A pobia is a medical condition, i don't have the side effects that phobic person has. So why am i labled a homophob when that fact is i think homos are sickining people.
It offends me that they call me a homophob instead of a nonhomosexual person.
2007-02-08 02:02:48 · 4 answers · asked by Manny 1 in Social Science ➔ Other - Social Science
"Homophobia" means fear of homosexuals/ity. "Phobia" is firstly the Greek word for "fears" so the usage is grammatically legitimate even though it's not a "medical" condition.
An alternative word for the same problem is "heterosexism", meaning bias or prejudice in favor of heterrosexuality.
2007-02-10 06:04:32 · answer #1 · answered by MBK 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Back in the '70s when homosexuals first started claiming rights, there were those who wanted indiscriminate hookups and those who wanted monogamous relationships. The indiscriminate ones were afraid that people would ask whether there wasn't something ELSE wrong with them to explain their behavior (which always did tend to spread disease, just as it had among indiscriminate heterosexuals) and so they had to take a stand against monogamy as something not-quite-gay. So they accused the monogamous ones of homophobia. "You can't admit that you're homosexual because you're trying to pretend to lead a straight life," is how the argument went. And they coined the term homophobia to use against them. When AIDS came on the scene, the monogamous gays threw it back at them. "You've never been comfortable enough with your sexuality to deal with it responsibly." Eventually they decided to stop sniping at each other and use the term in an attempt to silence any criticism, no matter how justified the criticism might be.
Source: an article in 'Psychology Today' from the mid-'80s.
So yes, you are right. It is a fictitious 'condition'. In addition, its use shows an attitude that encourages censorship instead of open debate. Most heterosexual people find homosexuality at least distasteful, but won't admit it out loud. I can just imagine the flap that would occur if we would start calling people heterophobes. I think it will eventually happen, though. In the meantime, you should correct people. "I'm not a homophobe, I'm a heterophile."
2007-02-08 10:53:36 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I have no idea about other people's thoughts, but i think it is because you're too emotional. "Phobia" means "afraid of", and it is one of the few "mental conditions" that CAN be classified as a mental disease (many people argue that it isn't). Try to not overreact next time.
2007-02-11 22:51:08 · answer #3 · answered by Alan Z. 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"Homophobia" is the homosexual worlds normal way of deflecting the fear of their fearing non-homosexual people fearing They fear we fear them because we can't change them, but what they fear most is that they can't change us.homosexual people. Can't we at least get along? LOL
2007-02-08 10:32:58 · answer #4 · answered by Robster01 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋