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What makes people homophobic?

Nakosis

Non-Binary Physicalist
Premium Member
As an extension of the thread on factors that determine sexual preference, I am curious as to what determines a person to be homophobic? Here is a study that matched it to other personality traits. It has long been held that homophobes have a higher likelihood of being gay themselves that the average.

Homophobic People Often Have Psychological Issues | Live Science

I would have said fear and religion.

Fear that someone might be coming after your booty hole.
Religion that teaches homosexuality is a sin.

However that's not very scientific.
 

Skwim

Veteran Member
As an extension of the thread on factors that determine sexual preference, I am curious as to what determines a person to be homophobic? Here is a study that matched it to other personality traits. It has long been held that homophobes have a higher likelihood of being gay themselves that the average.

Homophobic People Often Have Psychological Issues | Live Science
Then there are those who have been taught to hate and fear...--South Pacific--

.
 
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Skwim

Veteran Member
Yes definitely can be taught. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

:thumbsup:

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Subduction Zone

Veteran Member
As an extension of the thread on factors that determine sexual preference, I am curious as to what determines a person to be homophobic? Here is a study that matched it to other personality traits. It has long been held that homophobes have a higher likelihood of being gay themselves than the average Joe.

Homophobic People Often Have Psychological Issues | Live Science

I believe that homophobia is not an irrational fear of gays, for many it appears to be an irrational fear of being gay. To support this I only hear homophobic people talk of homosexuality being a choice. That implies for me that being straight was a choice that they made and possibly have to constantly make.
 

sun rise

The world is on fire
Premium Member
Strictly speaking, homophobia is a fear of gays. But in the general usage, fear, disgust, attempts to deny one's own urges and other emotions come into play.
 

LuisDantas

Aura of atheification
Premium Member
My impression is that reluctance to acknowledge the full legitimacy of homosexuality (I would rather not call that "homophobia", because it rarely is, and we are already abusing the sufix plenty enough with "Islamophobia". But I digress.), at least in the culture that I know from up close, is the result of several roughly related factors.

One is the simple cultural tradition of rejection and ridicule towards LGBTIQ+. People learn to choose acceptable targets from their family and friends and to attempt to bond over informal rituals based on the reinforcement of that perception.

Another is the desire to show "proper values" to impress potential mates and extended family. It used to be a bigger deal, but not too long ago people had to be very determined indeed if they wanted to run counter to expectations of marrying young, begetting at least a couple of sons, and going out of their way to fulfill traditional cliches for family roles. Society just wasn't really prepared to deal with anything explicitly diverged from certain stereotypes.

And, of course, there are those who have deep running self-acceptance issues and feel a comparatively deep need to prove their repudiation of homosexuality, very often because they are LGBTIQ+ themselves and have been taught to be scared and ashamed of that. It is very sad indeed.
 

Evangelicalhumanist

"Truth" isn't a thing...
Premium Member
I had a boyfriend once, long ago, who wouldn't eat egg yolks. His mother told him, from his earliest years, "you won't like those." Thus he didn't.

I happen to adore calf liver (the way the very intelligent Italians cook it in Venice) and my lover doesn't care for it all. This is fine, since the solution to that is that when we're in an Italian restaurant, I can order the Fegato alla Veneziana, and he can order any pasta he chooses. Neither of us finds it necessary to object to the other's choice.

It can be hard to understand why other people don't like the things you do, and it can be even harder to understand why other people like things that you wouldn't consider at all.

But you are not the be-all, the end-all, or the arbiter of taste. Nor is there any reason for you to fear when someone else has tastes that differ from yours. Nothing in the world compels you to adopt those tastes.

I think there are a couple of kinds of homophobia extant. There are those who have been indoctrinated into very rigid faith beliefs, who've been taught that "God is coming to punish evil-doers" and that likely some innocents will be hurt by that. They're obviously wrong, since the Bible makes it very clear that God's aim is perfect -- he can kill only the first born and leave everybody else alive, while excepting those that have a bit of lamb's blood painted on their lintels. This is very precise, so there's no reason to suppose that you'll be caught in any fallout from a vengeful deity.

The other, more insidious, kind of homophobia is that expressed by people who are what is often called "curious." Let's face it -- we're all interested in sex. It feels fantastic, it's a powerful force that (until you get to be as old as I am) is undeniable. But who can easily understand why that strong urge that compels them to seek out an opposite-sex partner is just as strong when it's a same-sex one?
 

Darkforbid

Well-Known Member
"Post-sex shame (also known as post-coital dysphoria or post-sex cognitive dissonance) can affect anyone. But it’s particularly prevalent within the LGBTI community."

I think they project their own self hatred onto the rest of society
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
Thanks for all the insights so far. Other than stupid immature teenagers being teenagers when I taught, I've only known one actual person who I considered homophobic. He definitely had other challenges, one was alcohol.
 

Stanyon

WWMRD?
I wouldn't limit it to homosexuality but anything different that people aren't used to tends to make them nervous and afraid which seems an animal survival instinct, it's part of our makeup and some evolve and understand it for what it is and some don't. The problem is that for some it doesn't make them running scared, it makes them dangerous.
At least that's the way I see it so far.
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
I wouldn't limit it to homosexuality but anything different that people aren't used to tends to make them nervous and afraid which seems an animal survival instinct, it's part of our makeup and some evolve and understand it for what it is and some don't. The problem is that for some it doesn't make them running scared, it makes them dangerous.
At least that's the way I see it so far.
That's a good insight, and I agree. I know Hinduphobic people too for example. As Willamena said ... unfamiliarity. Some people need to get out more. In my home town, also an army base, some folks had soldierphobia, to make up a new word.
 
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Guitar's Cry

Disciple of Pan
One of the factors the article brings up is hypermasculinity. While I feel this isn't the only factor, there is a strong current of gender role acceptance that seems to influence how folks accept homosexuality.

Take, for instance, how it appeared (I have no data to support this) that female homosexuality was acceptable in public before male homosexuality (which still appears to be the case in my corner of America at least). I suspect this has to do with how we perceive female affection vs male affection. It is okay for girls to express intimacy and physical affection for each other, but not males, thus, two females being in love fits easier into gender roles than two males.

Plus, I imagine male fantasies of two women together come into play a lot. I still occasionally hear men say some dumb stuff like "I am okay with two girls together but not two guys." This appears to be a sensitivity related to hypermasculine roles.
 

PoetPhilosopher

Veteran Member
One of the factors the article brings up is hypermasculinity. While I feel this isn't the only factor, there is a strong current of gender role acceptance that seems to influence how folks accept homosexuality.

Take, for instance, how it appeared (I have no data to support this) that female homosexuality was acceptable in public before male homosexuality (which still appears to be the case in my corner of America at least). I suspect this has to do with how we perceive female affection vs male affection. It is okay for girls to express intimacy and physical affection for each other, but not males, thus, two females being in love fits easier into gender roles than two males.

Plus, I imagine male fantasies of two women together come into play a lot. I still occasionally hear men say some dumb stuff like "I am okay with two girls together but not two guys." This appears to be a sensitivity related to hypermasculine roles.

I seem to agree with your assessment.

I think the world still has problems fathoming male-male love and closeness, as it can sometimes get a little bit rougher than female-female closeness, in the name of affection.
 

bobhikes

Nondetermined
Premium Member
As an extension of the thread on factors that determine sexual preference, I am curious as to what determines a person to be homophobic? Here is a study that matched it to other personality traits. It has long been held that homophobes have a higher likelihood of being gay themselves than the average Joe.

Homophobic People Often Have Psychological Issues | Live Science

So it a natural state for people with psychological issues. Sound like something scientists first said about Homosexuals. Next we will get to the reprogramming stage where these people can be saved from there psychological issues.
 
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