If you hate people of another race, you're a racist.
If you hate people of another gender, you're a sexist.
So, if you hate homosexuals, why are you homoPHOBIC?
Shouldn't the word be something like homoSEXIST?
Just wondering what other people think.
2006-08-04 11:10:04 · 38 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Cultures & Groups ➔ Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender
I think that this word was coined during a time when there was actual fear about gay people. I think that the idea of calling it a phobia was intended to show that it belonged in a class of other fears that are "unfounded" --eg. cats, snakes, storms, the number 13 and so on --
I agree with you that the term really doesn't seem to work any more and I do like your suggestion or something like it.
2006-08-04 11:18:02 · answer #1 · answered by Ponderingwisdom 4 · 4⤊ 1⤋
Well, Homosexuals actually invented the name, They feel that people dont "hate" they "Fear" It's the fear of the unknown, aka, being Gay, or bisexual.
The fear of the Sexuality of Homosexuals.
If you look up the dictionary for homophobic, is means, Fear., or contempt:
1. Fear of or contempt for lesbians and gay men.
2. Behavior based on such a feeling.
Thats why it's Homophobic. and not Homosexist.
and a sexist does not mean you HATE the gender, it means you dont appreciate it, or dont value the opinions or ideas because you feel the other Sex, is lesser value or meaning, than your own sex. Or you feel they have certain purposes, and those purposes are usually dimeaning, or sterotypical. for example, Women should be cleaning, or making babies.
Racist, Doesn't necesarly mean you hate that race, it means you discriminate against that race. or you catorgorise certain flaws attributed to that race, for example, Hispanics steal hub caps, or black people steal bikes. or white men cant jump.
They Homophobes, Sexist pigs, and Racists, are all really stupid people, who should be avoided by smart people ;) (there, i'm a discriminatorphobe)
2006-08-04 11:14:23 · answer #2 · answered by anjui63 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is no such word as "homopobic." However, a homopHobic is someone who has contempt for gays and lesbians. Someone who is sexist discriminates against those of a different gender (hate is a bit strong). It USUALLY describes a chauvinistic feeling that men have for women. Homosexist just doesn't sound like a realistic word!
2006-08-04 11:19:00 · answer #3 · answered by Sherry K 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Homophobic is actually describing people that are afraid of homosexuals, not people that hate them. A more accurate word for hate of gays would be bigotry, but this is definitely a more loaded term.
2006-08-04 11:14:48 · answer #4 · answered by mtatic55 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The term phobic is used because homophobics fear the unknown..they actually believe if your touched by a gay person they will become it lololol...they should actually be called homoignorant. If they could only see how beautiful a gay man can decorate his home and how wonderful they can cook they would be homojealous.
2006-08-04 11:15:38 · answer #5 · answered by Lipstick 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because they're "scared" of them and that is a phobia. therefore homophobic is the word. And homosexist is weird sounding. Homo as in homosexual sexist? Nah.
2006-08-04 11:41:49 · answer #6 · answered by me. 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Homo is the first part of homosexual and phobic means you have a phobia. Hence homophobia. It's like arachnophobia, I don't know if I spelled it right but the first part pertains to spiders and the last is the phobia part...get it!
2006-08-04 11:14:50 · answer #7 · answered by ctryhnny04 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Phobia not only means "fear," it can mean "aversion." Granted, most homophobia is based in fear (for the sake of society, usually), but the intent of the word is to express an aversion to homosexuality.
2006-08-04 11:15:08 · answer #8 · answered by ? 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
On the contrary, "-IST" is used mainly to describe someone who advocates (in staunch support of) something, not against something. "Racist" advocates one's race. "Sexist" advocates one's sex/gender. With that being, if "homosexist" is a word, then it would mean someone who advocates homosexuals.
-PHOBIC is used to to describe someone who has a fear of something (from the Latin word "phobia"), not against something. Arachnophobia is a fear of spiders. Therefore, "homophobic" is a modern word used to describe someone who is afraid of homosexuals.
2006-08-04 11:20:28 · answer #9 · answered by CALOi 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Homophobia is an overused word. It means to fear homosexuals,. Most people don't fear them but are repulsed by their actions.
So yes, another word would be more accurate.
2006-08-04 11:14:47 · answer #10 · answered by Singlemomof10 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋