Do you agree that homophobia is a form of moral degeneracy?

Question

Hurting innocent people who you haven't even met by denying them equal rights is immoral. Do you agree that homophobes are immoral and degenerate?

Answer 1

Oh, yes. I certainly do.

Answer 2

No, because "homophobia" is actually a very poor term to define the mindset you describe. To this day, I don't understand why people everywhere continue to use this word.

A "phobia" is defined in psychological circles as a FEAR. For example, "claustrophobia" is a fear of tight spaces. So "homophobia" means, literally, a fear (phobia) of the same type of something ("homo" means "one").

The person credited with "inventing" the term was a talk show host, Phil Donohue. Not having a formal background in psychology, he may have been well-intentioned, but the use of this term to describe the hatred of or discrimination toward gays or lesbians unfortunately makes no sense.

My answer may be approaching your question from a different angle than most people, but if you use the literal definition of "homophobia", the simple fear of something does not make someone "immoral and degenerate". So in this context, my answer has to be "no". I hope that makes sense to you and everyone else.

Answer 3

I'm not sure I'd go quite that far. I mean, homophobia is a major problem in todays society, no question there. But moral degeneracy? I think it's just fear of the unknown. If they became more educated on the homosexual lifestyle, and got past all the stereotypes that most of these people would turn their way of thinking around. But to label them degerates, I think that's just unfair. We need to, as a group, inform more people what we're really like, to get them past the stereotypes and get them over the fear. But if we start labeling them right back, arn't we just sinking to their level. Maybe I put too much thought into this, but that's kinda how I see it.

Answer 4

I don't know if I would go that far. Some of them really are, like Fred Phelps but some are just doing what they think is best for us and society. I can't fault them for that. I don't agree with them but would never consider them immoral or degenerate. It is not immoral or degenerate to be wrong.

Answer 5

Homophobia is the unreasoned fear of homosexuals. Just because someone fears you, don't assume that they're going to hurt you. I have arachnophobia - I just try to keep away from them. But I don't go out of my way to hurt them.

"Moral" is defined as "conforming to standards of what is right or just in behavior...", which begs the question of who or what sets those standards? If it is majority rule (which it usually is), then they are technically being moral in the way they feel - just not in the way they may act on that feeling. Also, "degenerate" is defined as "a person who has declined, as in morals or character, from a type or standard considered normal" - once again, what rule is to be used in setting the standard of normal?

Since homosexuals would be considered immoral and degenerate by definition (and they are the words you chose to use), I really don't think these labels should be used to refer to anyone, whether homosexual or heterosexual. To do so encourages mob rule - that the majority must be correct.

Don't get me wrong - I have no problem with homosexuals. Many of my friends are self-described "flamers", etc. But if you're going to try to label parts of society in this way, please be aware that what you're actually saying may not be what you intend to say.

Answer 6

Equal rights... like rights to life? right to liberty? right to free speech? right to vote? right not to be discriminated against at work? right to marriage (ie civil unions). I'm not sure what equal rights you are referring to, because from my viewpoint gays/lesbians have been afforded those rights.

As for homophobes being morally degenerate, by some religions they are being devout. Using your same proclamations, would someone who suffers from agoraphobia be considered a social degenerate. Someone who is claustrophobic would be a mental degenerate.

Some faiths preach that gay/lesbian is evil, a sin, or whatever. Those who subscribe to that are likely fearful that their children my be gay (or become gay - as some would argue). They want to protect themselves from a lifestyle they feel is immoral. Now... reflecting back at you... doesn't that make you heterophobic and just as much a moral degenerate because you support something others feel is immoral. Hmmm.

Answer 7

No, I just think that it shows that you've been misled by your parents into fearing people that you don't know because they have a different sexual preference than most other people. You know... ignorant. However, not all homophobes actually go out and beat up on gays - some just sit at home watching TV and being a bigot. Interesting question though.

Answer 8

More like primitive and backward. People who fear what they are not used to, often to an irrational extreme.

It's the homophobes who use the labels"moral degeneracy" and "immoral." Homophobia springs from fear and ignorance, not moral degeneracy (however you'd be able to define that, anyway?)

Answer 9

Yes, I agree that denying someone rights is immoral.

But I think that labeling homophobes as degenerate places them at a subhuman level, which isn't any better than what they do. They're asssholes, but they're human asssholes.

Answer 10

I think it's mostly a form of self-hatred or lack of self -confidence.

1) Self-hatred. Because the worst gay bashers are closet homosexuals in the first place. If they have learned through parents/society that its is wrong then they will hate themselves for being what people around them considers deviant. Therefore anyone else that reminds them of what they are is unbearable to them because it brings up their inner feeling of shame.

2) Lack of self-confidence. Because a phobia is a fear and you are usually afraid of what you don't understand, cannot comprehend. They feel it threatens their own ideal of society as they know it, that they'll lose power, etc.

In any case, it's a sign of ignorance and lack of intelligence.

Answer 11

No. A "phobia" is a disorder.

The belief that marriage should be legally defined as a covenant between one man and one woman is not immoral. A definition of marriage codified in the law is not denying equal rights.