Homophobia (from Greek homós: one and the same; phóbos: fear, phobia) is a term used to describe irrational fear of, aversion to, or discrimination against homosexuals. Homosexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of the same sex or to a Homosexual orientation. ^[3][4][5][6] It can also mean "irrational fear of, aversion to, or discrimination against homosexuality or homosexuals". Fear is an Emotional response to Threats and Danger. It is a basic survival mechanism occurring in response to a specific Stimulus, such as Denatonium, usually available as denatonium benzoate (under Trade names such as Bitrex or Aversion) and as denatonium Unlike most discrimination policies discrimination between, which is the discernment of qualities and recognition of the differences focused here discrimination against is Homosexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of the same sex or to a Homosexual orientation. ^[7] Homophobic is the adjective form of this term used to describe the qualities of these characteristics while homophobe is the noun form given as a title to individuals with homophobic characteristics.

The usage of the word homophobia in its modern form is controversial as it may be used pejoratively against those with differing debatable value positions. Words and phrases are pejorative if they imply disapproval or contempt ^[8]

Contents 1 Etymology and usage 1.1 Coinage 1.2 Similar terms 1.3 Critics of the term 2 Classification of homophobia 2.1 Internalized Homophobia 2.2 Fear of being identified as gay (Social Homophobia) 3 Homophobia as leading to a climate of prejudice 3.1 Sexist beliefs 3.2 Distribution/frequency of attitudes in the UK and US 3.3 Combatting homophobia 4 References 5 See also 6 External links

Etymology and usage

Coinage

Psychologist George Weinberg introduced the first scholarly use of the concept homophobia in his 1972 book Society and the Healthy Homosexual,^[9] published one year before the American Psychiatric Association voted to remove homosexuality from its list of mental disorders. George Weinberg is an American Clinical psychologist, gay activist writer and columnist The American Psychiatric Association (APA is the main Professional organization of Psychiatrists and trainee psychiatrists in the United States, and the Homosexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of the same sex or to a Homosexual orientation. ^[10] Weinberg's "term became an important tool for gay and lesbian activists, advocates, and their allies. A lesbian is a Woman who is romantically or sexually attracted only to other women "^[11] He describes the concept as:

a phobia about homosexuals…. It was a fear of homosexuals which seemed to be associated with a fear of contagion, a fear of reducing the things one fought for—home and family. It was a religious fear and it had led to great brutality as fear always does. ^[11]

Conceptualizing prejudice against gay and lesbian people as a social problem worthy of scholarly attention was not a new concept, but Weinberg was the first to give the problem a name. ^[11]

The construction of the word is comparable to xenophobia, a much older term referring to individual or cultural hostility to foreigners or outsiders. Xenophobia is an intense and/or irrational dislike and sometimes fear of people from other countries However it fails to make sense etymologically, as the Greek 'homo' means 'the same', so, literally, 'homophobia' means a fear of things that are the same. Etymology is the study of the History of Words &mdash when they entered a language from what source and how their form and meaning have changed over time Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly ^[11] The word homophobia was also used early in the twentieth century, albeit rarely. It then had the meaning of "fear or hatred of the male sex or humankind. " In this use, the word derived from the Latin root homo (Latin, "man" or "human") with the Greek ending -phobia ("fear"). Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. ^[12]

Despite its general shortcomings etymologically, the word can be used to describe the fear of a heterosexual that they will be approached romantically by someone of the same sex. It also can describe the apparently fear-based reactions of recoiling from unintentional close contact with another male or of being in close proximity to other males in certain situations such as while in the restroom. These are typically fear-based reactions, but the fear is usually that of the societal stigma of being labelled homosexual. However a disinterested third party might view these reactions and simply conclude that the person displaying the reaction is afraid of others of the same sex, hence, homophobic.

The word first appeared in print in an article written for the American Screw tabloid, May 23, 1969 edition, using the word to refer to straight men's fear that others might think they are gay. ^[11] A possible etymological precursor was homoerotophobia, coined by Wainwright Churchill in Homosexual Behavior Among Males in 1967.

The first time it was formally used in its modern sense in the press was not until 1981 when The Times reported a General Synod vote where they refused to condemn homosexuality. ^[13]

Similar terms

Similar terms such as heterosexism have been proposed as alternatives that are more morphologically parallel, and which do not have the association with phobia. Heterosexism is a term that applies to attitudes, Bias, and Discrimination in favor of opposite-sex sexuality and relationships Morphology is the field of Linguistics that studies the internal structure of words Phobias Phobias (in the clinical meaning of the term are the most common form of Anxiety disorders An American study by the National Institute of Mental Health Heterosexism refers to the presumption that all people are heterosexual and/or to the privileging of heterosexuality over homosexuality.

Some recent psychological literature suggested the term homonegativity, reflecting the perspective that behaviors and thoughts that are frequently considered homophobic are not fear-based but instead reflect a disapproval of homosexuality. Homonegativity is a term proposed for use by Hudson and Ricketts in 1980, for description of a negative attitude towards Homosexuality or homosexual people instead ^[14][15]

Seeking to avoid both the focus on individual psychology of "homophobia" and the focus on collective cultural factors of "heterosexism," psychologist Gregory M. Herek has proposed the term "sexual prejudice" as referring to "all negative attitudes based on sexual orientation, whether the target is homosexual, bisexual, or heterosexual. Psychology (from Greek grc ψῡχή psȳkhē, "breath life soul" and grc -λογία -logia) is an Academic and Gregory M Herek, PhD (b 1954 Omaha Nebraska) is a researcher author and professor of psychology at the University of California at Davis (UCD Sexual orientation is believed to refer to "an enduring pattern of emotional romantic and/or sexual attractions to men women or both sexes Bisexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of both sexes or to a bisexual orientation "^[16]

The term homophobia is often used collectively with other terms denoting bigotry and discrimination. In a 1998 address, Coretta Scott King asserted that, "Homophobia is like racism and anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry in that it seeks to dehumanize a large group of people, to deny their humanity, their dignity and personhood. Coretta Scott King (April 27 1927 January 30 2006 was an American Author and Activist, perhaps most recognized as the wife of Martin Antisemitism (alternatively spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism; also rarely known as judeophobia) is the Prejudice against or hostility " Likewise, George Yancey, writing in Christian Ethics Today associates "sexism, racism, class distinctions, or homophobia" with one another and views them all as "varieties of discrimination," although he argues that they are not identical. ^[17]

Critics of the term

Some researchers within the field have preferred other terms to "homophobia. " For example, Gregory M. Herek, a researcher at the University of California, Davis, compared several related terms: "homophobia," "heterosexism," and "sexual prejudice. Gregory M Herek, PhD (b 1954 Omaha Nebraska) is a researcher author and professor of psychology at the University of California at Davis (UCD " In preferring the latter term, he noted that "homophobia" was "probably more widely used and more often criticized," and observed that. "Its critics note that homophobia implicitly suggests that antigay attitudes are best understood as an irrational fear and that they represent a form of individual psychopathology rather than a socially reinforced prejudice. " He preferred "sexual prejudice" as being descriptive and free of presumptions about motivations, and lacking in value judgments as to the irrationality or immorality of those so labeled. ^[18]

In 1980 Hudson and Ricketts proposed the term "homonegativity," arguing that "homophobia" was unscientific in its presumption of motivation. Homonegativity is a term proposed for use by Hudson and Ricketts in 1980, for description of a negative attitude towards Homosexuality or homosexual people instead ^[19]

In 1993, behavioral scientists William O'Donohue and Christine Caselles concluded that the usage of the term "as it is usually used, makes an illegitimately pejorative evaluation of certain open and debatable value positions, much like the former disease construct of homosexuality" itself, arguing that both homophobia and homosexuality are social constructions. ^[20]

The National Association for Research & Therapy of Homosexuality, an organization affiliated with the ex-gay movement, describes the term homophobia as being "often used inaccurately to describe any person who objects to homosexual behavior on either moral, psychological or medical grounds. The National Association for Research & Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH formerly the National Association for Research and Treatment of Homosexuality, is a Non-profit Ex-gay is a term sometimes used to refer to persons who once identified as Gay or Lesbian, but have since turned away from such identification for " They claim that, "Technically, however, the terms actually denotes a person who has a phobia—or irrational fear—of homosexuality. Principled disagreement, therefore, cannot be labeled 'homophobia. '"^[21]

Classification of homophobia

Homophobia manifests in different forms, and a number of different types have been postulated, among which are internalized homophobia, social homophobia, emotional homophobia, rationalized homophobia, and others. ^[22] There were also ideas to classify homophobia, racism, and sexism as an intolerant personality disorder. Personality disorder, formerly referred to as a Character Disorder is a class of mental disorders characterized by rigid and on-going patterns of feeling thinking and behavior ^[23]

Homophobia is not mentioned directly in any diseases clasifications (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems). The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders' ( DSM) is published by the American Psychiatric Association The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (most commonly known by the abbreviation ICD) provides codes to classify Diseases For some, homophobia is a non-clinical term^[24].

Internalized Homophobia

Internalized homophobia (or ego-dystonic homophobia) refers to homophobia as a prejudice carried by individuals against homosexual manifestations in themselves and others. Egodystonic is a psychological term referring to behaviors (e It causes severe discomfort with or disapproval of one's own sexual orientation. Sexual orientation is believed to refer to "an enduring pattern of emotional romantic and/or sexual attractions to men women or both sexes Internalized homophobia is thus a form of cognitive dissonance; the individual cannot reconcile the conflicting conscious or unconscious sexual desires with values and tenets gained from society, religion or upbringing. In Psychology, cognitive dissonance is an uncomfortable feeling or stress caused by holding two contradictory ideas simultaneously

Such a situation may cause extreme repression of homosexual desires. ^[25] In other cases, a conscious internal struggle may occur for some time, often pitting deeply held religious or social beliefs against strong sexual and emotional desires. This discordance often causes clinical depression, and the unusually high suicide rate among gay teenagers (up to 30 percent of non-heterosexual youth attempt suicide) has been attributed to this phenomenon. Major depressive disorder, also known as major depression, unipolar depression, unipolar disorder, clinical depression, or simply depression ^[26]

The label of internalized homophobia is sometimes applied to conscious or unconscious behaviors which an observer feels the need to promote or conform to the expectations of heteronormativity or heterosexism. Heteronormativity is a term to describe the marginalization of Non-heterosexual lifestyles and the view that Heterosexuality is the normal Sexual orientation This can include extreme repression and denial coupled with forced outward displays of heteronormative behavior for the purpose of appearing or attempting to feel "normal" or "accepted". This might also include less overt behavior like making assumptions about the gender of a person's romantic partner, or about gender roles. A gender role is defined as a set of perceived behavioural norms associated particularly with Males or Females in a given social group or system Some also apply this label to LGBT persons who support "compromise" policies, such as those that find civil unions an acceptable alternative to same-sex marriage. LGBT (also GLBT) is an initialism referring collectively to Lesbian, Gay, bisexual, and Transgender / transsexual A civil union is a legally recognized union similar to Marriage. Same-sex marriage (also referred to as gay marriage) is a term for a legally or Socially recognized Marriage between two people of the same Whether this is a tactical judgement call or the result of some kind of internal prejudice (whether in a cause-and-effect fashion, or definitionally) is a matter of some debate.

Some claim that some or most homophobes are repressed homosexuals, but this claim is somewhat controversial. In 1996, a controlled study of 64 heterosexual men (half claimed to be homophobic by experience and self-reported orientation) at the University of Georgia found that the allegedly homophobic men (as measured by the Index of Homophobia)^[27] were considerably more likely to experience more erectile responses when exposed to homoerotic images than non-homophobic men. The University of Georgia ( UGA) is a public research University located in Athens, Georgia, the oldest and largest of the The erection of the Penis, Clitoris or a Nipple is its enlarged and firm state Homoeroticism refers to the representation of same-sex love and desire most especially as it is depicted or manifested in the Visual arts and Literature. ^[28]

Fear of being identified as gay (Social Homophobia)

Theorists including Calvin Thomas and Judith Butler have suggested that homophobia can be rooted in an individual's fear of being identified as gay. Calvin Thomas is an American Academic who works in the fields of Critical theory, modern and Postmodern literature and Culture Judith Butler (born February 24, 1956) is an American Post-structuralist philosopher who has contributed to the fields of Feminism At least one study indicates that homophobia in men is correlated with insecurity about masculinity. ^[29] In addition, a study in 1996 showed that some homophobic males are sexually stimulated by "homosexual stimuli. " ^[30]

They have argued that a person who expresses homophobic thoughts and feelings does so not only to communicate their beliefs about the class of gay people, but also to distance themselves from this class and its social status. Thus, by distancing themselves from gay people, they are reaffirming their role as a heterosexual in a heteronormative culture, thereby attempting to prevent themselves from being labelled and treated as a gay person. Heteronormativity is a term to describe the marginalization of Non-heterosexual lifestyles and the view that Heterosexuality is the normal Sexual orientation

This interpretation alludes to the idea that a person may posit violent opposition to "the Other" as a means of establishing their own identity as part of the majority and thus gaining social validation. This concept is also recurrent in interpretations of racism and xenophobia. List of racism-related topics|Racism by country Racism, by its simplest definition is the belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that Xenophobia is an intense and/or irrational dislike and sometimes fear of people from other countries

Nancy J. Chodorow states that homophobia can be viewed as a method of protection of male masculinity. ^[31]

Various psychoanalytic theories explain homophobia as a threat to an individual's own same-sex impulses, whether those impulses are imminent or merely hypothetical. This threat causes repression, denial or reaction formation. In Sigmund Freud 's Psychoanalytic theory, reaction formation is a Defense mechanism in which Anxiety -producing or unacceptable Emotions ^[32]

Homophobia as leading to a climate of prejudice

Sexist beliefs

Some gender theorists interpret the fact that male-to-male relationships often incite a stronger reaction in a homophobic person than female-to-female (lesbian) as meaning that the homophobic person feels threatened by the perceived subversion of the gender paradigm in male-to-male sexual activity. Gender studies is a field of Interdisciplinary study which analyzes the phenomenon of Gender. A lesbian is a Woman who is romantically or sexually attracted only to other women A gender role is defined as a set of perceived behavioural norms associated particularly with Males or Females in a given social group or system According to such theorists as D. A. Miller, male heterosexuality is defined not only by the desire for women but also, and more importantly, by the denial of desire for men. Therefore, expressions of homophobia serve as a means of limiting those who they view as displaced in heteronormativity, and also of accenting their male nature, by isolating the threatening concept of their own potential femininity in gay men, and consequently belittling them, as not real males. They regard the reason male homosexuality is treated worse compared to female homosexuality as sexist in its underlying belief that men are superior to women and therefore for a man to "replace" a woman during intercourse with another man is his own subjection to (non-male) inferiority. Sexism is the belief or attitude that one Gender or Sex is inferior to or less valuable than the other and can also refer to a Hatred or distrust towards

However, this view would imply that only the receptive male partner in homosexual acts would be thought of as "offensive", which is the case in many cultures. Miller's specific claim that male heterosexuality does not require "desire for women" would seem to preclude the possibility of asexuality or bisexuality. Asexuality is a Sexual orientation that describes individuals who do not experience Sexual attraction. Bisexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of both sexes or to a bisexual orientation Nor is it clear why male heterosexuals would "need" or even fear gay people in order to affirm maleness – unless their sexuality was already experienced as threatened by some other cause.

Other theories of the difference in the reactions of homophobes to male-male versus female-female homosexual relationships simply have to do with a common sexual desire. A heterosexual man desires women. For a woman to desire women is thus more understandable than for a man to desire men, as a heterosexual man and homosexual woman share the same desire for women, but a heterosexual man cannot understand or identify with the attraction of one man to another man. Similarly, homosexual men desire men, and thus for a man to desire men is understandable to a woman who has the same desires. Even more simply, same-sex relationships can be more tolerable to members of the opposite sex simply because of the innate attraction of a heterosexual to the opposite sex, and the accompanying modification of emotion.

Lastly, a common sexual fantasy of heterosexual males, rooted in a desire to be virile and attractive to women, and also rooted in the traditional view of women as objects or possessions, is to engage in sex with multiple women. Thus a lesbian relationship can be seen as an opportunity to indulge in such a fantasy, regardless of any conscious realization of its implausibility.

Distribution/frequency of attitudes in the UK and US

Disapproval of homosexuality and of gay people is not evenly distributed throughout society, but is more or less pronounced according to age, ethnicity, race, sex, social class, education and religious status. According to UK HIV/AIDS charity AVERT, low educational level and social status, lack of homosexual feelings or experiences, religious views, and lack of interaction with gay people are strongly associated with such views. ^[33]

One study of white adolescent males conducted at the University of Cincinnati by Janet Baker has been used to argue that negative feelings towards gay people are also associated with other discriminatory behaviors. Unlike most discrimination policies discrimination between, which is the discernment of qualities and recognition of the differences focused here discrimination against is The study claims to have found that hatred of gay people, anti-Semitism and racism are "likely companions",^[34] suggesting it is an abuse of power. Antisemitism (alternatively spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism; also rarely known as judeophobia) is the Prejudice against or hostility List of racism-related topics|Racism by country Racism, by its simplest definition is the belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that A study performed in 2007 in the UK for the charity Stonewall reports that 90 percent of the population support the ban on discrimination against gays and lesbians. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located ^[35]

Social institutions can perpetuate homophobic attitudes. Such institutional sources in the black community include:

• Music and music videos^[36][37][38]

• Churches ^[39][40][41]

Sources of homophobia in the white community include:

• Churches. Pastor John Hagee said in 2006, "I believe that New Orleans had a level of sin that was offensive to God, and they were recipients of the judgment of God for that. John Charles Hagee (born April 12 1940 is the founder and senior Pastor of Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas, a non-denominational This view was echoed by Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church, who promote the view that virtually all wars and natural disasters affecting America are God's punishment for tolerating homosexuality. Fred Waldron Phelps Sr (born November 13 1929 is an The Westboro Baptist Church (WBC is a church headed by Fred Phelps and based in Topeka Kansas, United States. The newspaper carried the story in our local area, that was not carried nationally, that there was to be a homosexual parade there on the Monday that the Katrina came. Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the costliest hurricane, as well as one of the five deadliest in the history of the United States "^{[42] [43]}

Professional sports in many countries involves homophobic expressions by star athletes and by fans. Sport is an Activity that is governed by a set of rules or Customs and often engaged in competitively Examples in the United States include:

• Hockey fans. "Homo Larry"'s antics have been countered by protests by attendees of New York Rangers games and by New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn. The New York Rangers are a professional Ice hockey team based in New York, New York, United States. The New York City Council is the lawmaking body of the City of New York. Christine Callaghan Quinn (b 25 July 1966 in Glen Cove New York) is a Democratic politician and the current Speaker of the ^[44]
• Basketball players. All-Star National Basketball Association player Tim Hardaway drew criticism after he said on the "790 the Ticket" radio show, "Well, you know, I hate gay people. Timothy Duane "Tim" Hardaway (born September 1 1966) is an American retired Basketball Point guard who played in the I let it be known I don’t like gay people. I don’t like to be around gay people. I’m homophobic. I don’t like it, it shouldn’t be in the world, in the United States, I don’t like it. ”^[45]

The anxiety of non-gay individuals that others may identify them as gay, particularly among adolescents whose construction of heterosexual masculinity is factored in part on not being seen as gay,^[46][47] has also been identified by Michael Kimmel as an example of homophobia. Michael Scott Kimmel (*1951 is an American sociologist. His focus is Pro-feminism. ^[48] The taunting of boys seen as eccentric (and who are not usually gay) is claimed to be endemic in rural and suburban American schools, and has been associated with risk-taking behavior and outbursts of violence (such as a spate of fatal school shootings) by boys seeking revenge or trying to assert their masculinity. ^[49]

Combatting homophobia

To combat homophobia, the LGBT community uses events such as gay pride parades and political activism (See gay pride). Activism, in a general sense can be described as intentional action to bring about social or political change LGBT pride or gay pride refers to a world wide movement and philosophy asserting that LGBT ( Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and One form of organized resistance to homophobia is the International Day Against Homophobia (or IDAHO),^[50] first celebrated May 17, 2005 in related activities in more than 40 countries. International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO is celebrated May 17. ^[51]

In addition to public expression, legislation has been designed, controversially, to oppose homophobia, as in hate speech, hate crime, and laws against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Hate speech is a term for speech intended to degrade intimidate or incite violence or prejudicial action against a person or group of people based on their race, Gender Hate crimes (also known as bias motivated crimes) occur when a perpetrator targets a victim because of his or her membership in a certain Social group, usually defined Unlike most discrimination policies discrimination between, which is the discernment of qualities and recognition of the differences focused here discrimination against is

Some argue that anti-LGBT prejudice is immoral and goes above and beyond the effects on that class of people. Warren J. Blumenfeld argues that this emotion gains a dimension beyond itself, as a tool for extreme right-wing conservatives and fundamentalist religious groups and as a restricting factor on gender-relations as to the weight associated with performing each role accordingly. ^[52] Furthermore, Blumenfeld in particular claimed:

Anti-gay bias causes young people to engage in sexual behavior earlier in order to prove that they are straight. Anti-gay bias contributed significantly to the spread of the AIDS epidemic. Anti-gay bias prevents the ability of schools to create effective honest sexual education programs that would save children's lives and prevent STDs. A sexually transmitted disease ( STD) or venereal disease ( VD) is an illness that has a significant probability of transmission between Humans

References

See also

• Heterosexism
• Allophilia
• Biphobia
• Gay panic defense
• Heterophobia
• Homosexual panic
• Intersectionality
• Latent homosexuality
• Slogans of anti-gay ideology
• Sissyphobia: Gay Men and Effeminate Behavior
• Violence against LGBT people

External links

• Wikiquote - Quotes about Homophobia
• Sexual Prejudice: Understanding Homophobia and Heterosexism
• GLAAD site: Nationwide Responses to Senator Lott's Homophobic Remarks
• The Homophobic Imagination
• The Rockway Institute for LGBT research in the public interest at Alliant International University
• Homophobia in the media
• Interactive guide to UK employment law regarding sexuality and homophobia and what you can do
• PBS' "Frontline's" homophobia quiz
• European Parliament resolution on homophobia in Europe

Heterosexism is a term that applies to attitudes, Bias, and Discrimination in favor of opposite-sex sexuality and relationships Allophilia —positive attitudes for a group that is not one's own—is a term derived from Greek words meaning "liking or love of the other" (Pittinsky 2005 Biphobia is a term used to describe the fear of aversion to or discrimination against Bisexuality or LGBT people who are bisexual or perceived to be bisexual Gay panic defense is a term used to describe a rare but high-profile legal defense against charges of Assault or Murder. Heterophobia is a term used to describe irrational fear of aversion to or discrimination against Heterosexuals Heterophobic is the adjective form of this term used Homosexual panic is a term first coined by Psychiatrist Edward J Intersectionality is a theory which seeks to examine the ways in which various socially and culturally constructed categories interact on multiple levels Latent homosexuality is an Erotic inclination toward members of the same sex that is not Consciously experienced or expressed in overt action Sissyphobia Gay Men and Effeminate Behavior is a book by Tim Bergling Violence against LGBT people queer identifying and the same-sex attracted are actions which may occur either at the hands of LGBT (also GLBT) is an initialism referring collectively to Lesbian, Gay, bisexual, and Transgender / transsexual History Alliant International University is an independent not-for-profit university formed in July 2001 as a result of a merger between California School of Professional

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