Quote:
Originally posted by: sturm und drang
Homophobia is a bit broader than being "afraid of homosexuals"; indeed, the American Heritage dictionary defines it as "Fear of or contempt for lesbians and gay men." And while madape certainly exhibited no fear of homosexuals, I'm quite confident he did exhibit a bit of contempt.
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Perhaps this is my point. The term is even defined incorrectly. When someone is claustrophobic, they aren't contemptuous of closed spaces; when someone has arachnophobia, they don't have contempt for spiders -- they fear them. I think the term was defined in such a way as to create a derogatory term for anyone who disapproves of homosexuality in general. And I think that's how you meant to use it -- as a derogatory term to describe Madape's perceived dislike of homosexuals.
Ah, if I only had the time to go through the past six months of d-m.com posts that featured the word "fag", "faggot" or "homo" (or variations thereof) as an argument's central slur-- indeed, it's the ultimate slur! I kept my mouth shut about it for some time, but finally decided to step up and say that such language and insinuation offends me. I know I will be ridiculed for such a statement, but I would be surprised if I'm the only one who has read and been shocked and saddened at the copious use of such language and insinuation on this board. And to anyone who thinks homophobia doesn't exist or is overblown, I suggest you read the results of the new Gallup Poll re: tolerance of homosexuality that was released today. Really, it makes me ashamed to be American, and all too sadly aware of the inherent irony of proclaiming ourselves the bastion of freedom while ghettoizing-- socially and politically-- a particular minority.
Why are homosexuals a minority? We're talking about who they engage in intercourse with, not things they were born with like the color of the skin, their gender, or their nationality.
"Tolerance" of homosexuality is one thing, if you mean that people shouldn't go around beating people up and killing them because they don't approve of the gender that person chooses to sleep with. However, expecting society as a whole to accept and condone homosexuality is another thing entirely. Is a person somehow immoral because they don't condone a lifestyle they find to be perverse and disgusting? That's twisted logic. If a majority of Americans don't <U>condone</U> homosexuality, it's probably for those very reasons.
Homosexuals are free to sleep with whom they choose. The vast majority of homosexuals in this country will never be physically or verbally assaulted simply because they are homosexual. I'd be willing to bet that you couldn't detect whether the majority of homosexuals in this country were, in fact, homosexuals, just by looking at them and passing them on the street. So when I hear people complaining that homosexuals are discriminated against, as if it were some widespread epidemic, I just don't agree.