| | Is 'Homophobia' an accurate term? | |
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+9RobbieFTW TSJFan4Ever Alan Smithee CatEyes10736 MandyPerfumeGirl Shale (Oh!) Rob Petrie Forgiveness Man Chris 13 posters | Author | Message |
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Chris Chamber Admin.
Join date : 2010-01-30 Location : Oak Park, Michigan Posts : 23201 Rep : 330
| Subject: Is 'Homophobia' an accurate term? Tue Feb 01, 2011 9:21 am | |
| People are generally tagged 'Homophobic' if they have any problem with homosexuality, or LGBT people. However, with the word 'phobic/phobia' (which means 'fear of') attached to the term, do you think that this is always accurate? Can someone have an aversion to LGBT people without actually being Homophobia, do you believe everyone who isn't receptive to gays has a fear of them?
With terms Sexism, Racism, would 'Gaycism' work better, or is Homophobia the right one to use? | |
| | | Forgiveness Man …is a Chamber Royal.
Join date : 2010-06-25 Location : Chilling on your sofa Posts : 6657 Rep : 153
| Subject: Re: Is 'Homophobia' an accurate term? Tue Feb 01, 2011 9:39 am | |
| Homophobic might be actually accurate if it was used properly but it's just used as a label to belittle anybody who doesn't fit into a specific mold and a specific "definition" of "tolerant."
Gaycism or something along that lines might be a more accurate term and compare better to racism and sexism, but like those two, it wouldn't make the many false claims of it somehow more applicable.
There are certainly real instances of these things, but not everything labeled into one of these categories actually fits. | |
| | | (Oh!) Rob Petrie …is a Power Member.
Join date : 2011-01-30 Location : Boston Posts : 1677 Rep : 62
| Subject: Re: Is 'Homophobia' an accurate term? Tue Feb 01, 2011 10:30 am | |
| Homophobia is a very off-base term. Should be something like heterosexism. | |
| | | Shale ...is a Chamber Royal.
Join date : 2010-09-27 Location : Miami Beach Posts : 9699 Rep : 219
| Subject: Re: Is 'Homophobia' an accurate term? Tue Feb 01, 2011 10:49 am | |
| - Rockbird wrote:
- Homophobia is a very off-base term. Should be something like heterosexism.
Yeah, it's not a perfect word when you think about it, same as Gay but it is a part of the common vernacular now so we are stuck with it. Heterosexism would be a more accurate word, but the other one is established.
Besides, it could be argued that fear is the ultimate motivation behind all the other bigoted manifestations against homosexuals. | |
| | | (Oh!) Rob Petrie …is a Power Member.
Join date : 2011-01-30 Location : Boston Posts : 1677 Rep : 62
| Subject: Re: Is 'Homophobia' an accurate term? Tue Feb 01, 2011 11:02 am | |
| That's a good point, Shale. It's amazing how words form and stick and never leave. | |
| | | MandyPerfumeGirl …is a Power Member.
Join date : 2010-05-31 Location : Illinois Posts : 1273 Rep : 26
| Subject: Re: Is 'Homophobia' an accurate term? Tue Feb 01, 2011 3:47 pm | |
| I think "homophobia" is a pretty fitting word. In certain situations, I think, "fear of" and "hate" can be synonymous. But even if what I just said turns out to be incorrect, we all get the point about what it means. | |
| | | CatEyes10736 …is a Power Member.
Join date : 2010-01-31 Location : Portland, Oregon Posts : 2665 Rep : 126
| Subject: Re: Is 'Homophobia' an accurate term? Tue Feb 01, 2011 6:17 pm | |
| I think an underlying reason why most people are homophobic is something fear based. Fear of being hit on by someone of the same gender, fear of gays "recruiting" kids, fear of God's wrath because of what the bible says, fear of people who're just plain different from themselves. So I think it's a pretty accurate term really. | |
| | | Alan Smithee ...is a 20G Chamber DIETY.
Join date : 2010-09-03 Location : 40º44’18.33”N 73º58’31.82”W Posts : 25792 Rep : 381
| Subject: Re: Is 'Homophobia' an accurate term? Tue Feb 01, 2011 10:13 pm | |
| Mandy and Cat said it pretty well. I think straight aversion to homosexuality is mostly rooted in some kind of fear. And yeah Shale, I remember when being “gay” meant you were happy.
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| | | TSJFan4Ever …is a Chamber Royal.
Join date : 2010-03-28 Posts : 5362 Rep : 78
| Subject: Re: Is 'Homophobia' an accurate term? Tue Feb 01, 2011 10:55 pm | |
| I don't think it's the best fit when you look at what phobia means. I'm arachnophobia so if I see a spider, esp. a big one, I run or scream or freak out. My heart rate increases and I have a physiological reaction. A phobia is an extreme fear. When people are described as homophobic, I don't think that's the reaction those people are having. They might not agree with the lifestyle, might be uncomfortable, whatever, but having an extreme physiological reaction? I don't see that.
I think "ism" is a more accurate description, though I don't know what word you'd actual choose to describe it. | |
| | | Alan Smithee ...is a 20G Chamber DIETY.
Join date : 2010-09-03 Location : 40º44’18.33”N 73º58’31.82”W Posts : 25792 Rep : 381
| Subject: Re: Is 'Homophobia' an accurate term? Wed Feb 02, 2011 8:03 am | |
| As Shale has pointed out, it's not a perfect world (I had no idea! ) but I still think phobia is more accurate than ism. Ism is a suffix used in the "formation of nouns denoting action or practice, state or condition, principles, doctrines, a usage or characteristic, devotion or adherence, etc." A phobia is "a persistent, irrational fear of a specific object, activity, or situation that leads to a compelling desire to avoid it." Not perfect, but I think more accurate. Either way, are the P.C. Nazis going to make us use another word? | |
| | | RobbieFTW …is Being Fitted For a Crown.
Join date : 2010-01-31 Location : Dearborn Posts : 4152 Rep : 145
| Subject: Re: Is 'Homophobia' an accurate term? Wed Feb 02, 2011 8:28 am | |
| - CatEyes10736 wrote:
- I think an underlying reason why most people are homophobic is something fear based. Fear of being hit on by someone of the same gender, fear of gays "recruiting" kids, fear of God's wrath because of what the bible says, fear of people who're just plain different from themselves. So I think it's a pretty accurate term really.
You forgot fear of their own latent sexual desires. I actually think homophobia works perfect because its mostly fear based from what I see. Everybody's so fucking scared of the damn gays (what we do, where we stick our dicks, that we're lusting after them, that we're gonna undermine their marriage by having our own). Yet they call US "faggots." Plus I think "Gaycist" sounds. . . well LAME! With "Racist" & "Sexist", I think GAYCIST would be one "ist" too many. | |
| | | CeCe …is a Chamber DEITY.
Join date : 2010-06-30 Posts : 11962 Rep : 326
| Subject: Re: Is 'Homophobia' an accurate term? Wed Feb 02, 2011 9:27 am | |
| - RobbieFTW wrote:
- CatEyes10736 wrote:
- I think an underlying reason why most people are homophobic is something fear based. Fear of being hit on by someone of the same gender, fear of gays "recruiting" kids, fear of God's wrath because of what the bible says, fear of people who're just plain different from themselves. So I think it's a pretty accurate term really.
You forgot fear of their own latent sexual desires.
I actually think homophobia works perfect because its mostly fear based from what I see. Everybody's so fucking scared of the damn gays (what we do, where we stick our dicks, that we're lusting after them, that we're gonna undermine their marriage by having our own). Yet they call US "faggots."
Plus I think "Gaycist" sounds. . . well LAME! With "Racist" & "Sexist", I think GAYCIST would be one "ist" too many. Since some people seem to think gay rights, gay marriage, hell gay anything is going to take something away from them or give gay people "special" rights, sounds like it's fear based to me. And the fears of rape are ridiculous. Some straight men have a very odd obsession with the dick. So yeah the term works I think. | |
| | | Chris Chamber Admin.
Join date : 2010-01-30 Location : Oak Park, Michigan Posts : 23201 Rep : 330
| Subject: Re: Is 'Homophobia' an accurate term? Wed Feb 02, 2011 3:55 pm | |
| - CeCe wrote:
- RobbieFTW wrote:
- CatEyes10736 wrote:
- I think an underlying reason why most people are homophobic is something fear based. Fear of being hit on by someone of the same gender, fear of gays "recruiting" kids, fear of God's wrath because of what the bible says, fear of people who're just plain different from themselves. So I think it's a pretty accurate term really.
You forgot fear of their own latent sexual desires.
I actually think homophobia works perfect because its mostly fear based from what I see. Everybody's so fucking scared of the damn gays (what we do, where we stick our dicks, that we're lusting after them, that we're gonna undermine their marriage by having our own). Yet they call US "faggots."
Plus I think "Gaycist" sounds. . . well LAME! With "Racist" & "Sexist", I think GAYCIST would be one "ist" too many. Since some people seem to think gay rights, gay marriage, hell gay anything is going to take something away from them or give gay people "special" rights, sounds like it's fear based to me. And the fears of rape are ridiculous. Some straight men have a very odd obsession with the dick. So yeah the term works I think. | |
| | | Jason B. …is a Power Member.
Join date : 2010-02-11 Posts : 2967 Rep : 70
| Subject: Re: Is 'Homophobia' an accurate term? Wed Feb 09, 2011 2:37 am | |
| Agree that "Gaycist" and "Gaycism" sounds silly. Homophobic can work in more narrowly defined givens, but I don't think all people who're hateful of gays fear them. "Homophobia" was probably a more accurate term to use before 1970 than today. "Heterosexist" sounds childish too. I would just call them BIGOTS and leave it at that. | |
| | | Supernova The Book Chamber
Join date : 2010-06-22 Posts : 11954 Rep : 182
| Subject: Re: Is 'Homophobia' an accurate term? Wed Feb 09, 2011 2:40 am | |
| - Chris wrote:
- People are generally tagged 'Homophobic' if they have any problem with homosexuality, or LGBT people. However, with the word 'phobic/phobia' (which means 'fear of') attached to the term, do you think that this is always accurate? Can someone have an aversion to LGBT people without actually being Homophobia, do you believe everyone who isn't receptive to gays has a fear of them?
With terms Sexism, Racism, would 'Gaycism' work better, or is Homophobia the right one to use? This is something I've been talking about for years...now, let's assume that it is a correct term, how stupid is that? Being afraid of gay people has got to be one of the dumbest things I have ever heard of. Of course people have proven to be afraid of dumber things for dumber reasons, but I still can't get my head around that one, unless it's like the guys who are so narrow minded they think if they're in the same locker room or shower with a gay man that it becomes a 'don't drop the soap' issue or something, to which I have no doubt there are still plenty of those kinds of morons with the peanut sized brains in their skulls walking around, which is the problem because this idiocy has had a long time to die out and it shows no signs of that anytime soon. | |
| | | captainbryce …is a Power Member.
Join date : 2010-04-11 Location : California Posts : 2051 Rep : 127
| Subject: Re: Is 'Homophobia' an accurate term? Wed Feb 09, 2011 3:09 pm | |
| - Chris wrote:
- People are generally tagged 'Homophobic' if they have any problem with homosexuality, or LGBT people. However, with the word 'phobic/phobia' (which means 'fear of') attached to the term, do you think that this is always accurate? Can someone have an aversion to LGBT people without actually being Homophobia, do you believe everyone who isn't receptive to gays has a fear of them?
With terms Sexism, Racism, would 'Gaycism' work better, or is Homophobia the right one to use? Yes. It's usually accurate for the majority of people it's ascribed to, and the fact that most of those people tend to have a phobia about the lable itself justifies its "correctness". A phobia is an irrational, intense and persistent fear of certain situations, activities, things, animals, or people. The reason homophobia is appropriate for those who are associated with the term is because of the key word "IRRATIONAL". Homophobia literally describes people who have an irrational fear of or aversion to homosexuals or homosexuality. It doesn't necessarily mean they fear the person as an individual, but they definetely fear what they represent. They fear the "lifestyle" and it's influence on society. They fear homosexuals seeing them naked in the locker room. They fear their children being influenced by homosexuals or becomming homosexual. They fear homosexuality being accepted as normal in mainstream society. They fear homosexuals being child molestors. There are so many irrational FEARS associated with the typical homophobe that there is no other more appropriate term for what they are! People who are homophobic don't like the term because of the negative stigma associated with it nowadays and because of the fact that they dislike the idea that they actually "fear" something that they don't like and don't want to accept. But the reality of the situation is that's exactly what they have. FEAR! And yes, I believe that people who aren't receptive to homosexuals DO in fact fear them or what they represent in some way or another. Otherwise, why would they have the aversion in the first place? And the reality is that most people who have an aversion to any specific group of people (blacks, muslims, mexicans, etc) do in fact fear them in some way. Homophobia is a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards lesbian, gay, bisexual, and in some cases transgender and intersex people. Definitions refer variably to antipathy, contempt, prejudice, aversion, and irrational fear.The only people who have a fear of "labels" are the people who present the characteristics of one such label. I don't have a problem with people being labeled homophobic, racist, sexist, anti-semetic, or xenophobic because I know that I am generally not any of those things. I also know when I exhibit an instance of one of these and how it could be perceived as that label by other people. Defending against labels such as this is no different from pretending that they don't exist. But these same individuals would be very quick to label someone who has an abortion a murderer or a "liberal" (without knowing any other facts). Its really ironic and transparent when people ignore certain labels and yet embrace others. Rapist and pedophile are also labels that people guilty of those things try to defend against. Nobody wants to be labled what they are, particularly if that lable has a negative connotation to it. | |
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