“This world would be a whole lot better if we just made an effort to be less horrible to one another” - Elliot Page
Introduction
Homophobia, by definition, is the irrational hatred of or prejudice against gay people. It is the hostility and disrespect that is meted out to gay and lesbian people. Homophobia can take different forms such as disgust, mistrust, hostility, anger and aversion to gay people. It is often based on beliefs and misinformation on the topic, but may also be based in religious contexts.
The term “homophobia” does not include aversion and intolerance towards everyone in the LGBTQ+ community, but specifically towards people identifying as gay or lesbian. Homophobic people often talk about different sexual orientations in a negative connotation and are often quite hostile and defensive of their views. They give different reasons to prove why they are against gay and lesbian people and how their orientation is “unnatural”. Most homophobic people are quite rigid in their views and refuse to listen and change their views.
The LGBTQ+ community has been subjected to different forms of discrimination and prejudice from almost all walks of life. They have fought for years to be treated equally in society and they continue to fight for their rights. People who are not part of the community can help by being an ally and standing up against discrimination and prejudice of any sort.
Types of Homophobia
Homophobia can affect people in all forms and almost all walks of life.
Internalised homophobia
The internalised prejudice and hatred towards gay people is called internalised homophobia. It affects people who identify as gay and also heterosexual people. It is one of the biggest causes of distress and anxiety among gay people as they are unable to accept themselves for who they are. They have to go against and reject everything they have been taught their entire life to be true to themselves. Internalised homophobia is often cultivated into a person as a child in their formative years and takes years to dismantle. Gay people who have internalised homophobia may:
Be in denial about their sexual orientation
Attempt to change their sexual orientation
Having low self-esteem and never feeling good enough
Have hatred for themselves
Engage in unhealthy relationships and behaviours
Institutional homophobia
Homophobia that originates and is perpetuated in organisations, institutions and even governments is referred to as institutional homophobia. This includes discrimination against gay people in schools, offices, businesses and even state-sanctioned criminalisation of homosexuality. Institutional homophobia makes the environment very hostile and dangerous for the LGBT community and makes them susceptible to emotional and physical trauma. It gives homophobic people the right to say and do whatever they want without any consequences. Making policies and laws that put homosexual people at a disadvantage as compared to heterosexual people, refusing to work with them or give them jobs are examples of institutional homophobia.
Problems faced by the LGBTQ+ community
The LGBTQ+ community has suffered greatly in the hands of the world. Homosexuality is illegal in 69 countries.
Economic disadvantages
The criminalisation of homosexuality makes the LGBTQ+ community susceptible to hostile emotional and physical attacks with little to no consequences for the perpetrators. It also puts them at a disadvantage from an economic standpoint as they are refused housing facilities and are also turned down jobs or even paid less than their coworkers due to their sexual orientation. They are often discriminated against in healthcare and fail to receive proper treatment. Undermining their basic human rights is a more obvious way to show state-sanctioned homophobia.
Unhealthy mindset
Even in countries where homosexuality is legal, the mindset around it is not healthy. Homophobia is very prevalent and often without consequences. The LGBTQ+ community is constantly subjected to hostile and aggressive behaviour. The word “gay” or “transgender” is used as an insult to ridicule someone, usually an effeminate man. Similarly, “lesbian” is used as an insult for masculine women. Sexuality and gender is a spectrum, and anyone can lie anywhere on that spectrum. Besides, these terms are not insults, they are sexual orientations that people identify with.
Forceful conversion
Homosexuality is often considered a mental illness. Some people even seek therapy to “convert” to heterosexuality. Conversion therapy is a form pseudoscientific technique that attempts to change a person’s sexual orientation that has been greatly looked down upon by medical and mental health professionals as a harmful practice. Some religious groups and individuals believe that homosexuality can be “cured” through prayer or religious practices. These methods and practices are extremely humiliating and often painful for a person and can lead to debilitating mental health problems.
Outing
Outing is the act of disclosing or revealing a person’s sexual orientation without them knowing. This is a cruel thing to do to someone as a person’s sexual orientation is a personal matter and revealing it without their consent can cause a great deal of distress to them. Coming out of the closet to family, friends and loved ones is extremely difficult. Some people choose not to involve their family and friends in this part of their lives as they are too nervous about not being accepted and ridiculed. Outing can harm a person’s mental health and their personal life and career.
Psychological consequences
The stress and anxiety caused by homophobia has major psychological consequences on the people who are affected by it. Hate crimes and violence are not isolated incidents. Lack of acceptance from friends and family is a looming psychological stressor that has harmful effects on mental health. The LGBTQ+ community has to constantly look over their shoulders to protect themselves from verbal and physical attacks, while also having to deal with normal day to day problems. This can lead to anxiety, chronic stress, decreased resilience, substance abuse and other harmful behaviours.
Conclusion
Homophobia has been around and is still prevalent in society. It has been proven to be harmful to the LGBTQ+ community generally and for gay people in specific. Some people believe that sexual orientation is not something that people learn, it is innate. But scientists are still trying to find the exact cause behind it. Love is love, the gender of someone’s partner should not be anyone’s concern.
Heterosexuality has been the norm since the beginning of time, but now it’s time to change that and accept other sexual orientations as well. Everyone is raised with different beliefs and everyone has different opinions, but it is healthy to challenge our preconceived notions and move towards acceptance. Being an ally is the least we can do to help the LGBTQ+ community and stand up against the hostility and prejudice they are subjected to.
References
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