Homophobia 2022 – disease or phobia? Psychologist answers

This article was developed under the heading: Psychology.

Section: Movements.

The world does not stand still, and with it the views and prejudices of people. The most pressing issue today is the issue of attitude towards people of non-traditional orientation. Social rejection of homosexuality in society leads to a number of problems and disputes, and people’s conservative views give rise to infringement of the rights of gay people, and also make the entire LGBT community quite “disconnected” from others. Let's figure out what homophobia is, who is called a homophobe, and whether we need to fight it.

Homophobia is one of the most serious problems of modern society

What is homophobia and who is a homophobe?

“Homophobia” comes from the Greek “like” and “fear”, that is, homophobia in simple words is the fear of connections with one’s own kind. In fact, the origin of the word does little to explain the very essence of the phenomenon of homophobia as fear. Some sociological institutes and international documents equate homophobia with phenomena such as sexism, xenophobia, and racism.

Homophobia is a negative attitude and reaction to homosexual manifestations, as well as to people belonging to the LGBT community (lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender people). Considering that the word “phobia” is a component, homophobia is the obsessive fear associated with manifestations of homosexuality. Thus, homophobes are people who experience fear and (or) hostility towards homosexual, same-sex relationships.

In contrast to homophobia, modern movements are emerging to protect the rights of gay people

Homophobia in psychiatry

Homophobia, like any other phobia, is accompanied by a particularly emotional attitude, hostility, disgust, and aggression towards the object. Despite these signs, homophobia is not a mental disorder. On May 17, 1990, the WHO General Assembly removed homosexuality from the list of mental disorders. And the American Psychiatric Association in 2011 urged not to use this term, given that part of the word “homophobia” is “phobia,” that is, an uncontrollable feeling of fear, which is itself a mental disorder.

Homophobia as a diagnosis

The WHO International Classification of Diseases does not contain such a diagnosis. Homophobia is not considered as an independent diagnosis, since it is not accompanied by manifestations of clinical signs. Currently, the term “homonegativism”, which is more neutral in meaning, has become more frequently used in psychology.

About homophobia

Leonid Prokhorov

Psychologist, Gestalt therapist

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In my practice, people with pronounced aggression and hatred towards LGBT people most often become like this for several of the most common reasons: 1. Stereotypes imposed by parents and the older generation; 2. Opinion and bullying by society. For example, at school they might laugh and mock children who stood out, especially when it comes to the teenager’s orientation. Seeing such a pattern of behavior, a person subconsciously turns on a defense mechanism. This means he switches to the role of an aggressor so as not to play the role of a victim; 3. Psychological trauma; 4. Rejection of one’s own orientation and, as a consequence, the development of an overly aggressive form of homophobia.

I can say that working with such people is extremely difficult. Quite often it takes a long period of time to achieve the slightest result.

History of use of the term

The predecessors of the term “homophobia” are homoerotophobia and homosexophobia. But the first mention of homophobia dates back to 1960. Gay activists Jack Nichols and Lee Clark called heterosexual men's fears and fears of being mistaken for homosexuals homophobia. In 1972, it was used by American psychiatrist John Weinberg in the text of his book “Society and the Healthy Homosexual” to mean the fear of contacts with homosexuals, as well as the negative attitude of people of this orientation towards themselves. Nowadays, the term “homophobia” is used more often for social and political purposes as a kind of tool, due to the large number of different definitions and meanings that are attached to this concept.

The modern concept of “homophobia” has a more complex definition and meaning.

Signs

Most often, gamophobes behave frivolously. They are loving, sociable, active. They love to have fun and are not ready to sacrifice this for the sake of a serious relationship or everyday life. They make fun of monogamy, serious relationships. Gamophobes never confess their love. Sometimes they live with someone, but do not perceive it as a marriage, do not show warm feelings, do not talk about the future. Talking about marriage ruins their mood in a second.

When talking about a wedding or trying to sort things out, gamophobes become aggressive or withdrawn. Some attack with shouts, insults, and accusations. Others try to run away and may burst into tears. Sometimes a gamophobe is tormented by his conscience, for example, if parents ask their daughter when she will get married and have grandchildren. Or if, out of fear, a girl has to refuse a young man.

During a panic attack, somatic reactions are noticeable:

• cardiopalmus;
• high blood pressure;
• shiver;
• headache;
• abdominal pain;
• nausea;
• dizziness;
• increased sweating;
• redness or paleness of the skin;
• confusion;
• darkening of the eyes;
• icing of the limbs.

Panic attacks are rare, and the severity of symptoms depends on the stage of development of the phobia. In rare cases, a gamophobe may agree to get married, but right before the registry office or the day before the event, he runs away in a fit of panic.

How homophobia developed

The history of the development of homophobia is closely connected with the history of homosexual manifestations. Thus, in ancient Rome, according to the biographies of the ancient Roman historian Suetonius (“The Life of the Twelve Caesars”), only 2 Caesars did not have connections with the male sex. Guy Julius Caesar was called the “Queen of Bithynia” for his bisexuality, but, in particular, for the fact that he had a relationship with the king of Bithynia.

Historians associate the beginning of homophobia with the emergence of religion on the territory of the Roman Empire, namely Judaism, and later Christianity. The basis of such prejudices was that sexual relations should occur solely for the purpose of procreation, and any same-sex intercourse was considered adultery. For example, Emperor Justinian passed a law in 538 that, regardless of sexual position, homosexuals were subject to the death penalty. This law was not the only one, and it was it that influenced the further development of homophobia in Europe. Europe only began abolishing penalties for homosexuality in the 20th century.

Homophobia has been developing for quite a long time. And this, indeed, is largely due to religious movements. In modern times, religion has faded into the background, while one gets the feeling that homophobia is only gaining momentum. The idea that same-sex relationships are impossible is so entrenched in people's minds that it causes strong dissonance and subsequently hatred.

Types of homophobia

Homophobia has a broader meaning as a phenomenon. Therefore, homophobia is often used to refer to completely different forms of discrimination that differ from each other in direction, objects, and manifestations. In order to understand and learn to identify homophobic manifestations in human behavior, homophobia was divided into the following types:

Institutional homophobia

Institutional homophobia manifests itself under the influence of anti-homosexual legislation, political statements, religious groups, and public opinion formed under the pressure of such policies. The social life of society is aimed at heterosexuality, accepting traditional orientation as the only correct one. Thus, discrimination and prejudice against homosexuals appears. Politics and culture in this context are very closely related.

For example, American sociologists identify homohysterical cultures. Under their influence, restrictions are established on people's behavior and self-expression through established views, stereotyping, and even through the adoption of norms and rules. In such a society, people tend to constantly prove their heterosexuality. Also, extreme homophobia is inherent in Asian and Middle Eastern cultures, where the thought of homosexuality is not allowed at all. Society through such policies cultivates homophobes, based on the need for procreation, hostility and non-acceptance of homosexual people.

On “legislative” homophobia

Leonid Prokhorov

Psychologist, Gestalt therapist

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I am a person far from jurisprudence and cannot discuss the intricacies of writing laws. But since my practice is still connected with solving the problems and causes of homophobia, it seems interesting to me to consider how we resolve the issue of homosexual relations in Russia. If you open the Constitution or the Family Code, you will see that the law directly states that family and marriage are exclusively the union of a man and a woman. That is, the state directly denies the possibility of same-sex relationships. Moreover, if you are not a person cut off from the media, you have come across terrible stories about how Russians - a couple of men or women could not adopt children, and some even had to immigrate abroad to continue their lives.

Do I consider this state homophobia? Rather yes than no.

Individual homophobia

Individual homophobia manifests itself in the form of open hostility and non-acceptance of homosexuality in connection with the demographic and psychological characteristics of the population. So small towns and rural areas have a more established heterosexual worldview, conservative and religious views. The population of this area is characterized by a predominance of older people.

Individual homophobia is related to the foundations of your family and environment

Internalized homophobia

Internal or internal homophobia is a feeling of hostility, negative reactions of a homophobe towards himself. In simple words, a homophobe experiences negative feelings and emotions about himself from thoughts about same-sex attraction, relationships, even if he is a representative of a traditional orientation. This type is the most dangerous for the individual himself, as it is accompanied by feelings of guilt, complexes, and anxiety, which can subsequently lead to psychological problems, disorders, depression and even suicidal tendencies.

Internal homophobia is quite a common phenomenon among latent, that is, hidden homosexuals. Such a person cannot accept himself and hates his thoughts about same-sex relationships, and therefore everyone who belongs to the category “homosexual”.

Lesbophobia, biphobia and transphobia

Experts identify types of homophobia based on a specific object: lesbians, homosexuals, bisexuals, transsexuals. Some experts associate these types with sexism, misogyny (hostility directed towards the female sex) and other manifestations of gender discrimination. For example, lesbophobia is a manifestation of homophobia based on negative attitudes towards lesbians.

Homophobia among religious and conservative groups

In some ways, this type overlaps with individual homophobia. Religiosity and conservatism are inseparable in most cases. Manifestations of homophobia are most common among believers. Thus, in traditional religions such as Christianity, Islam, Judaism, same-sex relationships are unacceptable and are considered a sin.

In religion, one of the tenets is often a ban on same-sex relationships

Homosexuality and Islam

In Islamic countries, the attitude towards homosexual relationships was similar to that in ancient Greece and Rome (which is not surprising given the fact that in the Hellenistic era they belonged to a single cultural space), so that romantic relationships between adult men and young men were valued almost more than relationships with women. In the Koran, homosexuality is condemned based on the interpretation of the same story about Lot and Sodom as in Christianity and Judaism (although many modern researchers point out that it is not homosexuality that is condemned at all). However, it does not indicate anywhere what punishment should be imposed for this sin. Moreover, some hadiths (sayings attributed to the prophet) warn against being carried away by the beauty of beardless youths, because their gaze can be more seductive than the gaze of houris (virgins awaiting the righteous in paradise).

Despite the fact that homosexual relations were criminalized in most Islamic countries, cases of punishment for them remained extremely rare. Almost all such cases known to have involved same-sex rape or flagrant breaches of public order.

To punish someone for a homosexual act, it was required that it be witnessed by at least four people respected in the Islamic community, making trials in such cases almost impossible.

The Egyptian thinker Rifaa al-Tahtawi, who visited Paris in the 19th century, was surprised that Europeans felt such aversion to homosexuality that when they translated Arabic love poetry, almost half of which is addressed to beautiful young men, and not to women, they were forced to replace the masculine gender with the feminine gender . Bernadetto Romberti, who visited the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century, said that hundreds of young men sold into slavery and captured in war lived in the Sultan’s palace, guarded by eunuchs. It is known about male harems that were openly kept in the palaces of the rulers al-Mutamid, Hisham II, Abd ar-Rahman III, al-Hakam II, who ruled in the 9th–12th centuries. Many musical troupes had young dancers - bacha-bazi or kucheki, who usually performed dances in the form of a woman, they could be bought for sexual gratification.

Although many thinkers in the Islamic world considered sodomy a sin, most did not truly believe that simply falling in love with a boy or expressing that love through poetry was a sin.

Therefore, for example, nothing prevented the Egyptian religious thinker and poet Abdullah al-Shabrawi, who in the 18th century for 30 years was the rector of al-Azahar University, the most prestigious educational institution in the Arab world, from writing love poems addressed to a beardless young man named Ibrahim.

In secular society, a man’s desire to have sex with a young man was considered completely understandable and even justified.

Sexual relations in Eastern societies were hierarchical. That is why it was not reprehensible for women and boys to act as the host in sexual relations - they were lower in rank than adult men, and their very youth made them unmasculine. Thus, in the satirical essay “Virgins and Youths” by the 9th century Arab theologian Al-Jahiz, even the exclusive preference of an adult man for beardless youths is not considered a deviation or sin. There was a social stigma attached to the men themselves who wanted to be in this role. Therefore, usually the relationship between men and boys ended as soon as the latter began to grow a beard. In some cases, they could continue or initially occur between two adult men, but such relationships were not discussed, as, indeed, relationships with one’s own wife.

It should also be remembered that hierarchical sexual relationships between men and boys were not considered pedophilia by the standards of the time because the age of sexual consent was much lower than it is today. Like pederasty in Ancient Greece, they became permissible at the same age at which girls began to be married off, that is, from about 12–14 years old, when puberty occurs. Boys at this age began military training. One of the main goals of such relationships was to redirect the sexual energy of young men so that they would not start a family before they were able to support it, and most importantly, so that they would not encroach on other people’s women. Those who attempted to kill young people before the age of consent were punished.

However, both in Greece and in the Middle East, which largely inherited Greek traditions, the very fact that boys and girls could enter into sexual relations at this age already implied that they could perform actions that other adults perform: take care of family, raising children and fighting in wars. Girls at this age were already giving birth to children and caring for them, and boys could accompany women in public places (in many cultures, women were not allowed to go out into society without being accompanied by a relative or husband) and fight on an equal basis with other men.

In some countries, if there was no young man suitable for this role in the family, then a girl could take his place. In this case, she took a vow not to engage in sexual relations and, since caring for the family is a male function, began to dress and behave like a man, cut her hair short and took a male name.

Such girls were called bacha-posh in the Middle East and Central Asia, and sworn virgins in the Ottoman-controlled Western Balkans. The most famous example is the Albanian sworn virgin and revolutionary Janica, nicknamed the Albanian Joan of Arc for her active participation in the struggle for the independence of Albania.

This practice allowed girls to go to school, get a job, travel unaccompanied, play sports, and even inherit property. She helped the family avoid social stigma due to the lack of an heir, and sometimes even exist without a male head of the family. Some mothers deliberately forced their daughters to live like boys so that they would not have to return to their family or become servants in their husband's family.

Psychological causes of homophobia

Each person may have their own reasons for the manifestation of homophobia; in addition, they can combine with each other, influencing the intensity of homophobic manifestations. Experts include psychological reasons:

• Violations of personal space. Our personal space also includes raising children, so demonstrations of homosexuality can have an impact on their formation. A child in a family can only observe the traditional relationships of parents, but having learned about variability, sooner or later he may be concerned about the issue of self-identification and doubt his orientation.
• Family relationships. Children are brought up on the basis of those examples and models of behavior that they see in front of them in childhood, they accept and understand the worldview and prejudices inherent and accepted in the family.
• Psychological trauma, violence.
• Subconscious manifestation. The point is that people are irritated by the demonstration of homosexuality, which is different from the majority. Irritation manifests itself in the fact that the person himself, due to perhaps early failures, cannot express himself openly and freely (does not necessarily relate to orientation), unlike homosexuals.

Homophobia may be a consequence of parental upbringing

Gamophobia - what is it?

Gamophobia (gametophobia) is the fear of marriage. An alternative name for fear in women is runaway bride syndrome. Some gamophobes are frightened by any wedding paraphernalia, romantic films, theme stores, etc.

Others are afraid only of those situations when conversations about the wedding concern themselves directly. For example, they may break off a relationship if their partner starts talking about marriage. A gamophobic man will never propose; a gamophobic woman will refuse or leave the relationship if a man asks for her hand in marriage.

Why is homophobia dangerous?

Hostility towards people of non-traditional orientation is dangerous not so much for the homophobe himself, but for society and its development as a whole. Homophobia leads to the following dangerous consequences:

• Deprivation of rights and freedoms of citizens. Thus, representatives of the LGBT community in many countries of the world are deprived of the right to marry, start a family, adopt children, or receive subsidies and benefits from the state. At the same time, homosexuals are deprived of the opportunity to publicly discuss problems - this can be mistaken for propaganda.
• Discriminatory nature. Homosexuals find themselves in an unequal position compared to heterosexual people in terms of rights. Condemnation in society makes them more vulnerable. Homophobia ranks alongside racism and leads to restrictions on a certain group of people.
• Increase in crime. Radical, aggressive manifestations of homophobia lead to crimes and violence against members of the LGBT community. Cruelty towards homosexuals often causes them to commit suicide.

In fact, the listed restrictions regarding the LGBT community give rise to society's struggle against homophobia. At the moment, many parallel currents are trying to defend the interests and rights of other minorities.

Main causes of homophobia

Most people consider homophobia to be a normal phenomenon, justifying it by saying that it is simply unpleasant for them to be in the company of people of non-traditional orientation. It is possible that such an option may well exist, but the whole point is not only in the attitude of a person, but also in his behavior and manifestations. Let's look at some of the reasons for homophobia.

Too open LGBT relationships

Most homosexuals try to hide their different sexual views and preferences from others. Over time, they began to talk about homosexuality more often; holding gay pride parades and LGBT communities opens up to society the problem of discrimination against non-traditional relationships. But these same open manifestations lead to some misconceptions among people:

• Promotion of non-traditional sexual relations among minors. Some people believe that such open manifestations in the form of gay pride parades can influence children's determination of their orientation.
• Western influence on people. The growth of intolerance and the association of homosexuality with the political and ideological influence of the West.

“Propaganda” of homophobia

Leonid Prokhorov

Psychologist, Gestalt therapist

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The phrase “they promote homosexual relations” sounds quite strange to me. And when heterosexuals, that is, a man and a woman, demonstrate that they are in a relationship – is this also propaganda? In my opinion, this is a rather subjective and unfounded position. For example, if you are interested in video games or you have children who are involved in this culture, then you have probably heard about the game “The last of us”. So this game caused such a storm of indignation from the homophobic community that the ratings of the game, beautiful in its plot, became the lowest in history. There was only one complaint - a demonstration of the main images of the LGBT community: lesbians, chauvinists, homophobes, transgender people and the image of a courageous woman. As a result, the game received the label “a game for the LGBT community.”

Personally, I didn't feel like the character reveal was in any way propaganda-inducing or left too much time for the characters' gayness to be revealed. However, for aggressive homophobes, just the mention of non-traditional relationships is enough.

Social influence

The attitude of the environment and society has a great influence on the formation of both the person as a whole and the formation of individual views and prejudices regarding many issues. Homophobia was no exception: since the 60s, when sexual minorities began to openly defend their rights, hostility towards homosexual manifestations also began to be more openly expressed in people's behavior. A negative attitude towards those who, by some criteria, differs from the majority of people has always existed.

The social ideological system denies non-heterosexual forms of behavior. Thus, established views on traditionalism and their imposition on the younger generation leads to the development of homophobia by society itself.

The environment has the strongest influence on the formation of homophobic behavior

AIDS

In the 1980s, medicine was faced with the spread of AIDS (human immunodeficiency virus), a serious viral disease. The first patients with this disease practiced homosexual relations, so homohysteria reached a high level during the AIDS epidemic. Later, doctors found that the virus is transmitted sexually, as well as through the use of unsterile needles and other unsterile medical instruments, transfusion of infected blood and similar methods. However, the rise of homophobia and the belief that gays are “infecting society” has not stopped.

Fear of finding homosexuality in yourself

Another reason for the development of homophobia is the fear of discovering homosexual tendencies in oneself. Susceptibility to social influence reaches such levels that people, being of traditional views, are afraid of the possible discovery of other sexual views in themselves. This happens most often when in childhood a child was strongly attached to a member of the same sex, but over time he suppressed this tendency under external influence. People are afraid of not being like the majority; an aggressive attitude towards homosexuality can be expressed even to physical violence and murder.

Fear of one's own homosexuality in severe cases can lead to depression and even cases of self-harm

Indicative homophobia to hide your LGBT relationships

Homophobia occurs even within the LGBT community. In cases of demonstrative homophobia, a person is confident that his orientation is unconventional, perhaps he already has a relationship with his gender, but by showing homophobia towards people with the same orientation, they try to disguise their preferences. So, they are trying to protect themselves from the attacks of society.

Girls and gays4

Some people think that having a gay friend is cool and glamorous. So he makes such friends solely for the sake of fashion. They are not interested in the people themselves, they just need to close the “gay friend” column in the profile in order to look modern and stylish. There are a lot of them, and some consider them homophobes, because such behavior is not normal, especially considering that a person and personality are not completely determined by sexual orientation.

Others, on the contrary, avoid gays, shun them, and openly condemn them. There are a lot of options here, from religious subcultures, whose representatives deny everything that is not specified in the sacred texts, to just girls from villages and working-class outskirts. There are even cases of open insults and “showdowns.”

Important: in European countries, the very reference to “competition” for a man between a woman and a gay guy is considered homophobic. Europeans are taught that all people are equal, and even if we are talking about a love triangle, the girl is not a priority, due to the fact that her attraction is natural.

Problems of homophobia

The problems of homophobia lie not so much in the existence of homosexuality, but in the attitude of other people towards representatives of sexual minorities. Generally accepted forms of behavior, stereotyping and beliefs of society try to mold each person into similar ones, and the appearance of distinctive features causes suspicion, mistrust, and hostility within groups.

Homophobic violence

One of the most important problems of homophobia is homophobic violence. Homophobic violence – acts of physical and mental pressure based on sexual orientation, expressed in acts of a violent nature. Homophobic violence in the form of bullying occurs even in schools among children, threats from outside, blackmail, bullying. The victims of such violence may not be representatives of the LGBT community, but arouse such suspicions, for example, an overly mannered guy, a masculine girl. The stereotyping of human views leads to labeling of people, cruel treatment, hostility, hatred, even aggressive actions towards them.

Unfortunately, bullying, bullying, and violence against LGBT people quite often become the cause of tragic situations. Thus, it is not uncommon in America for schoolchildren who were subjected to violence by classmates for being gay to take it out on their offenders.

Can homophobia become a reason to understand oneself?

Earlier I said that homophobia is expressed not only in the non-acceptance of homosexual manifestations in other people, but also in the negative attitude towards homosexuality in the person himself. The fear of having different sexual views, “deviating from the norm” can serve as a reason to understand oneself. Doubts about one's personal orientation can reduce the quality of life in society. That is why it is important to understand what causes homophobic manifestations - hostility towards others or fear of being among them.

If you realize that you cannot accept your own orientation, and this is causing you an unstable state, be sure to contact a specialist who will help you accept yourself.

Homophobia as a special case of xenophobia and discrimination in Russia

Homophobia is a special case of broader xenophobia. Xenophobia is fear of the unknown, the incomprehensible. Any type of xenophobia is accompanied by a discriminatory nature. The relationship of one race to another, men to women, one religion to another. In the case of hostility caused by a different orientation, this is a fear of unconventional manifestations.

In any case, xenophobia occurs due to misunderstanding, an irrational fear of what is a “deviation”, a difference from the generally accepted. In Russia, the prohibition of discrimination on national, racial, and religious grounds is legally enshrined. But there is no prohibition of discrimination based on gender or sexual preference; on the contrary, such discrimination is emphasized. Recently, attitudes towards sexual minorities have changed for the better, but this is not being consolidated at the state level. Western countries often use the phrase “breeding ground of homophobia” specifically in relation to Russia.

In general, Russia is a very homophobic country

Afraid of being labeled a lesbian2

The girl is a system administrator. She wears her hair in a ponytail, wears T-shirts, jeans and sneakers, and is more interested in IT than fashion and beauty. Everyone is sure that she is a lesbian. At work they don’t even make jokes about this anymore. Meanwhile, the girl lives with the guy, and they have a completely ordinary family and even have one child. The heroine of the story is not afraid to be branded as a lesbian, because she doesn’t care about public opinion, she pays her mortgage and is saving up to open her own gadget store.

But the second heroine is dating girls. She is very feminine, wears dresses, heels and floral perfume. Every day he does makeup, manicures and smokes thin cigarettes. No living person identifies her with the stereotypical masculine lesbian from films or books. At the same time, the girl is terrified that her “dirty secret” will be revealed, she constantly talks at work about her girlfriend as a boyfriend, and in the family she introduces her as just a friend.

The third heroine is the partner of the second. She is completely ordinary, and does not hide from her family that she is dating a woman. She doesn't wear a Finnish lumberjack shirt, flat boots, or a short haircut. She just dates a woman and waits for her to stop being homophobic.

So you don't have to be straight to be homophobic and vice versa.

Is homophobia passed on from parents?

We all know that external signs and character traits are inherited by children from their parents. In addition, heredity determines many diseases not only of parents, but also of other relatives, for example, myopia, diabetes and others. Disputes about the hereditary transmission of homophobia are still raging. Let's try to figure out whether it is possible to transmit homophobic manifestations from parents.

Genetic transmission

According to scientists, genetic transmission of sexual inclinations is possible; for example, according to some studies, the manifestation of homosexuality is 25% dependent on the inherited gene. But the preservation of such a gene tends to zero due to the specifics of homosexual relationships. As for the gene responsible for homophobic manifestations, no results of official studies confirm, but do not exclude its existence.

Transmission in education

The development of homophobic manifestations, as well as sexism, racism and xenophobia in general, begins in childhood, largely under the influence of the family. The stereotypical views of parents, their prejudices, and religious views are formed over generations and are passed on in the same way. Children are given an understanding of what is good and what is bad depending on the understanding of their parents. The child experiences the world and learns to socialize by adopting the patterns of behavior that he observes in his family. Experts include some forms of transmission of homophobia within a family:

• Absence, silence or insufficiency of sex education for children and adolescents;
• Statements, reproaches of appearance;
• Imposition of homophobic prejudices - heterosexuality is presented as the only correct option;
• Prohibitions on relationships with the opposite sex. Often accompanied by the phrases “it’s too early for you to think about this”, “when you grow up, you’ll find out”;
• Stable stereotypes and their imposition regarding correct behavior, tastes, etc.

The transmission of homophobia to children is possible only through education and instillation of a certain kind of thoughts

Why quite ordinary girls become homophobes3

It would seem that we are not living in the 18th century. Nowadays, most people don't care who sleeps with whom or why they do it. As long as the process is consensual and without drama, no one is interested in it. Girls usually become homophobic due to:

• Education and environment. Parents instill from childhood that a girl should look a certain way, act like a girl, not play hard sports, study at a liberal arts university, bake pies and date boys. And those who act differently will face public reproach, problems and a ton of negativity;
• Having feelings for girls and the desire to suppress them. It is not without reason that they say that those who immerse themselves in it entirely are the ones who are most fixated on this topic. If a young girl is attracted to a friend, and cannot get over it, she will focus on lesbians, criticize their images in pop culture, deny her attraction in every possible way, and even get a boyfriend. She will walk with him for show, kiss him, but they won’t get to anything serious. Or only disappointment will be serious;
• Problems in relationships with people in general. Guys, girls, it doesn't matter. A girl may grow up to be a social phobe due to some family problems or personal experiences. Either her school was bad, where children were humiliated and bullied, or something else. In general, it doesn’t matter what, but the girl needs a psychologist, since her homophobia borders on xenophobia and rejection of people as a biological species

There are also difficult cases. Sex workers who pose as lesbians for shows, photos, or videos, as well as kept women of rich men who love watching lesbians often begin to hate women. They acquire persistent homophobia, since they associate lesbian sex with unpleasant and traumatic activities.

Fighting homophobia

Having dealt with the influence of homophobia on society, it is worth touching on the widespread problem of combating its manifestations. On May 17, 1990, homosexuality was removed from the WHO list of diseases, and this day is now recognized as the International Day against Homophobia. The goals of the fight against homophobia are:

• Support for gay citizens;
• Equalization of rights, regardless of sexual preferences and membership in the LGBT community;
• Prevention of physical and moral violence towards people of a different gender or orientation.

Events to combat homophobia can be called queer pride (a broader concept than LGBT, it includes asexuality, transgenderism, gender identity and others) or LGBT pride. Pride is a kind of mass coming out (open and voluntary recognition). Pride parades are organized so that people have the opportunity to openly express their beliefs, sexual preferences, and attitudes towards other orientations. Thus, people have the opportunity to learn about the existence of such problems as discrimination based on gender and non-traditional orientation, and representatives of the LGBT community themselves find support and are convinced that they are not alone.

In 2022, there are many social movements that fight homophobia

Tolerance should not be confused with love

Now the younger generation is more tolerant of manifestations of homosexuality, young people are much freer and older generations value personal freedom more, and strive for universal equality of people in our modern society. A tolerant attitude does not mean love at all. Even when experiencing hostility and homophobic manifestations, a person can remain tolerant of the object of intolerance.

LGBT communities in their struggle strive to achieve a certain kind of “neutrality” in relation to people. They do not require a more attentive attitude to their lives, but only recognition of all the rights of other people and a respectful attitude that excludes aggression and hatred

Who is right in this current debate?

The debate about the positive impact of the development of tolerance in society has two sides: some believe that tolerance is a pretense, tolerance that can suppress the expression of one’s own opinion, others, on the contrary, believe that the education of tolerance is the only way to equalize inequalities of various kinds, the main tool for achieving balance in society. There are so many people and so many opinions, it is impossible to definitely and accurately say who is right. We can say that the use of tolerance for political purposes negatively affects people’s attitude towards its necessity.

About annoying tolerance

Leonid Prokhorov

Psychologist, Gestalt therapist

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Probably most of you have come across the fact that the word “tolerance” is used everywhere, even inappropriately. Such “propaganda” of tolerance entails the most negative consequences - anger, hatred and irritation of people. I cannot say that current policies and media activities have a positive effect on the fight against homophobia. Tolerance in people should be cultivated and presented as a value, and not act as a duty.

Interesting Facts

What is a homophobic person afraid of? First of all, he is afraid of the risk that his family or friends will fall into this category. Also, a homophobe zealously supports traditional relationships in the family, and on a subconscious level despises all representatives of non-traditional orientation. Against this background, fighters for tolerance are becoming more active and achieving good results.

Homosexuality was removed from the list of psychiatric diseases back in May 1990. This date became the International Day against Homophobia. For a long period, LGB representatives continued to seek their rights. The reasons were the most difficult conditions for representatives of sexual minorities:

• discrimination against same-sex marriages (they were banned in more than 80 states);
• active oppression of gays, lesbians, transgender people in the USA and USSR;
• intimate relationships with a person of the same sex were punishable by up to 10 years in prison, in some countries for life;
• homophobia in certain regions of Africa and the East became the most severe (the charge of unconventional relationships was punishable by death).

Homosexuals, with their zeal, tried to achieve equality in society, lead a full life, and not be subjected to moral and physical violence.

What is homophobia in simple words? This is fear of non-traditional relationships, contempt for people belonging to this trend, possible latent homosexuality. There is no 100% cure for this manifestation, since it does not apply to obvious mental illnesses. You can reduce the activity of symptoms and rage with the help of an experienced hypnologist or psychotherapist.

How to overcome homophobia in yourself

When a person feels fear or hostility towards something, including homosexuality, the degree of aggressiveness of these manifestations is important. Understanding and awareness of the destructiveness of homophobic manifestations is the main point in the fight against internal homophobia. Analyze the impact your expressions have on members of sexual minorities. If you are concerned about your attitude, overly emotional reactions, aggression, or a desire to belittle members of the LGBT community, consult a psychologist. A specialist will help you understand the reasons for the emergence of homophobia; perhaps they are imposed by society. The desire to overcome homophobia in oneself, the awareness that people are all different and same-sex relationships can exist are the main means to combat these manifestations.

You can, for example, get carried away by the philosophy of pacifism. This will be an excellent alternative to such radical movements as homophobia.

Going to a psychologist is one of the most effective options for combating your own homophobia

Psychological aspects of phobia

The study of the phenomenon began in the 70s of the 20th century. Then the problem was characterized as a fear of communicating with any member of minorities, and if internal homophobia is observed in the homosexual himself, then this indicates self-contempt. Homosexuals, like homophobes, have existed at all times. What could be the reason? Some call it a hereditary factor (although there is no reliable evidence for this), others say that homosexuality and internal homophobia are a consequence of upbringing and environmental influences.

In modern psychology, it is customary to break homophobia into two concepts: homonegativism and homophobia itself. The first is associated with rational reasoning about non-acceptance of an unconventional model of relationships, their perception as a threat to the well-being and stability of society (homonegatives do not show aggression). The second implies a person’s personal attitude towards non-traditional relationships, his subjective negative feelings (anxiety, fear, disgust).

Psychologists have compiled a portrait of a person who exhibits internal homophobia (latent homosexuality). What is characteristic of him:

• neuroses,
• low self-esteem,
• depression,
• complexes,
• suicidal tendencies,
• suspicion,
• suspiciousness,
• paranoid tendencies,
• propaganda of homophobia.

Such people are afraid that they will discover within themselves a craving for people of the same sex. They are afraid that someone will blame them for this, that they will be humiliated and persecuted.

It is important! Disgust or denied, suppressed craving for same-sex relationships is the basis of homophobia.

Should we fight homophobia?

All over the world, more and more decisions are being made to combat homophobia. A person’s orientation does not affect his personal qualities; representatives of the LGBT community remain the same people as people of traditional orientation. So, why should their rights be violated? A large number of young people are aware of their difference from the accepted “norm”; pressure and misunderstanding lead to devastating consequences, including committing suicide. Aggressive homophobia manifests itself in violence, cruelty and murder in seemingly quite peaceful times.

Homophobia in the world

All over the world, homophobia is one of the most discussed problems. The flag of homophobes is a rainbow flag (like the flag of the LGBT community), but this rainbow is crossed out by a black line in a circle. The attitude of different countries towards manifestations of homosexuality depends on the culture, religion, and traditions common in the country.

One of the flags of the homophobic community

Homophobic states

There are more than 80 countries in the world where people are most negative about homosexuality. To the point that same-sex relationships are persecuted and criminalized, but even worse is that in some countries the highest penalty is death for same-sex relationships. These are mainly countries of the Muslim world. They are considered the most dangerous for representatives of sexual minorities. Examples of homophobic states:

1. Iran. Although the Iranian authorities officially do not apply any types of punishments to people of unconventional orientation, entire groups of militants are dealing with this. There may even be suspicions of homosexuality due to a man’s excessive femininity and grooming.
2. Uganda. In Uganda there is a law called “kill the gay”. A person can be punished even for watching films on a prohibited topic. The media often publish messages calling for reprisals against gay people, and information and personal data of homosexuals themselves are also published.
3. Saudi Arabia. The cruel laws of this country are known to many. Homosexuals there are subjected not only to prison terms and fines, but also to chemical castration, flogging, and beheading. Rigid conservative views and “living by Sharia law” make this country one of the most homophobic countries in the world.

In Russia, homophobia is determined by specific regions. Thus, in Moscow they are tolerant of LGBT people. On the territory of the Caucasian republics - Chechnya, Dagestan, etc. homosexuality is denied in principle.

Homophobia in the USA

Same-sex marriage was legalized in the United States not long ago. The anti-homophobic movement is developing and being supported. However, on a territorial basis, there are states where homophobia is most pronounced: Texas, New York, Louisiana.

Homophobia in Russia

Russia is not the best country for gays to live. More often, authorities try to avoid such problems as homophobia. But they are trying in every possible way to limit the rights of sexual minorities at the legislative level, for example, banning the promotion of non-traditional relationships, same-sex marriage, holding rallies and parades. However, no matter how Western Russophobes call Russia a “breeding ground for homophobia,” some manifestations of the fight against it can be observed. In 2018, a social network user in the Sverdlovsk region was fined for a homophobic comment.

Homophobia in Europe

Recently, Europe has not been distinguished by its loyalty to LGBT people, although it is worth considering that the level of tolerance is much higher than the world average. According to the survey, 26% of respondents were attacked or threatened for having unconventional sexual views, 20% of gays and bisexuals were discriminated against at work.

Frequent anti-LGBT rallies throughout the European Union only prove that the level of homophobia is not so different from countries with strong traditional foundations.

Homophobia in Asia

Asia has not legalized same-sex marriage, although some countries are taking steps to combat homophobia. For example, Nepal prohibits persecution based on orientation, and the country also allows citizens to choose a third gender. Japan does not legally define what gender a husband and wife should be.

Homophobia as a phenomenon is widespread throughout the world