Hop Against Homophobia

Hop Against Homophobia

Homophobia

Dictionary.com

unreasoning fear of or antipathy toward homosexuals  and homosexuality.

Merriam-Webster

irrational fear of, aversion to, or discrimination against homosexuality or homosexuals

Oxford Dictionaries

an extreme and irrational aversion to homosexuality and homosexual people.

 Do you see a pattern? Unreasoning and irrational. A phobia. Exactly. And let’s not forget discrimination. Something that should have been eradicated a long time ago.

A phobia is a condition to be overcome with the right direction, information and experience. Homophobia should not even be a word found in the dictionary. And where is the fear coming from? Are homophobes afraid the gayness will rub off on them? That homosexual individuals will turn them gay? Really? And I suppose if an African American person, or Asian person stands too close, you will become African American or Asian? Same principle.

I don’t understand it. But then again, I don’t understand most phobias. And most homophobes cannot justify their irrational and unreasoning fears on childhood traumas like so many phobias can. Fear of spiders? Maybe you were bitten as a child. Fear of heights? You might have fallen out of a tree. Fear of open spaces? Maybe you were separated from your parents and lost. Who knows, but homophobia? What? You saw two men or two women kissing? Big whoop. They weren’t kissing you.

Homophobia is learned, homosexuality is not. Homophobia is a choice, homosexuality is not. I once read somewhere, and I don’t remember where, but it was so appropriate, that I want to share it here.

Straight man: When did you know you were gay?

Gay man: When did you know you were straight?

Let me ask the homophobic straight people of the world. Did you consciously think about being straight when you started noticing the opposite sex? Did you look at a girl and think, “Damn, she’s cute, I must be straight”. Or, “He’s so hot, I must be straight”. I didn’t think so.

And then there is the violence that so often comes with homophobia. It’s simple really, if you believe you have the right to torment, beat or kill someone for being gay, then they have that exact same right to torment, beat and kill you for being straight. No one, and I mean no one has the right to lay hands on another in hate. It makes me ashamed to be part of such a brutal species. Which brings me to the religious aspect of homophobia.

Religious zealots have often times hidden behind their faith to justify what they say and do. I will not ever condemn an entire religion for those few cowards that smear the doctrines that so many do try and live by. I believe the best example is what happened to Jesus himself. Jesus was different. He could walk on water, cure the sick, blind and dying and speak to God himself. That scared the general populace. And what did they do? They chose a thief over the son of God just because he didn’t conform to what they thought as ‘normal’. I use the example loosely only because it is the faith I have. I’m sure there are other examples in other religions.

Back to the definition of homophobia. It’s irrational to hate homosexuality. It is unreasonable to condemn a person for loving someone of the same sex. Do I believe that homophobia will disappear in my lifetime? No. Do I wish it? Absolutely. I would love to see the day when homosexuality and heterosexuality mean nothing. Where being gay is no different than being blue-eyed or blond-haired. Where same sex couples can live their lives openly and be normal, because in reality?

They are.

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Please visit the Hop page for more interpretations of homophobia and stories of other's experiences: http://hopagainsthomophobia.blogspot.com.au/