{"id":13776,"date":"2012-08-31T14:49:44","date_gmt":"2012-08-31T21:49:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/?page_id=13776"},"modified":"2016-05-17T09:45:27","modified_gmt":"2016-05-17T16:45:27","slug":"homophobia","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/homophobia\/","title":{"rendered":"Homophobia"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Downcast<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Homophobia <\/strong>has historically been defined as a fear of being around people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, or another non-heterosexual orientation<\/a>,\u00c2\u00a0or the fear of becoming gay. In contemporary usage, however, the term is \u00c2\u00a0most commonly used to describe a person who dislikes, abuses, or attempts to \u00e2\u20ac\u0153convert\u00e2\u20ac\u009d people who are not heterosexual<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Understanding Homophobia<\/strong><\/h2>\n

While true phobias<\/a> are typically characterized by a chronic avoidance of the item causing the phobic reaction, people who are homophobic generally do not exhibit this type of behavior. Instead, they may actively seek out people who are gay\u00c2\u00a0in an attempt to convert them or intimidate them. Homophobic behaviors may also manifest toward people who are not actually gay\u00c2\u00a0but who are believed to be so, such as\u00c2\u00a0men who are considered effeminate, women who work in construction, and other people who in some way align with homophobic stereotypes<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Homophobia frequently has an institutional origin. Religious organizations that believe homosexuality to be sinful are more likely to produce members with homophobic tendencies. Similarly, nations that outlaw so-called “homosexual behavior” or otherwise stigmatize homosexuality are far more likely to have a homophobic population. Negative media stereotypes of gay people may also perpetuate homophobia, and there is some evidence that homophobic celebrities can cultivate homophobic attitudes in their fans.<\/p>\n

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Find a Therapist<\/a><\/h2>\n\t
\n\n\t\t\t\n\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\tAdvanced Search<\/a>\n\t<\/form>\n<\/div>Several studies have demonstrated that men are more likely to display homophobic behaviors and attitudes. Research has also shown that men are more likely to use anti-gay slurs.<\/p>\n

Homophobia may correlate strongly with age, political affiliation, religion, and educational level. Young people, those with higher levels of education, those who are non-religious or who belong to liberal congregations, and those with left-leaning political orientations are less likely to display homophobic attitudes. However, this correlation is not absolute. The American conservative group Log Cabin Republicans, for example, supports gay rights.<\/p>\n

History of Homophobia<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Although homosexuality is now widely known to be a natural expression of human sexuality<\/a>, in the past, homosexual behavior was often condemned. Society\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s focus on homosexuality sharpened during the 1860s and 1870s, when European public officials recognized that some individuals centered their lives on the pursuit of sexual pleasure rather than on having a household, family, or children. These individuals were regarded as sexual deviants and classified based on sexual behavior, and homosexuals represented a major class within this population. Shortly afterward, these so-called \u00e2\u20ac\u0153sexual deviants\u00e2\u20ac\u009d became the targets of psychiatric, medical, and legal intervention, and in the 1870s, many began to band together to fight the social and political influences that sought to criminalize sodomy and other \u00e2\u20ac\u0153deviant\u00e2\u20ac\u009d acts.<\/p>\n

Homosexual people faced a great deal of persecution in 20th<\/sup> century America. Economic crises led many individuals to search for employment in larger cities, away from their homes and families. Many found housing in shared flats, industrial dormitories, or other same-sex housing facilities, and those who were not heterosexual were often able to locate each other and act on their desires, away from family and religious condemnation.<\/p>\n

However, the 1950s saw many gay and lesbian people\u00c2\u00a0entrapped, brutalized, and even raped<\/a> by the police. The end of World War II saw the dishonorable discharge of thousands of homosexual servicemen and women, who were often simply dumped in the port cities of San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles. Under executive order by President Eisenhower, one\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s sexual orientation<\/a> was a valid reason to be fired from a job, and the United States Postal Service aided these dismissals by tracing the mail of those suspected to be\u00c2\u00a0homosexual in an attempt to gather evidence for termination.<\/p>\n

Historic events likely to have facilitated and furthered homophobic behavior:<\/p>\n