Homophobia

Homophobia

Introduction

I have selected the topic of Homophobia for this research. The reason why I have selected this topic is because of its significance these days. I would like to have an insight into this topic in depth. I would like to have insight to it in the country of U.S. Homophobia also referred to as Heterosexual Hegemony is an illogical fear of hatred of homosexuals. This term was coined by George Weinberg, in Society and the Healthy Homosexual of 1972. This definition is limited in focus; it ignores boarder structural sources behind the taboo of homo sexual relationships and narrow-mindedness exposed toward any gender in the society. It also shows the symptoms of self-hatred in individuals (gay, lesbians, bi-sexual, or intersexed) because of the shame and dishonor linked with their sexuality. It includes unfairness against the forms of family that is not traditional to heteronormativity.

Homophobia is an incorrect term which points out toward “unknown fear toward homosexuals”, but it has also increased the fear of political and social power in making up their agenda. The person who feels uncomfortable around homosexual personalities has the label of Homophobia. The Foundation Emergence in Quebec has described 9 ways in which Homophobia clearly depicts:

Mind-set Homophobia: which demonstrate homosexual as sick or abnormal.

Hetrosexist Homophobia: which beliefs that everybody is homosexual.

Speech based Homophobia: use expressions or words to tease.

Behavioral Homophobia: body language shows fear or lack of confidence when comes in contact with homosexuals.

Institutional Homophobia: that shows biasness against homosexuals.

Opportunistic Homophobia: person involve in homo sexuality only for monetary or personal gains.

Internalized Homophobia: results from education or wide spread social values.

Homophobia by Omission: when face speech regarding homophobia shows quite behavior.

Violent Homophobia: this one is extreme and results in violence.

Discussion

The most powerful work has been done by social psychologist Gregory Herek, he has demonstrated negative reactions against lesbians or bisexual people are not much motivated by fear than anger, which can be clearly see through bullying, cruelty etc.

Thus, rather than an irrational fear of homosexual and bisexual people, antigay hostility is believed to be a function of widespread cultural knowledge that homosexuality is a stigma and is expressed mainly in stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination. Homophobia is maintained but distinct from heterosexism, which represents the system of beliefs that legitimizes inequality between heterosexual and homosexual people by positioning heterosexuality as the norm, rendering all nonheterosexual behavior as either invisible and/or abnormal.

Although a number of countries have included sexual direction as part of human rights legislation, homosexual and heterosexual rights are by no means at equivalence. For example, Most of the countries do not recognize same-sex marriages. Denmark was the first country to recognize same-sex partnerships in 1989 and since then, only approximately 10 countries have followed, among them the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Canada. Although some U.S. states recognize these unions, but it is not recognize federally. Moreover, the United States Civil Rights Act of 1964 does not prohibit acts of discrimination based on sexual behaviors, although a number of individual states have developed ...