What exactly is homophobia?
83218
being afraid of gay people.
483423
there is nothing wrong with homosexuals, but because of ignorance due to religion people will continue to fear and discriminate against them
877850
Yes, I've read them.  The gays and pro-fags will just deny them though.  Or when all else fails, they'll just call you a hater homophobe.  Like anyone's afraid of a gay!  (Sorry homophobes, you know what I mean)
1046152
My best friend is gay, and he gets tourmented and bullied, and people who don't even know him shout things at him in the street. He is the most charming, lovely guy I know, and he has been in a committed relationship with his boyfriend for the last ten years! \n\nIf I am with him, and people challenge him, I get so angry. Why should he be denied the right to live his life the way he wants? He's not doing anyone any harm. I always, always stand up to homophobic people. I got beaten up once because I was defending a 'faggot'. \n\nPeople are ignorant and stupid and it makes my blood boil. I will fight homophobia, and anyone be damned who dares challenge me on it!
1185609
A gay pride parade is just a celebration for being apart of a group of people that often get disciminated against, as you can plainly see from the neanderthal answers you've received thus far. There are parades for almost all walks of life, just to promote togetherness and comradery amongst the group, becasue there are so many narrow minds and bigots out there. it's kind of a way of reassuring others that you are not alone, etc.
475623
A homosexual is defined as someone who is romantically and sexually attracted to the same gender.\n\nThe key words there are "romantically" and "sexually". If a straight guy has sex with someone of the same gender, the action may be a homosexual action, but that doesn't necessarily change the persons orientation. They may only do it once and never again and there may have been circumstances (like alcohol or drugs, etc) to explain the otherwise odd behavior. The rest of the time the guy always has sex with the opposite sex and persues romantic relationships with the opposite sex. That makes him heterosexual. If he prefers to engage in both sex and romantic relationships with both genders that would make him bisexual and depending on the degree of his bisexuality would determine which gender he prefered to seek out most (man or woman). If a homosexual man decides not to engage in any sexual action, that doesn't mean the desire to has gone away. Nor does that mean that the man's desire to be romantic with another man has gone away either (and oddly the Bible and other sacred texts often used to condemn homosexuality only talk about the sexual act, but not the romantic act...apparently it's okay to be romantic with your own gender). \n\nThat is why it is odd when people say things like "hate the sin, but love the sinner" and then call homosexuality a sin. They simplify homosexuality often down to the action of sex with the same gender.....yet, these same people who say that this is the sin will then continue to condemn the person for simply having the homosexual desires still even if they are not engaging in sexual acts. \n\nThe basic thing that most people miss is that being homosexual isn't just about wanting to just have sex with someone of the same gender. It is about being romantically attracted to the same gender, too. Falling in love with the same gender. Sex may never actually enter into the picture of some homosexuals who are in romantic and loving relationships....yet they are condemned and told they are going to hell because it is assumed that they are having sex or assumed that just by them sharing love with each other that this is wrong (yet, do we not love our friends and family, too...and yet loving friends and family of the same gender is not wrong, why is it wrong when we find a romantic companion whom we may not even engage in sexual acts with?)\n\n\nI see a lot of hypocrisy with the issue and being a homosexual myself, I decided to stop caring about what other people think and focus my life on God without them and their opinions (because if hypocrisy exists in their opinions, then it cannot be from God). I'm a Hindu now, a religion that is very diverse and ranges on its views. When it comes to homosexuality, any condemnation that some Hindu sects have of it isn't based upon religious belief, it is usually about defending tradition or other reasons.
1179435
I don't know if they've been there, but there's a theory that the most homophobic guys are the ones who are secretly afraid that they are a little bit gay... you know, like the ex-army Sgt Major character in 'American Beauty'
312891
Peer pressure influences everybody more than a single text, however sacred it claims to be.\n\nThe Bible was like any piece of writing a product of its sociopolitical context, and this was one where capital punishment of minority groups was much more accepted. Nowadays homophobia is generally more widely perceived to be wrong, and the strength of that pressure means that even something that is supposed to be set in stone is adapted. Quite right too - every idea has to adapt to changing circumstances if it is going to survive. There is no such thing as an Eternal Truth
501101
I deal with it by being me, being proud, and not giving a flying mother f*cking sh*t if people don't like it.  You've got to be strong to be gay, or else you are totally f*cked.  \n\nStop trying to please everyone, because you WILL fail at that.  It is an impossible task.  \n\nYou deal by being smarter, stronger, and infinately cooler then people who hate gays.  You read more, you dress better, you do whatever you need to do to grow some healthy self esteem so you can fend off the stupid morons who judge you.  You are open and honest with people because secrets are just destructive and annoying.  You make lots and lots of gay and gay friendly friends - in fact, you don't tolorate anything less of your friends.  If they want to be judgemental or ambivilent about me, they can do it somewhere else because I don't need to put up with that sh*t.  You watch shows like "Queer as Folk" or gay films and find characters to relate to.  You get involved in local gay activities, be it politics or gardening or whatever.  You find the local gay bars and liberal coffee houses and hang out there.
1027009
They say they want equal rights--of course they already have equal protection under the law.\n \nWhat they really want are Special Rights.  They want to persuade everyone else that they are normal and should be treated as such rather than as degenerate perverts.  They have managed to gain civil rights for an infectious contagious disease, AIDS, but of course if you call AIDS a homosexual disease you simply called a hater or a bigot or worse.  But how does one get this disease--well, almost always through lifestyle choices.  A truly tiny per centage thru transfusion, the rest from sex or IV drug use.  Mostly from homosexual sex.\n\nIf you don't like their behavior they call you Homo-phobic.  Apparently being homosexual damages the language gene:  \n\n1.  Phobias are irrational fears with no foundation or reality basis.  If I find you repugnant or repulsive to me that does not mean that I am afraid of you.  My disgust has a real and rational basis.\n\n2. The word gay means happy, all of the homosexuals that I have know have been the saddest, most miserable bunch of people I can imagine.  Maybe you should change it to Sad people instead of Gay people.  A little truth in advertising.
278592
You watch too much TV...which is made by class hatemongers.\n\nIn real life, most people don't give a bleep about homosexuality, one way or the other. \n\nThe usual response is actually "as long as they don't make a move on ME".\n\nWhich is sorta cute, really.
109183
probably not.  Most gay men dont want to state their orientation because of fear.  Fear of hatred disrimmination and even being kicked out.
1045654
Are you sure you are not misdiagnosed?  Look up the criteria for PTSD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.  Many gay people that have expeienced hatred have symptoms
743811
It is not up to me as a gay man to reduce homophobia. What you are suggesting is that victims should be responsible for hate crimes commited against them, which I find to be offensive.\n\nThe onus is on the perpetraitors of violence, harrassment and ignorance against gays and lesbians to enlighten themselves after being shamed for their stupidity.\n\nYou can not 'combat' homophobia - just manage negative impact of homophobic abuse - homophobes act out of fear and ignorance. You can't combat ignorance because ignorance is the deliberate denial to inform oneself of the truth. You can't 'combat' a person's desire to be ignorant if they persist on being ignorant - ignorance serves to benefit those who are ignorant.\n\nYou can only re-adjust the  perspective of the 'victim' so they don't feel victimized. Empower victims of hate crimes to not take abuse to heart.\n\nThere will always be homophobia - we are a minority. We always will be. It is very naive of you to think that we will be accepted by the majority of straight people.\n\nThe Religious Right and 'moral majority' ( I assume you're American) lobby groups in your country are what produces homophobia. The Bible is homophobic. The only way to 'reduce' homophobia is to educate 'Christians'. But you can't educate the uneducatable. So homophobia is here to stay, I'm afraid. It does not bother me. Why? "It is not what you call me, but what I answer to that counts". Think about it.
105495
Religious people are not "afraid" of homosexuality, they fear the creator, the one who has power over all things and the one who deals out punishment in the hereafter. Those who choose not to engage in things they or their religion deems as sinful acts only fear the one who will judge them for their good and bad deeds when this life is over. Fear of the things that people choose to do with their own lives has nothing to do with it.
986977
I agree - I'm straight and I know people have opinions and that's fine but I think homophobic people are really scared of who they are.
884270
I think many closet cases have a defense mechanism that may become self loathing homophobia.  \n\nBut there are others that just feel empowered by being a bully and a thug.  They attack because negative attention is the only attention they may get in their lives.  They probably have deep seated emotional and psychological problems, as no normal person (even one that doesn't like gay people) puts as much effort in to their hate as these people do.  Most of these types aren't closet cases, just deeply disturbed and psychologically damaged people.\n\nAnyone who goes out of their way to express their hate and dislike, most certainly is mentally disturbed, but neccessarily closet cases.