General Discussion
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(39,154 posts)Since the 19th c., it has been part of the western norm of masculinity. That appears to be changing.
Snake Plissken
(4,103 posts)I'm being to this it's a form of psychiatric illness which should be treated.
Homophobia, bigotry, racism, zombie apocalypse-phobia, Obama is going to take my guns-phobia, Obama is going to outlaw christianity-obama, seem to be more like mental illnesses than social constructs.
Behind the Aegis
(53,956 posts)Most homophobia one encounters is the social construct variety, sociological. However, there are those who truly suffer from a psychological disorder akin to agoraphobia or coulrophobia. When I was in college and studying diversity, with anti-Semitism and homophobia as a focus, I was actually surprised that "homophobia" was a psychological disorder, but is more closely related to an anxiety or panic disorder. I was in my last year of graduate school before I met someone who actually met, IMO, the parameters of psychological disorder homophobia. He actually almost passed out being in a room full of GLBT people. It was the strangest thing I'd ever encountered. He did overcome it and we became friends as I ended up working at the school he was representing at the conference we attended.
Most bigotry, IMO, is sociological and not psychological disorders, which means they (those bigotries) could go extinct.
deafskeptic
(463 posts)ashling
(25,771 posts)ismnotwasm
(41,978 posts)libdem4life
(13,877 posts)Behind the Aegis
(53,956 posts)Homophobia, however, is extremely complex, so much so, that many engage in it unknowingly.
ismnotwasm
(41,978 posts)I think that's why so many try to reduce homophobia to simplistic explanations, the most obnoxious being that homophobes being somehow closeted or repressed homosexuals. While this may occur, the reasons generally are, as you say far more complex.
Behind the Aegis
(53,956 posts)This is one that pops up way too frequently, including at liberal sites, including this one. As you stated, it is quite obnoxious and, IMO, is homophobic in of itself. It implies, to me, that we are so pathetic as to be unable to accept our own sexuality we, in turn, attack our own, and therefore, homophobia is a problem of the gay community hoisted upon the heterosexual community. It is like claiming racism is the fault of ethnic minorities and its their responsibility to alleviate it. Of course, some homophobia is much more subtle, and, sometimes, gets a pass even from people who claim to be liberals and progressives.
A recent example was the attacks on Glenn Greenwald, making comments about his living situation (younger partner) and referring to him as "GiGi." I can honestly say I don't care for Greenwald, but attacking him because of his sexual orientation or joking about him at the expense of his being gay, is as low as any other form of bigotry. Sure, it isn't as bad as calling him a "faggot," but it isn't really that far off, to me. There are even situations when GLBT rights, issues, and/or concerns are raised, people will minimize it or change the subject in order to mock or distract from those issues.
Thankfully, there are real allies, such as yourself, who realize "fag/dyke" aren't the only ways people are homophobic, and they (allies) take the time to utilize their privilege to educate others.
ismnotwasm
(41,978 posts)I also remember people claiming to not understand why it was homophobic, which is puzzling since it's very blatant.
(And thank you for the 'real allies' comment, it's an issue that lies very close to my heart)
FarCenter
(19,429 posts)Females come into heat for a couple days during a well-defined estrous cycle.
My recollection of dairy herds is that the other cows pretty much ignored cow-on-cow action.
- And btw, I just lurves your Salvadore Dali Lama