Homophobe - who is it from a psychological point of view? Who is a homophobe - what does homophobia mean, its causes, how to fight and get rid of

The word homophobia comes from the phrases "homo" and "phobos" (fear of the like). In psychiatry, this disorder is defined as an unreasonable fear of thoughts and objects related to non-traditional relationships between members of the same sex. Simply put, a homophobe opposes homosexuals and lesbians.

Homophobia is a psychological disorder not recognized by the individual. Signs:

Refusal of relatives to accept that their child is a representative of sexual minorities. They take various steps to eliminate the apparent problem, up to the placement of a person in a psychiatric hospital.
Incorrect expressions from men towards homosexuals, as well as physical violence against them. Women also express aggression towards representatives of sexual minorities, however, there are not so many of them. The definition of what is homophobia of girls is not considered separately.
In the team and society, the rejection of lesbians and gays. They are ignored in companies, their opinions are not taken into account, they are morally humiliated.
Religious aspect. The rejection of representatives of non-traditional orientation is expressed in religious states, especially countries that worship Islam.

Reasons for homophobia

And now the opinions of psychotherapists differ about the main causes of homophobia. It is generally accepted that all human fears provoke a person to get rid of it as soon as possible. The aggression of men towards gays, sometimes with physical impact, is one of the confirmations of this.

The dissatisfaction of others towards same-sex marriages is due to the contradiction of the foundations of society and the norms of behavior that do not allow love between individuals of the same sex. The result of rejection is the manifestation of heterosexism.

With help various techniques introduction to a trance eliminates almost all common phobias. Immersion in the world of the human subconscious allows you to find the root cause of fear, accept correct solution about the methods and duration of the course of treatment.

How to get rid of homophobia?

On that complex issue there is no clear answer. Many people think that treating this disorder is pointless because it is not a disease per se. If we take into account the fight against homophobia in society, then propaganda methods are used in terms of developing tolerance. The result depends on the characteristics of the individual and the traditions adopted in a particular country. It doesn't matter if homophobia is a disease or not? To eliminate the symptoms, a conscious desire of the person himself is necessary, as well as an understanding that all people are different and same-sex relationships can exist.

A specialist who relieves various fears and phobias, Baturin Nikita Valerievich.

Homophobia: what is it in the world?

All over the planet, opponents of same-sex relationships are manifestly negative. The allies of homophobia are symbolized by a rainbow flag, similar to gays, but the rainbow is crossed out by a large black line in a circle. In some Muslim societies, homosexuality is punishable by death. The most dangerous countries for bisexuals, gays, lesbians, transgenders: Pakistan, Uganda, Afghanistan, Yemen, Sudan.

Briefly about homophobia in the USA

In an active and dynamic country, the day against homophobia traditionally begins with a moment of silence. It is dedicated to those who died from HIV, the hands of aggressive people against LGBT adherents. Despite the modern way of the country, until recently in some states there was a ban on same-sex relationships, not to mention marriage. Now this issue has been resolved, but homophobes have not gone away, many individuals despise and beat sexual minorities.

What is homophobia in Europe?

Activists of the gay movement celebrate the day of struggle against their opponents on May 17th. This date symbolizes the commemoration of the removal of homosexuality from the list of mental illnesses. An event with parades and actions provokes an active surge of aggressive people.

Homophobia continues to be high in Europe, according to research by sexual minority advocacy companies. The figures show that about 27 percent of gay people surveyed have been subjected to violence by traditional citizens. About 30% were discriminated against during a job interview or immediately after employment.

What does homophobia mean in Russia?

In our country, homophobia is not considered a problem as such. This is due to centuries-old traditions and the corresponding social structure, in which any non-traditional relations between people are not welcome.

Repeated attempts to hold gay rallies and gatherings led to waves of protests with eggs, stones and other objects being thrown at LGB activists. In 2013, an official decree was adopted banning the promotion of non-traditional relationships, same-sex marriage, holding relevant actions and parades. In the West, Russia is often compared to a "homophobia hotbed".

Is it necessary and how to fight homophobia on television?

The manifestation of disgust towards sexual minorities is not so terrible. Much more dangerous social popular moments. Many leading film and TV stars are ardently homophobic.

Mel Gibson considers himself a religious and pious people. However, due to insulting gays, he repeatedly got into scandalous situations, even completely severed ties with his homosexual brother.

Homophobia is a kind of disease that directly affects show business. The famous rapper Eminem has repeatedly spoken negatively about the representatives of the LGBT community in his texts.

Other scandalous homophobic celebrities:

P. Hilton often in his tweets compares gays with "monkeys" and other unflattering images.
Chris Brown takes the term homosexual as an insult.
Alec Baldwin was not spared homophobia either. He is known for his swearing at gay politicians.

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

Homosexuality was excluded from the list of psychiatric diseases in May 1990. This date has become International holiday fight 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 marriages of same-sex individuals (they were banned in more than 80 states);
active oppression of gays, lesbians, transgender people in the USA and the 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 (accusation of non-traditional relationships was punishable by death).

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

What is homophobia in simple words? This is a fear of non-traditional relationships, contempt for people belonging to this trend, possible latent homosexuality. There is no one hundred percent treatment for this manifestation, since it does not apply to obvious mental illness. You can reduce the activity of symptoms and rage with the help of a psychotherapist.

First of all, it is worth understanding the terminology. IN this case we will talk about the sharply negative reaction of a number of men to manifestations of same-sex love. In general, if a traditionally oriented man wants to turn away at the sight of a same-sex kiss, this will not be surprising. But turning away and passing by is one thing, but getting into a fight, deliberately harassing, wasting time fighting gay communities, starting special conversations among acquaintances about the need to eradicate this “evil” and in every possible way demonstrating one’s dislike for is completely different.

Mirror principle. The world is, in a sense, our reflection, and the way we react to events shows both us and those around us (with a certain degree of observation) our painful places. Dislike for something / someone can show us hidden envy and a desire to possess the same (as a rule, this is how the rich are “hated”) or the inability to accept something in ourselves.

Parents are indignant at the stubbornness of their children because they do not see their own stubbornness, someone is indignant at the excessive emotionality of their neighbors and preaches restraint only because they are afraid of their own feelings, and someone is outraged by rudeness only because similar words get stuck in his throat.

A negative emotional reaction to a certain manifestation of the world is an indicator. This is how our whole body works - a damaged organ signals us with pain about an emerging disease, and the psyche signals an unresolved issue, an internal clamping with mental pain: irritation, indignation, anger, fear and hatred. No one is eager to experience these feelings, however, they are needed in order to point out unresolved problems to a person.

In the absence of such an approach negative feelings will be aggravated, irritation and anger will accumulate, the body and psyche will be loosened. So it’s definitely impossible to call such a long-term harm to oneself safe and even more so “righteous”. And even if you are outraged by things that are obviously condemned by many (the same rudeness), this is not a reason to destroy yourself day after day: such tactics will certainly not save the world from rudeness. Therefore, it is better to look at the root of the problem.

What are homophobes afraid of? If you follow the logic outlined above, then homosexual relationships are exactly what homophobes would like, but do not allow themselves to have. Of course, it would be too primitive to think that homophobia is only a well-hidden, repressed homosexuality. The phenomenon of homophobia is formed by many factors.

And I will try to demonstrate some of them with an example.

Rinat, 33 years old. Appealed about relationships with women in which he got confused. I could not find enough feelings for either one or the other, so I could not make a choice. And as part of the problem, he raised doubts about his ability to fall in love. Understanding his history, we came to one episode - a teenage crush on a high school student who took them on hikes. Rinat admitted that at that time he was very similar to him, and sometimes even felt a desire to touch his body. It happened that Rinat had dreams with the participation of an older comrade, this was superimposed on a stormy puberty, there was a sense of guilt. Rinat gave himself the word “not to think about him”, time passed, the image of an older comrade remained only as a role model - Rinat began to play the same sport as that guy, chose a similar style of clothing, hairstyles. From time to time, the guys met briefly in the yard (they lived nearby), but he no longer evoked violent feelings in Rinat. There was also an “initiation into a man” at one party, Rinat did not experience much enthusiasm, but he did it quite well. He got along with women because he was interested in them, “for the sake of health”, convenience, there was someone to talk to ... But there were no feelings.

Let's start with desire. It was suppressed because it was shameful, it was condemned in the family, there was no one to talk about it with. In itself, the desire at the same time could not indicate a non-traditional orientation.

Many teenagers experience falling in love with teachers and classmates of the same sex, due to the hypersexuality inherent in age, and the bisexuality inherent in all people, plus in itself active search answers to the questions “what am I, what is my personality, what are my guidelines” and a lot of uncertainty (and what kind of certainty can there be at this age?) strong feelings, which are generally not necessarily associated with sex, and can be both for people of the same sex, and the opposite.

Over time, in a person, his dominant principle is finally formed (which, basically, was laid down by nature), and for homosexual people it becomes clear that attraction to people of the same sex was very significant for them and really informed them about their essence, and for homosexual people For the rest of the majority of heterosexual adolescents, it simply becomes obsolete and forgotten. Fine.

But our society can hardly be called tolerant, and therefore the fear of homosexual relationships in society is sometimes instilled before the child even has time to realize his sexuality. And, accordingly, not understanding his feelings and not having the habit of respecting them (but only dividing, as dad and mom did, into “right” and “wrong”), he begins to suppress any impulses that may be related to homosexuality.

Which ultimately leads to fixation on the topic. Because what we are not able to live, for which we are not able to give ourselves permission (at least talk about it, express our feelings at least somehow, accept them) remains in our psyche as a chronic pain point.

Emerging teenage desires, which are immediately declared “wrong”, are immediately forced out, sublimated, and the boy struggles to become like everyone else. But he already feels some internal “flaw” (especially if homophobia was cultivated in the family), so these boys have a feeling of guilt carried through all their youth and fear that they will “reveal” him, although after a while the boy does not remember that was the source of guilt.

Most often, it is this unconscious guilt that makes the future man feel worse than other men, and as a result, doubt his masculinity, masculinity. And therefore homophobia symbolically helps to establish itself among “real men”.

However, the feeling of one's own lack of masculinity is not necessarily directly related to feelings of attraction to a person of the same sex. In later sessions surfaced relationship complexity Rinata with Father. The father was quite domineering and cruel, the boy was used to being afraid of him. The father's requirements were always too high, the criticism was quite strict, and the father never listened to his son's feelings, he believed that they were not worthy of a man.

Rinat tried to approach his father in many ways, but he understood that he was “not enough”. Meanwhile, his mother understood him, and because of that, Rinat subsequently felt more comfortable among women, but there were practically no male friends. Rather, Rinat used to look at them as a threat, because in childhood, comparison with other boys was often not in his favor - with this method, his father tried to cultivate “healthy competitiveness” in him. However, with many men, Rinat used to maintain official, friendly relations, but he did not really relax among them. He did not miss the opportunity to "ride" at the expense of gays. And he does not remember where he got such a habit.

Each of us has both beginnings, and a man is just a formalized dominance male qualities and signs over female, not complete absence female. But constant suppression on the part of an older man entails self-doubt, feelings of fear and guilt, the absence of forms of masculine manifestation that are comfortable for a given individual (and not all that are approved by society and parents will necessarily be comfortable for everyone) - all this leads to that the female structure of the psyche becomes more active in such a man.

It is she who reacts to an imaginary situation of sexual contact with a man, and the dominant, albeit weak, male part of the personality in response experiences panic fear before the female structures of the psyche. And he does not find another way, except for sharp suppression and screaming denial. Interestingly, such boys often grow up in seemingly complete families, but it often happens that the fathers in these families are examples of rather cruel and despotic behavior.

An internal conflict, a subconscious fear of being "not quite a man" leads to the need to fiercely defend one's gender identity through homophobia. Homophobia, in fact, is not the fear of homosexuals and the possibility of contacts with one's own sex, it is the fear of the woman in oneself.

A man who is completely self-confident and held in his own eyes does not need to prove to others that he is “man enough”. As well as being afraid in yourself feminine qualities. Even the ancient Taoists said that in order to become a man, you need to know a woman in yourself.

And Rinat still goes to therapy. And his homophobia is slowly receding as he learns more about his formation, understands himself, learns to simultaneously see his uniqueness beyond comparison with others, learns to respect himself as a man and accept in himself female part. He understood why he had the feeling that "there are no feelings." And I realized that they will definitely be.

In communication with others, he became softer, more correct, it became less aggression. He broke off relations with both women, realizing that he wants real feelings, and they will come when he knows himself better. And the hope that one confident man there will be more, definitely.

Real Aryans on vacation

“Who are these gentlemen Nazis?

"Murderers and pederasts."
Mussolini, 1934

“And I've gone crazy! And I went crazy!
What a shame…”
Fr. Side

I understand, by God, I understand that it’s not there, perhaps not about that, but we all have families, and even participation in the Military Review does not guarantee that we won’t have to deal with this rubbish. Personally, I think it's necessary. Otherwise, we will finish the game, we will endure, we will wait ...

Well, take off the burnous!

The tumor has spread, formed and presses. It's time for her, until she us...

Pederasts with lesbians advance in even columns to their starting positions, covered from the flanks by transsexuals, coprophiles and other evil spirits. In those who allow themselves just a sidelong glance, a bullet immediately flies - a "homophobe"!

It's funny, but healthy smart men in communication on the Internet calmly and confidently declare:

I'm not a homophobe, but if gay people hold their parade in front of my house, which my children can see...

Stop, Dawn! What "homophobe"? What "gays"?! We need to figure it out. So who are we? More precisely, who do they think we are? Or rather, call them names?

"Homophobe" - two words combined into one. Let's take up dictionaries, and, in order to avoid reproaches of bias, let's take "their" dictionary - the so-called "Wikipedia" (the language does not turn out to be called an encyclopedia, but it will do for a dictionary). The two main definitions for the "homo" part are:

Homo ... (from the Greek homos - equal - the same), part compound words, denoting: one, belonging to the same (eg, homogeneous - homogeneous).

Homo (Homo) - a species to which people belong, classified as a reasonable person (Homo sapiens)

What does the handle of the mouthpiece of democracy "Wiki" say about this?

Homophobia (from other Greek ὁμός - "similar, identical", φόβος - "fear, fear") - a collective definition for various forms negative reactions to manifestations of homosexuality, as well as to social phenomena associated with it. For the first time, the term "homophobia" was used by the American psychiatrist George Weinberg in 1972. It is used in official international documents ... where this phenomenon is considered on a par with racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and sexism.

Homo sapiens (lat. Homo sapiens) ... - a species of the genus People (Homo) from the family of hominids in the order of primates, the only one currently living. From modern anthropoids, in addition to a number of anatomical features, it differs in a significant degree of development of material and non-material culture (including the manufacture and use of tools), the ability to articulate speech and developed abstract thinking.

scientific classification
Genus: People
Style: Homo sapiens

International scientific name
Homo sapiens Linnaeus, 1758

Did you pay attention?

Homo sapiens - Homo sapiens, designated as an "international scientific name" in 1758 (even according to "Wiki"!), And the term homophobe was first used in 1972. More than two hundred years later!

At the same time, in almost all dictionaries, the interpretation from Greek is indicated in the first place. homos - equal, on the second - Homo sapiens. Although even 20 years ago in encyclopedias in the first place it was indicated "House of Reason"! Who does not believe - I quote:

Homo, the species to which humans belong. Modern people classified as Homo sapiens.

Homo ... (from the Greek homos - equal - the same, mutual, common), part of compound words, meaning: similar, one, belonging to the same (for example, homogeneous - homogeneous).

But for the fun of it - try looking it up on the internet! Seriously - type in the search engine "Homo" and admire what happens, while I pour myself a cup of coffee.

Well, how does it feel? I won't insert a picture, it's disgusting, but the first thing that came to my mind was "W Homosexuality - Wikipedia". And further on the whole page - everything is the same, on the same topic.

So, any Homo sapiens should know for sure that the first and main concept of "homo" is equal, the same, and only then - a person. In short, quite a bit more, and they will prove to us academically that a reasonable person is such a dead-end branch of the evolution of homosexuals!

With the second half of the word easier.

The term "phobia" comes from the Greek "phobos" - fear, horror. A phobia is an excessive and causeless degree of fear triggered by exposure to or expectation of a particular object or circumstance. I. Balinsky (1858) noted that they have in common the alienation of consciousness, and proposed the Russian term "compulsive states". Obsessive states are such experiences when a person, against his will, has ("imposed") some fears, doubts, thoughts, desires, actions.

And now the word "Wikipedia":

The word "phobia" has undergone complex transformations in use, and at present, "phobias" are often understood not only as pathological fears, but also as an irrational, sharply negative attitude towards someone or something. Some of the words below are neologisms that do not mean phobias in the clinical sense, but rather an irrational negative attitude towards something that does not have a pathological character. For example... homophobia.

Oh, how interesting! And no matter what catches the eye of a person, “respectable Vicki” put three more words before homophobia: xenophobia, Russophobia, Judeophobia. Like this! Russophobia - it’s understandable that it would hurt a living thing, because. this part of "Wiki" is for Russians. And the rest is just a masterpiece. So quietly they tell us that dislike for coprophiles and lesbians is akin to Holocaust denial and hatred for Russia and Russians. (True, they forgot about the "return" - that's what rectangular European thinking means. If Clinton, Kerry and Brzezinski hate Russia - it turns out that, according to Wiki, they are natural homophobes? an interesting ending in the States was accepted ...)

In general, they competently and reasonably decided to prove to us that anyone who does not digest pederasts, lesbians, scat, zoo, and so on, and so on, is homophobic, that is misanthropes. Thus, affirming the concept that “humans” are only pederasts, like them and sympathizing with them.

ALL. A curtain.

"My sins parsing
Leave for the time being...
You will appreciate the beauty of the game!”
A. Mironov, 12 chairs.

Oh how us! This is how we are governed. And then a huge, good-natured man hesitates in front of the TV camera: “Yes, no ... I’m ... not a homophobe ...” He senses in his gut that he is being bred, but where, how, he does not understand. And those gathered around are grinning, throwing the necessary words. Oh, how I want to see him - strong, kind, but simply not knowing! In a nutshell, explain to a countryman what they are doing to him ...

So, recently, when I hear the word homophobe, I immediately take a "hunting stance" and start a conversation "according to concepts" - what exactly did you, my dears, say, and what exactly do you mean. And given my appearance and a clear readiness to cling to the throat, the abomination quickly drains to its original positions, and the witnesses of the conversation are surprised to find that they have just been “brained” and are already starting to ask questions to the “bad guys”. Different. But serious. And there is no way to get out, because there are ALWAYS more normal people.

So don't call me homophobic. I devoted my entire conscious life to protecting our people, and by definition I cannot be a “misanthrope”.

I am an open, honest, proud pederastophob. And for an insult I can in the face. Let's call a spade a spade!

P.S. If someone thinks that I'm running around snoops, hunting down lovers of hairy asses, he is deeply mistaken. I am impressed by the position "everything that both like is not ashamed." But it should be for the two of them, no one should know about it. But if it is “like” exemplary to pull it out for everyone to see, and even make a holiday out of it or, God forbid, show the children ... The Almighty burned two cities for such “pranks” and, I hope, will understand and forgive me.

Therefore, do not forget. You don't have to be silent. Otherwise, we will finish the game, we will endure, we will wait ...

And on the basis of encyclopedic data of the pro-American-democratic resource "Wikipedia"We have every right at all levels to call anti-Russian and anti-Russian figures homophobes. For us - HUMAN HATERS.

Homophobia- this is an obsessive fear of the individual that in its true form, his personal orientation has a homosexual coloring. Homophobia combines the collective meaning of all forms of fears and fears associated with the negative manifestations of homosexuality. It is generally accepted that this manifestation implies a deep dislike and irrational fear of homosexuals. However, the feature given state manifested in the fact that homophobia is often due to conflicting factors.

Reasons for homophobia

Homophobia is a hostile attitude towards representatives of these minorities, being a very common phenomenon, often leading to insults and violence, institutionalized homophobia, and discrimination against homosexual people by society. The result of the spread of homophobia is non-observance of the rights of minorities, the emergence of obstacles to the occupation of certain positions by lesbians and gays, as well as bans on marches and rallies.

Many opponents of same-sex sexual relations argue that attitudes towards manifestations of homosexuality are directly related to ideas about the norm and therefore there is nothing reprehensible or abnormal. Many of the opponents of same-sex sexual relations object to the use of the term homophobia, referring to it as an ideological cliché, which has led to the proposal to replace this term with a neutral term - homonegativism. At the same time, an opinion appeared that homophobia is a form, since it means in front of those who stand out from the general mass. Opponents of homosexuality attribute this condition to sin, a clinical disorder, a violation of the norms of public morality.

Homophobia in psychology

Homophobia, as a term, first appeared in 1972 and owes its appearance to psychiatrist George Weinberg. The term homophobia is used by sociological institutions, as well as in international official documents, where this form of rejection is considered along with racism, anti-Semitism, xenophobia, and sexism.

Psychologists note that the consciousness of people has strengthened the opinion that homophobia means one form or another in relation to homosexuals. This is not entirely true.

Homophobia often appears to people as directed at homosexual culture, homosexuals, homosexual paraphernalia, but the reason for this aggressiveness is people's fear of their own intimate preferences, which may appear in a homosexual coloring. Thus, the etymology of the word homophobia is based on the concepts of phobia, which means fear of homosexuality.

The second misconception is the opinion that a homophobe is a hidden homosexual. This representation is incorrect. A homophobe is not a hidden homosexual, on the contrary, he is afraid to discover in himself a predisposition to this. Therefore, homophobia is indirectly related to sexual preferences.

Initially, the word homophobia was used in the sense of an aversion to male gender or fear of men. Psychiatry under homophobia understands the fear of monotony, as well as monotony.

The term homophobia has replaced the previously rarely used concept of homosexophobia. The etymological ancestor of this word is the term homoerotophobia. George Weinberg in 1972 referred to homophobia as the fear of contact with homosexuals, and if we are talking about the homosexuals themselves, then in this case, homophobia is understood as their personal aversion to themselves.

In 1980, Ricketts and Hudson expanded this concept to refer to the feelings of disgust, anxiety, anger, fear, and discomfort that heterosexuals are capable of experiencing in relation to gays and lesbians.

Psychologists have noticed that it is very difficult to draw a clear line between homophobia and negative attitudes towards homosexuality. Some researchers associate homophobia with the presence of negative emotions, and not with the statement of a certain position or an active struggle against homosexual manifestations. For example, Hudson and Ricketts in their 1980 work noted that due to the extensive expansion of the term, homophobia came into mass culture and began to include any action directed against the manifestations of homosexuality, as well as a negative attitude towards it.

Hudson and Ricketts accuse researchers of not separating the intellectual rejection of homosexuality - homonegativism and emotional, personal reactions (homophobia). A clearer distinction between homonegativism and homophobia has emphasized that homonegativism includes judgments that are based on an assessment of homosexual morality and bisexual orientation, as well as actions based on preferences, perceptions, social acceptability, law, or other intellectual reasons.

In their opinion, homophobia should be understood as phobic manifestations of anxiety, emotions of fear or disgust, both including and not including a cognitive component in the process of personal direct communication with people of homosexual orientation. However, not everyone shares this classification. In 1991, Herek argued against the further use of the concept of homophobia due to the laying of the main blame on the person, instead of considering anti-homosexual manifestations as a reflection of cultural influences, and proposed the use of the term anti-homosexual prejudice.

Due to the great attention paid to the problems of alternative intimate life in Western countries, representatives of the social sciences and psychologists are actively studying the phenomenon of homophobia, both in moderate and in its sharp manifestations. There are enough studies that are devoted to the roots of this phenomenon. A popular explanation is an attempt to ward off alleged suspicions of homosexual tendencies. For example, two groups of men defined as non-homophobes and homophobes were presented with erotic stimuli: female homosexual, heterosexual and male homosexual. All the subjects had an erection at the time of demonstration of images of a female homosexual and heterosexual character, but a similar reaction to homosexual male subjects was noted in men from the conditional group of homophobes. At the same time, the results disproved the notion that homophobes are subjects with aggressiveness.

There is evidence that there are significantly fewer homophobes among women than among men. One of the types of homophobia that causes close attention researchers, internalized (internalized) homophobia is a situation in which bisexuals and homosexuals are afraid, and also experience rejection of homosexuality. This means a person's fear of becoming homosexual, as well as the fear of their own possible homosexual behavior. Some bisexuals, homosexuals and lesbians often suppress their homosexual desires and desires, others do not, but experience various negative emotions(anxiety, guilt complex, remorse).

Some researchers consider it incorrect to call such individuals latent homosexuals, since these people do not want to be homosexuals. Internalized homophobia often has Negative consequences for the mental health of a person. Neuroticization, a decrease in self-esteem, the development of psychological complexes, and suicidal attempts are noted. Bisexuals and homosexuals who live secretly and also suffer from internalized homophobia develop paranoid mood, suspiciousness and morbid suspiciousness. It always seems to such a person that she will be revealed, calculated, laughed at, condemned, discussed behind her back, and also that they can be fired from work for this. Often such fears have or do not have real grounds.

Fight against homophobia

On May 17, 1990, the International Day Against Homophobia began to be celebrated. This date was chosen because it was on May 17, 1990 that homosexuality was excluded from the International Classification of Diseases.

In 2003, the Canadian province of Quebec held a People's Day Against Homophobia. After this event in 2004, gay, bisexual, transgender rights activist Louis-Georges Taine proposed to celebrate this day on a global scale. The goal of the fight against homophobia was to attract public attention to lesbians, gays, transsexuals, bisexuals, where issues of sexual preference are taboo. Louis-Georges Taine expressed the hope that this day could change the lives of those people who need it the most. People struggling with this form of rejection believe that the fight against homophobia is not only the work of lesbians, gays, transsexuals themselves. This struggle should be the work of the whole society.

In 2006, a seminar on combating homophobia was held in the European Parliament. Louis-Georges Taine spoke at the seminar. President of the European Parliament Josep Barrel made a statement on the recognition of this international day.

The prerequisites for the emergence of such a day were:

- oppression in many countries of gays, starting with the concentration camps of Nazi Germany; in the era of McCarthyism, the persecution of gays in the USA and the USSR;

- discrimination against homosexuals (homosexuality is prohibited by law in eighty countries);

- punishment in many countries by imprisonment up to ten years, and in some countries the law provides for life imprisonment;

- in ten countries for homosexuality sentenced to death ( Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Yemen, etc.);

- several African leaders, on their own initiative, declared a fight against homosexuality, which they called anti-African;

- tolerant countries, for example, Brazil, marked by a negative attitude towards homosexuals: from 1980 to 2000, 1960 hate murders were officially registered;

- a pronounced increase in homonegativism in most countries.

The fight against homophobia has the following goals:

- countering any moral, physical, symbolic violence against people of a different sexual orientation or gender identity;

– coordination and support of all citizens in achieving equal rights;

- a manifestation of solidarity with all bisexuals, lesbians, gays and transsexuals of the world;

— Implementation of various measures to protect human rights.

Unfortunately, such a campaign cannot be carried out in countries where homosexuality is persecuted. In tolerant countries, people should protest on behalf of the oppressed, said the organizers of the May 17 events that support the initiative to hold this memorial day. The recognition of this day has placed certain obligations on the international communities, which have united in the fight against other forms of discrimination, as well as social violence. However, in many countries in the struggle for equal rights there is no broad support for people of non-traditional sexual orientation or gender identity.

Diagnosis of homophobia

In a narrow sense, negative uncontrollable emotions (disgust, fear, anger) regarding people of homosexual orientation, as well as same-sex sexual contacts, are classified as homophobia.

Homophobia is not classified as a mental disorder and individual clinical signs this state does not exist. Modern researchers attribute homophobia to avoidance, prejudice, fear, oppression, discrimination, acts of violence against gays, bisexuals, lesbians, transgender people. The term homophobia includes the meaning of fear and fear, and the transfer of this meaning to individuals with a tolerant attitude towards homosexuality is regarded by them as an insult. As an alternative term, a neutral term is put forward, for example, a homonegativist.

Every year more and more develop and with them others improve. Psychologists almost every day introduce new terms into everyday life.
Especially many words have the ending "phobia". A phobia is a fear or fear, rejection or dislike of something. It turns out that not only heights or darkness, but also things that seem illogical to be afraid of. For example, someone is genuinely afraid of the number 13, people of other races or representatives. A very popular question: “Homophobes - who are they?” What kind of people are they, what do they fear, avoid or do not welcome?

Etymology and semantics of the term

What does "homophobe" mean? It should be noted that this word is of Greek origin and literally means the following: “homo” is the same, and “phob” (Phobos) is the fear of something. Consequently, people suffering from this "ailment" show a negative reaction to any homosexual manifestations, no matter in what way.

A psychologist from America, Georges Weinberg, in the 70s in his book, was able to give a designation in the form of one word to this phenomenon. Since then, this term has been actively used by scientists. various areas activities and scientific institutions in various documentation and literature.

Regardless of what the true meaning of the word "homophobe" is, it is most often used to define people who experience negative emotions towards gay people.

Homophobia: who is afraid of whom?

Despite the fact that the component of the word "Phobos", that is, fear, in fact, the situation is different. Homophobes are not at all afraid of gays and lesbians, but quite the contrary. People who prefer same-sex contacts sincerely worry about their safety and health, which can be damaged by a particularly fierce homophobe. Rejection and negative attitude - this is the calmest attitude of people who do not accept homosexuality. But often open gays and lesbians may not be hired, denied social benefits, insulted, beaten and even killed. Perhaps it would be more correct to call homophobes "heterophiles", that is, people who accept exclusively traditional relations between a man and a woman.

The line between rejection and homophobia

In fact, it is not easy, if not impossible, to draw a clear distinction between a calm rejection of homosexuals and open homophobia. These states may flow into each other, may take one form or another, or may not manifest at all.

It is believed that heterosexual individuals are not entirely pleasant homosexual relationships. Kissing girls, hugging guys - "normal" society does not accept because same sex love does not produce offspring. It is reproduction that is one of the basic instincts that drives humanity forward along the road of development into the future. Since homosexual contacts do not allow you to get pregnant and give birth to a child, then this is a “wrong relationship”.

Psychological aspects of homophobia

A well-known fact: some people are calm about the fact that people of the same sex can be attracted to each other, while others furiously prove the impossibility of this. Why is that, and what's the catch? The question arises: "Homophobes - who are they? Are people with secret desires masquerading as "normal" heterosexuals?"

There is a very interesting version - the more active and violent the homophobe behaves, the more he wants to divert attention from himself and seem "normal". As Sigmund Freud once wrote, every man is a latent homosexual. Perhaps this is what prompts them to behave militantly and aggressively towards open same-sex love.

Internal homophobia

It is impossible not to mention another type of homophobia, which is called internal. It has not yet been established why men or women become adherents of same-sex relationships. You can blame childhood trauma, sexual abuse, fashion influences. However, millions of gays and lesbians surveyed admit that they had a perfectly normal childhood with loving parents And traditional entertainment. Why does a “failure in the program” occur, and a person begins to be attracted to representatives of the same sex with him? This is a great mystery.

Given the general hype around the topic of homosexuality, many of the homosexuals feel disgust for same-sex love. This is a very complex topic in psychology, the cause of which, of course, is public opinion. It is precisely this that often forms our attitudes towards certain phenomena, and therefore one of them is internal homophobia. A gay or lesbian does not admit to himself or the world his desires, but actively promotes normal heterosexual relationships. Such an atypical homophobe is very unhappy, since happiness is determined by the ability of a person to be who he is. These people constantly experience remorse, underestimate their self-esteem, and also live in fear of exposure.

Stereotypes in the cultural perception of homophobia

It so happened historically that there are regions that are more loyal and tolerant towards homosexuals. And there are countries that do not accept open manifestations of same-sex contacts even in the current progressive time. To understand how things are in modern world with homophobia, think about where they are legalized and where they can still mock and mock feminine men.

It is believed that Western and European countries are very tolerant of homosexuality. Gays, lesbians, transvestites and bisexuals are not afraid and do not hide, but on the contrary, hold gay pride parades and legitimize their relationship at the state level.

The Slavs are today recognized by world opinion as the biggest enemies of homosexuality. There is even such a concept - “Russian homophobes”, that is, people who relate to same-sex contacts most aggressively and maliciously are meant. This is not at all accidental - our history at all times condemned "sodomy", and in tsarist times they were impaled for homosexuality.

At the same time, it has been documented that Ancient Greece and Rome, courageous warriors did not hesitate to show sympathy for their associates in the craft, and this in no way affected the attitude of society towards them. Many musicians and artists openly admitted their bisexual or homosexual inclinations, and today open gays and lesbians are super popular designers and fashion designers, directors, presenters and performers.

Homophobia in the countries of the world

Despite attempts to establish the most tolerant attitude towards homosexuals in the world, adherents of same-sex relationships are constantly being attacked.

For example, 9 out of 10 gays in America openly say that they have heard insults addressed to them, and a third admit that they experienced physical violence from homophobes. The statistics also confirm that school age children can hear up to 30 homophobic statements a day - from peers, teachers and adults.

It is very difficult for homosexuals to live in Muslim countries, where open gays and lesbians are hunted down and persecuted. During bullying, gay people not only hear insults and threats, but can be severely beaten and even killed. Iraq and Iran are examples of such countries.

Things are no better in Israel. The case that occurred in 2005 at a gay parade is very well known to the world community. Then another rally was held on the streets of the city - a parade of opponents of non-traditional orientation. They carried banners stating that homosexuality is a disease and pelted gay pride supporters with containers of feces and urine.

It turns out that homophobes are not so harmless. Who are these - not murderers and savages, ready to tear apart dissidents?

Homosexuality and homophobia on television

Ever since televisions have become our constant companions, best friends and news providers, public opinion is shaped by shows, serials and advertisements. Perhaps it was thanks to television that “normal” people around the world realized that there are so many homosexuals that it is better to accept them than to reject them. In addition, many popular idols do not hide their orientation and turn out to be homosexuals. But opponents of same-sex love, open and hidden homophobes, are no less than supporters, and maybe even more. Books, films, songs condemn same-sex attraction, promoting healthy relationships and procreation. In that case, homophobes - who are they? Are they people who are fighting for the continuation of the human race on Earth?

Endless fight

The confrontation between different countries, cultures, religions will last forever. People sometimes lack simple human understanding in order to decide for themselves - everyone in this world has the right to their opinion, their views and their choice. Homosexuality, whatever it is, is just another difference between people.

And there is no need to philosophize whether it is a disease, a psychological deviation or a feature bestowed from above. Mindfulness is the best way out in this situation. Live, be happy, and don't interfere with other people, whoever they are. Or joyfully thrust the flag of homophobes into the defeated "enemies", exclaiming that you are fighting for the purity of the race or nation. But this struggle is no better than Hitler's war against the Jews, just as senseless and bloody.