Etymology

Based on data from a Oxford English Dictionary, the word homophobia in the significant "fear or hatred of homosexuals and homosexuality" was foremost utilized inside print in Time Magazine in 1969. It was coined by clinical psychologist George Weinberg, and popularized by his book Society & a Hardy Homosexual within 1971. It combines a Greek words phobos, meaning "panic fear", with a prefix homo-, which means "the same". A "homo" within homophobia comes from either a word homosexual, not to become confused by owning a Latin homo, meaning man (when inside homo sapiens).

The imaginable precursor was homoerotophobia, coined by Dr Wainwright Churchill in Homosexual Behavior Among Males in 1967.

Dual associations and usage controversy

Virtually all population world health organization discuss a idea of bias against LGBT people use a term "homophobia" as a parallel to racism or sexism (which refers to gender prejudice). Heterosexism and sexualism have been proposed as option which are then further morphologically parallel, and which don't use at times a association by owning phobic disorder. A term "homosexualism" is a rarely-utilized equivalent word of homosexuality. Queer Theory uses the term heterocentric to refer to a similar ontological assumption, and a parallel term from either critical theory is heteronormativity. Heterosexualism is an ambiguous term which is used either as a synomym for heterosexuality or heterosexism (prejudice against gay). "Homoism" is non the term inside far flung have.

Homophobia as a clinically diagnosed medical problem is quite rare, especially in comparison a prevalence of political, private, or even moral disapproval of gayness generally. Although non specifically enrolled in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, clinical homophobia might fall into a class of "specific phobias" or even exist as associated by owning more disorders. (View phobia and also homosexual panic.)

For other principles in medically diagnosed phobic disorder, look at phobia. For something that can exist when described as "medical homophobia", watch homosexual panic.

A bit of users of the term "homophobia" only mean preconception against homophile or even LGBT population. However others actually apply a word to advisedly associate a idea of preconception by owning fear. the single implication of this association would become that a deficiency of familiarity or even even comfort by using openly LGBT population induces preconception; a select few will even last and then far when to claim that tons preconception arises from either a few kinda fear, possibly related to of these or a second "us vs. them" section.

Even as a select few humans by choice utilise a term "homophobia" to stress the association between biwhen & a fear or medical disorder, others criticise it as existence unnecessarily or even maliciously loaded with those associations, & could make sure your not applying it following. Considerable ethnic & political debate continues on top whether anti-LGBT bias is perfect or even even possibly even even wrongly, whether it occurs as legitimate moral stance or indefensible discrimination, whether or does'nt there come reasons otherwise fear & misunderstanding that may justify such an opinion, & even whether or does'nt a arguments around trend lines of such an opinion are rational or irrational.

When to a validity of the term, these are periodically argued that the term suggests an irrational, instinctual fear, when more phobias would, which they sense mischaracterizes "homophobes"' opposition to gayness therein these are typically according to religious beliefs and/or abstract thought when to the nature and severity of intimate relationships.

Gay-rights supporters, but then, argue that homophobia doesn't stem from either mere noetic terms & so an aversion to gayness should with validity become seen when sheer prejudice and unjustified aversion. But, the counter-argument would become that this occurs as similar attitude to the "choice" debate at a heart of homosexual persecution.

a minority argue that homophobithe itself stems from either a clinical trouble, suggesting that the term should exist as taken literally as a medical definition of sick aversion to gay, for the state of people & their associated interactions using society. the scientific community, along sustaining a huge majority of population come unsupportive when to this notion, though occasionally however speculate on the pre-cultural roots of homophobia within now's society [http://uk.gay.com/headlines/8588 Study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology].A learn claimed that ""Discrimination can be an fallowing outcome of the ancestral require to protect the class action from either danger." it went on to say that "key emotions were targeted at different minority groups, by using shirtlifter in all probability to elicit feelings of disgust." The study concluded that "a man of science behind a see say a difficult-wiring of my brains should non work as an excuse for even homophobia or bias, since you could okay, learn to "dampen down" my fears."

Internalised homophobia

Internalized homophobia (or ego-dystonic homophobia) usually refers to homophobia as a prejudice carried by homosexuals against themselves and others like them. It includes a discomfort with or disapproval of one's own sexual orientation.

Such a situation may cause extreme repression of homosexual desires. In other cases, a conscious internal struggle may occur for some time, often pitting deeply held religious or social beliefs against strong emotional desires and needs. This discordance often causes clinical depression, and the unusually high suicide rate among homosexual teenagers may be partly attributed to this phenomenon (the opinions and actions of others is obviously also a factor in both).

Many people in this situation attempt to resolve it, at least for a period of time, through chastity. This is an attractive option because many belief systems are neutral or only mildly disapprove of, for example, homosexual feelings, but strongly disapprove of acting on those feelings. Advocates of the ex-gay movement believe that in addition to behavior, sexual orientation is a malleable attribute, and advocate attempting to change it (this is highly controversial, and most mental health professionals warn that such therapies have not been proven to be effective, and that they may be psychologically harmful).

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. This might include making assumptions about the gender of a person's romatic partner, or about gender roles. 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. 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 (including Sigmund Freud in his psychoanalytic theory) that some or most homophobes are repressed homosexuals, but this claim is highly controversial. The notion, however, suffers from a serious logical fallacy known as post hoc ergo propter hoc. In 1996, a controlled study of 64 heterosexual (by experience and self-reported orientation) men at the University of Georgia) considerably more likely to experience more erectile response when exposed to homoerotic images than non-homophobic men.

However, the homophobic men also tended to report more negative emotions in response to those particular images (not sexual arousal), and the researchers noted that general anxiety has been shown to enhance erectile response. There was no significant difference in results on the Aggression Questionnaire. The group recommended further research.

Fear of being identified as a homosexual

A component considered to play into homophobia, as considered by some theorists, such as Calvin Thomas and Judith Butler, is an individual's fear of being identified as homosexual him or herself.

This notion suggests that when expressing homophobic viewpoints and emotions, the individual who does so is not only expressing his thoughts as to homosexuals, but also actively attempting to distance himself from this category and attributed social status. Therefore, by distancing him or herself from the people in question, he/she is reaffirming his/her role as a heterosexual, within heteronormativity, and contributing to the avoidance of his/her potential labelling and consequent treatment as a homosexual.

This interpretation plays into notions of violent opposition to "the More" as a means of establishing one's identity as part of the majority and therefore, validated by society. This concept is also recurrent in interpretations of racism and xenophobia.

Homophobia as prejudice

Whether viewed as unfounded prejudices or legitimate moral opinions, anti-LGBT attitudes have been reflected in legislation and have had a profound impact on political debates over LGBT civil rights in general. They have also result in violence against LGBT people, sometimes by individuals, sometimes state-sanctioned or organized.

Many social and religious attitudes toward homosexuality are negative, which some might describe as homophobic. See Societal attitudes towards homosexuality and Religion and homosexuality.

Psychology researchers have used the SDO and RWA measures to predict homophobic attitudes.

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. 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 feminity 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 "replenish" a woman during intercourse with another man is his own subjection to (non-male) inferiority.

However, this view would imply that only the passive male partner in homosexual acts would be thought of as "offence". Miller's specific claim that male heterosexuality does not require "want for women" would seem to preclude the possibility of asexuality or bisexuality. Nor is it clear why male heterosexuals would "want" or even fear homosexuals in order to affirm maleness – unless their sexuality was already experienced as threatened by some other cause.

Opposition to homophobia

To combat homophobia, the LGBT community uses events such as pride parades and political activism (See gay pride). Some parts of the festivities are criticized for reinforcing stereotypes about LGBT people (e.g. Dykes on Bikes, the prominence of cross-dressing, a gay male fascination with musicals, the colour pink, a sex-positive atmosphere that may seem to give endorsement to a promiscuous lifestyle which in turn relates to the problem of AIDS, etc). Other portions tend to challenge stereotypes, including the presence of religious organizations who support gay rights and oppose homophobia (See Religion and homosexuality), the families of LGBT people, and LGBT people with children. Much of the colour, glamour, and noise of pride parades can also be seen as a simple celebration of LGBT culture, or of life in general.

One form of organized resistance to homophobia is the [http://ilga.org/news_results_b.asp?FileID=329 International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO)], first celebrated May 17, 2005 in related activities in more than 40 countries [http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2005/5/emw239185.htm].

Some activists also call homophobia straight supremacism equating it to white supremacism. Anti-gay groups see this as an attempt to marginalize those who disapprove of homosexuality.

Besides public expression, specific laws have been made to oppose homophobia, as in hate speech, hate crime, and laws against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

Some argue that anti-LGBT prejudice is immoral or unwise 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 far-right conservative and religious groups and as a restricting factor on gender-relations as to the weight associated with performing each role accordingly. Furthermore, Blumenfeld in particular claimed: "homophobia" as a applied to opponents of political issues
The term "homophobe" has also been used to describe opponents of laws considered favorable to homosexual causes. Opposition to same sex marriage legalization, child adoption by homosexuals, and anti-gay hate crimes are often labeled 'homophobes' when they not support this legislation.

Senator Rick Santorum was labeled a homophobe by critics for making a delclaration that he believed consenting adults do not have a Constitutional right to privacy with respect to sexual acts. Santorum described the ability to regulate homosexual acts as comparable to the states' ability to regulate other sexual behaviors. (See Santorum Controversy)

In some cases, it may be possible to oppose one or more of the pro-gay legislative issues listed above without it necessarily being due to visceral antipathy towards homosexuals; i.e., homophobia.

Excerpts from discussions of the term

Gay rights supporter Scott Bidstrup, in a personal essay titled Homophobia: The Fear Behind The Hatred, emphasizes the association between prejudice and fear: Niclas Berggren, writing in the Independent Gay Forum, argues that "homophobic" opinions are irrational: Christian commentator Gregory Koukl, in a personal essay titled Heterosexism, objects to the medicalization of a moral position: Homophobia or Open Prejudice Against Homosexuals in popular culture

Eminem garnered a lot of controversy as he rose to success, because of what were seen as highly homophobic lyrics, which ultimately led to GLAAD actively receiving hate-mail from fans of his. This led to a number of reactions against him, in the forms of public manifestations and even a commercial specifically filmed for the night he played at the 2001 Grammys, with the mother of a homosexual teenager, Matthew Shepard, who was beaten to death, speaking out to the general public as to the use of homophobic terms. Ironically, Eminem performed with openly gay artist Elton John that very night.

In 2004 the reggae artist Sizzla cancelled his tours of the United Kingdom and France after protests over his anti-gay lyrics (popularly refered to as "homophobic"), and at one point the British government considered banning him from entry into the country [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/3977791.stm].

In 2001 the Russian pop-band Chugunnyi Skorokhod (Russian "Чугунный Скороход") (literally, "A convenient-walker of pig-iron") released a song Pidory idut! (Russian "Пидоры идут"!) ("Fags come marching!"). The song is about how it is hard for a straight man to live in a world where gays rule (particularly, in fields of TV, show business, etc.). It contains lines like "Smart shoppers were innate the human - smart shoppers're at bay! There's there is no way should you be straight!" "Any stylist or even stylist must exist as the homo! How can the second banana act, in case homosexual need him immediately?" The reaction in the Russian society was mixed: while some gay magazines and web sites accused the authors of fascism, many people accepted it quite warmly.