up people's emotions to the point of hysteria.

One example from the mid 1990's was the d.j. "V.M." who once hosted a lovely gospel music show in the afternoons on weekdays on the State's F.M. radio channel. One Wed.,I believe, out of the blue he started to warn people about "the gay agenda" and play a pre-recorded heated confrontation of pro and anti-gay protesters. He repeated this session again the next day. Although his bosses at the radio station told him to stop broadcasting his controversial program, V.M. did it again and was fired.

One radio caller revealed herself to be a homophobic mother as she didn't want her children exposed to a teacher if she knew he was gay. She said such a person should be fired if that were so. Exposure to such a person would obviously turn her children gay.

No more gay cruises! was the objective of a protest in Nassau town, again in the mid 1990's. But the protest failed. Nevertheless the homophobic worried their children needlessly about the dangerous "gay boat" that was coming to town.

What causes homophobia?

Obviously, being raised to distrust/fear homosexuality is one way to do it. Here is a synopsis of the 1961 film Boys Beware courtesy of imbd.com

"Ralph is sick, not a sickness that you can see like small pox but a sickness of the mind. Ralph is a homosexual." WOW! No wonder the world is as screwed up as it is today. This "educational" film was shown in classrooms across the country during the 1960's and possibly for the next 20 or 30 years. It would explain some of the hate and fear of the gay community and a fear for the gay individual during that time period. Watching this film today, one just can sit back and laugh at it how it portrays a gay man as "sick". and how you must avoid them at all costs.Although some of the points in the film still ring true today, such as to not go in a strangers car or to not take an unfamiliar "short cut" home. One tends to wonder what the world might have been like had we treated the gay community back then as we do now. But with all the conflict of gay marriage today. It might not have been any different.

Click on the link below to see the film's trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5VNe9NTOxA

 

[dreamer20]

I wonder if homophobia ever had a different meaning than fear of gay people? Literally it means fear of man or men.

No it does not. The term androphobia means fear of men, where the Greek andro = male . Homo is a form of the the Greek word homos meaning same, but in homophobia the homo prefix serves as an abbreviation of the word homosexual. Note the word homosexual means a person who has a same sex attraction and is not gender specific.

 

[AlteredEgo]

No it does not. The term androphobia means fear of men, where the Greek andro = male . Homo is a form of the the Greek word homos meaning same, but in homophobia the homo prefix serves as an abbreviation of the word homosexual. Note the word homosexual means a person who has a same sex attraction and is not gender specific.

Ah, my lust pulses when a man knows his etymology. *sigh*

 

[B_Hung Jon]

No it does not. The term androphobia means fear of men, where the Greek andro = male . Homo is a form of the the Greek word homos meaning same, but in homophobia the homo prefix serves as an abbreviation of the word homosexual. Note the word homosexual means a person who has a same sex attraction and is not gender specific.

I guess I was thinking of the Latin word homo, which does mean man or mankind. At least I think it does, as in homo sapiens.

 

[Astrate]

I seriously dislike the use of the term "homophobia". The common use of the affix "phobia" is commonly used to describe a psychological "condition" for which the sufferer is not responsible. Irregardless of its derivation, homophobia really means prejudice for which the subject actually needs to take full responsibility.

There are several levels of aversion to same-sex attraction. Let’s forget about closet gays, whose homophobia is a pretence or, rarely, a self deception

1. There's a natural aversion that straight men have to the idea of guy-on-guy sex (I fantasize that it's less so for women), which is a modifiable distaste. This does not necessari;y mean the subject is prejudiced towards gays, but just doesn't want it in his face (so to speak). Stuff like having gay friends and admiring a man’s hard cock soon reduces the aversion, although they would never actually enjoy gay porn

2. Then there's true prejudice. These people are not only averse to the idea of same sex intercourse, they regard all gays as an out-group and, if they could, would deny them equal rights.

People in group 1 tend to be liberals, but not exclusively. Group 2 tends be almost exclusively comprised of extreme conservatives, who are conservative/ right wing in most of their attitudes in life. A conservative mindset strongly recognises in-groups and is more closed to out-groups. That is also why conservatives are more likely to be racist although many will have the sense not to let it show.

It is of course also possible to acquire or worsen prejudice by learning, which can be unlearnt. However a true conservative will retain an underlying hard-wired prejudice which he can only suppress or pretend he doesn’t have.

Then there's religion and codes based on scripture. You can see the explaination: conservatives are sticklers for written rules and are more likely to take the bible literally (i.e. be fundamentalist), and as they closed to out-groups they will delight in using phrases in the bible to dehumanise gays. Religious liberals are much less likely to be fundamentalist, and if they are, are less likely to be sticklers for biblical phrases and are less likely to regard gays as an out-group.

 

[dreamer20]

I guess I was thinking of the Latin word homo, which does mean man or mankind. At least I think it does, as in homo sapiens.

Yes in "homo sapiens" the prefix means earthling/man and is of Latin origin.


Whereas "phobia" is of Greek origin.


{Latin words for "fear" are vereor, timor, terror, metus, formido, formidilosus, and formidine. }

 

[B_dxjnorto]

In spite of etymology, I see little difference between "fear of the same" (when referring to men) and "fear of men." I like Jon's mixed etymology.

 

[Icantthinkofaname]

i do not want to see men kissing or getting it up the ass by a man

I actually agree with the first part, I don't want to see homosexual couple kissing while I'm going down the street. But I also don't want to see a lesbian couple or a heterosexual couple doing the same. But that's because I'm a prude when it comes to PDA.

I do enjoy watching another man take it up the ass though, very much.