Content area
Full Text
TO COMBAT HOMOPHOBIA, it is crucial that we first understand it. We often talk about homophobia as if it were a monolith, requiring just one set of solutions. In truth, this phenomenon comes in several varieties that are linked by a web of overlapping motivations, theories, religious doctrines, political calculations, and psychological issues. Its roots are as complex and diverse as homophobia is itself multifarious . The reality of this social disease necessitates that we carefully diagnose it so we can calibrate our responses and tailor our educational campaigns.
TRADITIONAL HOMOPHOBIA
Most homophobia is traditional in the sense that it refers to tradition to justify anti-gay discrimination, as in the formula: "marriage has always been between a man and a woman." It is also institutionalized in that it's a learned habit, reinforced by socialization and cultural messages (for us, in the mass media). Traditionalism is by its nature resistant to change.
This kind of mental imprinting is difficult to overcome, particularly with older demographics. Negative attitudes learned from childhood are reinforced by a genuine ignorance, a lack of exposure to actual gay and lesbian people that could neutralize these messages. Such people are hard-pressed to break out of a paradigm that defines gay people as radically other. Their views are based on stigmatizing stereotypes, such as the notion that gay people live a depraved "lifestyle" or that they're seeking unfair advantages or "special rights."
Some of these homophobes may even believe they're open-minded because they have "gay friends," based on quarterly hair appointments or causal conversations with the "bachelor" who lives down the street. Yet they have never really explored gay issues and how they affect their alleged gay friends. Most people who fit this profile aren't particularly invested in this topic and give it little thought. There may be more apprehension than outright hostility. However, this can translate into harm because these folks tend to be susceptible to fear-mongering, such as the demagogic campaigns that we saw during recent marriage referendums in California and Maine.
The operatives who run these anti-gay campaigns know that they can sway some voters by appealing to fear- particularly when they invoke the welfare of children. Aside from the more hysterical arguments about child molestation, what they're essentially saying...