Homophobia Isn't Just For Religious Reasons

[The Sum of Awe]

Today, my friends and I were playing a game where we toss a pen at each other, and when the throw I did hit my friend in the face, giving him a big red line, he said "That's gay."

My teacher got up with a serious face, he was like, "What did you say?"

My friend said, "That sucked."

My teacher gave us a rant about homophobia being in schools for far too long, and then he brought up how "he didn't care what your religion says about it, keep it to yourself!"

Do all adults think that the only type of homophobia is the kind that comes from religions? If you do, you are wrong, and probably do not know much about the children these days other than what we present to you.

A lot of homophobics just find it funny with no reason, I think it is a minority now to have religious reasons about it.

I remember last year my actually smart friend asking my 'ghetto' friends what is wrong with gays and my friends were like, "One night, on a halloween night, you are walking down the school hallway. All of the sudden a gay guy jumps out and humps you." -Close to exact words-. It is mostly for fun.

My point is, how should we end the homophobics that would rather not debate about gay rights, just enjoy picking at them? Is there any way possible? I want to give my teachers ideas on how to stop it, because I really get bored of my friends calling me gay because I do something that I even admit is ridiculous.


So did you think it was only for religious reasons?

 

[Sunstone]

I've noticed a lot of people are homophobic in middle school and sometimes into high school. It seems to be something that sometimes comes about with puberty -- for whatever reason. I think most people grow up and get over it, though.

 

[fallingblood]

There is a difference between being homophobic and making fun of homosexuals. I am not saying the latter is alright but it doesn't constitute being homophobic.

 

[Many Sages One Truth]

I don't care what reason people think there is behind homophobia, it's an irrational emotion. There is no reason to be afraid of gay people. There's certainly no reason to take that fear to the extent of mistreating gay people as though we were sub-human or something.

As for joking about homosexuals, no that isn't necessarily homophobic, even I enjoy a good gay joke now and again.

 

[Darkness]

The Soviet Union was staunchly anti-gay, yet the leadership was atheistic. Religion is more used as the excuse for anti-gay sentiment. Homophobia is all about the idea of in-group. I used to talk to a fascist online who said he did not care if people were gay, he just hates guys who act feminine. People have this conception of how males and females are supposed to act, and the pressure to conform is intensified during high school. Gays and lesbians are abused, because they are different. Same with nerds and the weak.

 

[Splarnst]

I also don't think using the word gay as something negative indicates homophobia more than using the word retarded indicates prejudice against the mentally handicapped or using the word lame indicates prejudice against the physically handicapped.

 

[Many Sages One Truth]

Darkness that's pretty much what I see, that there seems to be a social expectation of what a male is supposed to be, and in recent years the social expectations of women has lessened, but men are still expected to be hard as nails and "macho".

 

[Darkness]

I also don't think using the word gay as something negative indicates homophobia more than using the word retarded indicates prejudice against the mentally handicapped or using the word lame indicates prejudice against the physically handicapped.

They are not analogous. Being lame or retarded are negative conditions. There is nothing negative with being gay. It is not a handicap.

 

[Many Sages One Truth]

Many people still seem to believe being gay is a handicap

 

[Splarnst]

They are not analogous. Being lame or retarded are negative conditions. There is nothing negative with being gay. It is not a handicap.

It doesn't matter. It's considered negative—or at least abnormal—by a large segment of the population, especially historically. They are analogous in that sense. They don't need to be identical for my point.

 

[Many Sages One Truth]

The Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, etc. did not consider homosexuality an abnormality or handicap, so I wonder where this idea first began?

 

[Alceste]

The Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, etc. did not consider homosexuality an abnormality or handicap, so I wonder where this idea first began?

The Jews were opposed to it. It was punishable by death, much like wearing two different fabrics or eating shellfish. I'm of the opinion that most Jewish commandments were created to distinguish and isolate the tribe from the competing cultures surrounding them. So, if the Babylonians were two-fabric-wearing, shellfish-munching homosexualists, the Jews had to reject and despise such things to maintain their delusion of "different-ness".

 

[Splarnst]

The Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, etc. did not consider homosexuality an abnormality or handicap, so I wonder where this idea first began?

I think it's just a form of xenophobia. And I've read articles suggesting that the classical world as a whole was far less accepting of homosexuality than the elites.

 

[Valjean]

Was your friend even aware his remark was homophobic? The etymology of expletives is rarely analysed before they're uttered. That's why they're called excited utterances.

It sounds like the remark was probably a generic disapproving expletive.
The question is: why did your friend have such a politically incorrect expletive on hair-trigger? Where is his social consciousness?

...and why were you throwing pens at each other?
...and how did your teacher happen to be in attendance?

 

[Darkness]

Darkness that's pretty much what I see, that there seems to be a social expectation of what a male is supposed to be, and in recent years the social expectations of women has lessened, but men are still expected to be hard as nails and "macho".

One good example is that a female can choose to be a homemaker or a breadwinner, but a male is made to feel shame if he is not a breadwinner.

It doesn't matter. It's considered negative—or at least abnormal—by a large segment of the population, especially historically. They are analogous in that sense. They don't need to be identical for my point.

If being gay is considered a negative, then I cannot see how using it as a pejorative is not homophobic/anti-gay.

 

[Darkness]

Was your friend even aware his remark was homophobic? The etymology of expletives is rarely analysed before they're uttered. That's why they're called excited utterances.

It sounds like the remark was probably a generic disapproving expletive.
The question is: why did your friend have such a politically incorrect expletive on hair-trigger? Where is his social consciousness?

...and why were you throwing pens at each other?
...and how did your teacher happen to be in attendance?

I have friends who are pro-gay, but still use "gay" as an expletive out of habit. Even though I know they are not anti-gay, it still bothers me and I ask them to please not use "gay" as a pejorative.

 

[fallingblood]

The Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, etc. did not consider homosexuality an abnormality or handicap, so I wonder where this idea first began?

They also didn't have an understanding of what homosexuality is. The idea of sexual orientation is a relatively new idea. That makes the two situations quite different.

 

[Many Sages One Truth]

They also didn't have an understanding of what homosexuality is. The idea of sexual orientation is a relatively new idea. That makes the two situations quite different.

So where did this idea of "sexual orientation" start from? Hm? Obviously they had no trouble going with others of the same sex, showing that homophobia did not exist in humanity's infancy. The homophobia stems from "somewhere".

 

[fallingblood]

The word gay has a different connotation anymore. Just like many other words that have once been used to refer negatively towards homosexuals.

If I say something is gay, or even if I call someone gay, I am most likely not commenting on their or its sexual orientation (especially if the object is non-animate). It is equal to the word lame, and really has little to do with the idea of homosexuality in those instances. The meaning of the word has slowly changed to mean something different, as many words have done.

 

[fallingblood]

So where did this idea of "sexual orientation" start from? Hm? Obviously they had no trouble going with others of the same sex, showing that homophobia did not exist in humanity's infancy. The homophobia stems from "somewhere".

Homophobia stems from homosexuality being a minority. Minorities are discriminated against. Part of that has to do with them being seen as different, or doing something that was not deemed normal.

The idea of sexual orientation started more in the modern age. Before that it was just seen as male anal intercourse (that is actually what the Hebrew Bible is talking about). Many still saw it as a perversion of what was normal. And still, if we look through history, we will see these individuals being persecuted, or having to hide what they did.