Homophobia

According to the Oxford EnglishDictionary, homophobia is the "fear or hatred of homosexuals and homosexuality." Homophobia is also known as the “aversion to lesbian or gay people that often manifests itself in the form of prejudice and bias,” according to PFLAG National Glossary. These definitions apply beyond individuals to LGBT communities. The word homophobia, first used by psychologist George Weinberg, originally meant "fear of men," and the current definition was not widely used until after the riots at the Stonewall Inn gay bar, according to an article in Civil Rights in the United States. This fear and hatred is based in, the Oxford English Dictionary states, "understandable instincts among straight people, but it also involves innumerable misconceptions and oversimplifications.”  These misconceptions and oversimplifications are a result of preconceived notions about gender and gender roles in today’s society. Homophobia, the Encyclopedia of Sex and Gender states, perpetuates these “rigid gender roles and suspicion of those who do not conform to them.”

The reasons for homophobia are believed to be twofold, according to the Encyclopedia of Sex and Gender: self-hatred or antigay bias. Internalized homophobia, the self-hatred aspect, occurs when one is dissatisfied with their sexuality and takes it out on others like themselves. The antigay bias has unclear origins, however the Encyclopedia of Sex and Gender states that many religions “have condemned homosexual behavior, usually male, because it is not procreative.” These ideas have had harmful effects when they have become more than just words and turned into action.  An example of homophobic action is “gay bashing, which involves physically hurting members of those groups; hate speech directed at queer people; offensive protests and demonstrations against queer people; and antigay legislation”(Encyclopedia of Sex and Gender). Some church demonstrations are homophobic, most notably ones by the Westboro Baptist church, which include offensive anti-gay posters bearing messages such as “God hates fags.”

Works Cited

"Homophobia, n.2." OED Online. Oxford University Press, June 2015. Web. 26 August 2015.

"Homophobia." Civil Rights in the United States. Ed. Waldo E. Martin, Jr. and Patricia Sullivan. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2000. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 25 Aug. 2015.

Hovey, Jaime. "Homophobia." Encyclopedia of Sex and Gender. Ed. Fedwa Malti-Douglas. Vol. 2. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2007. 715-717. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 26 Aug. 2015.

"PFLAG National Glossary of Terms." PFLAG. Web. 26 Aug. 2015.