Part I : Identifying Homophobia

Defining Homophobia

Homophobia, generally, is a negative attitude or feeling based on a misleading generalized belief about lesbian, gay, and bisexual people. What is homophobia specifically? How do we know when a remark is homophobic, or a television sketch, or an employment policy?

First, who are the targets of homophobia? Lesbian, gay, and bisexual people. People who have an affectional and/or erotic attraction and/or commitment to members of their own sex. Women loving women. Men loving men.

Next, we have to look at the premise of homophobia, which is heterosexism. Heterosexism is the attitude that heterosexuality is inherently better then homosexuality. It is an assumption  of the primacy of heterosexuality over homosexuality. Often people who consciously oppose homophobia actually hold heterosexist attitudes, themselves. For example, the question “When did you first decide to be gay,” demonstrates ignorance about sexual orientation. (Much research has been conducted but, to date, little has been conclusively proven about how sexual orientation is determined.) And it does so from a heterosexist perspective because it assumes  that to be different from heterosexual requires a distinct action such as a conscious choice. The heterosexist assumption is that you don’t have to do anything to be heterosexual, but you have to decide to be homosexual. Heterosexuality is considered the default. A common example of this assumption is the expectation that someone is heterosexual unless they specifically indicate that their sexual orientation is otherwise.

Sometimes people speculate that the reason a person is lesbian or gay is because of a “bad heterosexual experience.” Who ever speculates that someone is heterosexual because of a bad homosexual experience? If you’re not sure something is heterosexist -- turn it on it’s head that way and see how absurd it is.

This hierarchical way of conceptualizing sexual orientation setup by heterosexism creates opportunities for homophobic remarks and actions to go unnoticed. It supports the prejudice by confusing the issues. If you see homosexuality and heterosexuality in a hierarchical way, with one being somehow more basic than the other, then you might go along with arguments against legal recognition of same-sex couples’ relationships -- then you might go along with a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy -- you might say “I don’t care if you’re gay so long as you keep it in the bedroom.” (“I don’t mind heterosexuals, so long as they keep it in the bedroom.”) Even though these people may think they’re not homophobic, they’re telling lesbian, gay, and bisexual people to disappear.

Another problematic aspect of heterosexism is the polarization of sexuality. It’s the old “divide and conquer” strategy of prejudice. Instead of recognizing the fluidity of sexual orientation, hetereosexism divides people into two camps : Heterosexual and Not Heterosexual.

Alfred Kinsey’s research is usually cited as the basis for the estimation that about 10% of the population is lesbian or gay. What is not so frequently discussed is the fact that this research revealed that nearly half of the adult population engage in both hetereosexual and homosexual behavior.

Heterosexism/heterocentrism/heterosupremacy is based on an illusion created by our silence about the true range and fluidity of human sexuality. So long as there is only one “right” way to be, only one “normal” sexuality — any other way (however tolerant you may be) is not really quite as legitimate; is “just a phase, just experimenting”; lesbian and gay families aren’t r-e-a-l-l-y “families” — if your primary  point of reference is heterosexuality.

Thus, heterosexism prepares the foundation for prejudice against lesbian/gay/bisexual people. This is where homophobia begins.

Discussion

Think of an example of heterosexism that is commonly communicated to us through our social environment.

• How do you know the idea is an example of heterosexism?
• Does it support a negative generalization about lesbian/gay/bisexual people?
• From what kind of source is this particular idea usually communicated? (News media? Neighborhood attitudes? Local laws? Other ways?)