News tagged with homophobia

Homophobia is a term used to refer to a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards lesbian, gay and in some cases bisexual, transgender people and behavior, although these are usually covered under other terms such as biphobia and transphobia. Definitions refer to irrational fear, with the implication of antipathy, contempt, prejudice, and aversion. The term "homophobia" is observable in critical and hostile behavior such as discrimination and violence on the basis of a perceived homosexual or in some cases any non-heterosexual orientation. In a 1998 address, author, activist, and civil rights leader Coretta Scott King stated that "Homophobia is like racism and anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry in that it seeks to dehumanize a large group of people, to deny their humanity, their dignity and personhood."

Among more discussed forms are institutionalized "homophobia" (e.g. religious and state-sponsored), lesbophobia – the intersection of "homophobia" and what is politically referred to with the term "sexism" directed against lesbians, and internalized homophobia – a form of "homophobia" among people who experience same-sex attraction regardless of whether or not they identify as LGBT.

Two words originate from homophobia: homophobic (adj.) and homophobe (n.). A person who displays homophobia or is thought to do so is described as being homophobic and labeled as a homophobe.

For more information about Homophobia, read the full article at Wikipedia.
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