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Homophobia, prejudice & attitudes to gay men and lesbians

What is homophobia?

There is no single definition for the term ‘homophobia’, as it covers a wide range of different viewpoints and attitudes. Homophobia describes hostility or fear of gay people and homosexuality, but it is not limited to this specifically. For example someone might be called homophobic if they dislike gay people; or if someone is violent towards a gay person they could also be described as homophobic.

Attitudes to gay men and HIV

People can have a wide range of views about sexuality even if they have grown up exposed to the same ideas. While some people believe homosexuality is a valid lifestyle, others violently object. Some people believe that homosexuality is unnatural, others see it as a sin and have said that for gay men 'AIDS is a plague sent from God'.

At the beginning of the AIDS epidemic, gay men in many countries were frequently singled out for abuse as they were seen to be responsible for the spread of HIV. Sensational reporting in the press that became progressively anti-gay fuelled this theory. Some UK headlines read, “Alert over ‘gay plague’”,¹ and “‘Gay plague’ may lead to blood ban on homosexuals”.² One prominent gay activist was attacked outside a London subway by a gang of youths who suggested that he should be killed before he could spread this ‘gay plague’ to others. Groups in the USA monitoring homophobic violence reported an increase in incidents when public awareness about AIDS increased in the 1980s.³

Homophobia around the world

A 2007 report by UK gay rights organisation Stonewall found that gay people in the UK experience more extreme homophobia as young people than as adults. The research found that two thirds of young gay, lesbian and bisexual pupils had experienced direct bullying in Britain’s schools. 92% of young gay people had been subject to verbal abuse, and 41% has been physically assaulted.

A 2008 survey found that 66% of gay and lesbian people would expect to face barriers due to their sexuality if they wanted to run as an MP in the UK. One in five lesbian and gay people in the UK said they had experienced bullying in the workplace as a result of their sexual orientation.⁴

In 2005 a gay man was killed every two days in Latin America because of his sexuality. In Brazil, where the government launched a campaign against homophobia in 2004, 2,509 gay men were murdered between 1997 and 2007.⁵

A demonstration in Brussels, Belgium calling for laws against homosexuality to be repealed

In many African countries, such as Zimbabwe and Zambia, homophobia is legitimised by governments, and gay people face persecution and violence from police, employers, hospitals and community organisations. In South Africa, the law has been changed to improve rights for gay and lesbian people, however it remains to be seen whether social attitudes towards homosexuality have really improved in that country.⁶

In India, lesbians are stigmatised more severely than gay men, as there is huge social and family pressure for women to get married. India’s traditional family-oriented culture provides no space for open discussion of sexuality. Gay and lesbian people are subject to harassment and persecution from police and government agencies.⁷

In Iran in 2005, two men were executed for alleged homosexual activity.⁸ President Ahmadinejad demonstrated the Iranian government’s attitude towards homosexuality in a speech in the US in 2007, when he claimed that there were no homosexuals in Iran.⁹

What causes people to be prejudiced against gay and lesbian people?

There are many factors that can cause a person to be homophobic. Research has shown that prejudice against gay people and homosexuality can be influenced by the person:

Having strong religious beliefs that disapprove of sex and/or homosexuality
Having little/no social contact with lesbian and gay people
Reporting no homosexual experiences or feelings

'When you're scared, especially of something you actually know nothing about, hatred is a natural reaction.' - Robert, 25

Prejudice among young people

Young people who do not act in line with their gender stereotype may be subjected to severe homophobic bullying. Boys are stereotyped as sporty and strong decision-makers, and girls are expected to be emotional and expressive. As a result, boys who show their feelings or who are too intimate with other boys are often called 'girls', 'faggots' or 'poofs'. Girls who are considered to be too boyish or who hold feminist views run the risk of being called 'dykes' or 'lesbians'.

“There was not a word, not a mention about being gay.”

- Tim -

The boundaries for boys’ gender roles are much more rigid than they are for girls. As a result boys have a limited number of ways acceptable to their peer group to express their emotions. This often means that emotional expression between boys may be seen by their peers as homosexual interest. Between girls, in contrast, close friendships that involve embracing, touching and sharing thoughts and feelings are more legitimate and are less likely to be seen by their peers as an indication of homosexuality.

Young people often use words associated with homosexuality as standard insults. This is one way that young people learn it is highly undesirable to be gay. This can silence young people who are experiencing gay feelings and stop them from coming out, and even encourage young gay men to pretend to be heterosexual and join in homophobic taunts to protect themselves.

Many gay and lesbian adults say that they began to identify themselves as 'different' in their secondary school years. In this period, the absence of support, understanding or information was sometimes a source of distress in itself and often magnified their anxieties.

'I was waiting and expecting to hear something about homosexuality, safe sex and different things in sex education. Maybe some information that could help me. But I got nothing.' - Tim

'There was not a word, not a mention about being gay.' - Luke

Types of homophobia faced by gay and lesbian people

Homophobia comes in many forms: malicious gossip, name-calling, intimidating looks, internet bullying, vandalism and theft of property, discrimination at work, isolation and rejection, death threats or even sexual assault.

'If Homosexuality is a disease, let's all call in Queer to work'

Gay Pride celebrations around New York City in 2007

Gay and lesbian people may be subject to varying levels of homophobia depending on where they live, as negative attitudes towards homosexuality can be common even in places where it is legal. For example, areas with a strong religious tradition, such as the Southern states of America, are much less tolerant of homosexuality than areas where there is a strong and established gay scene, for example San Francisco in California.

A homophobic climate forces gay and lesbian people to decide whether to declare their sexual orientation, and face the possible discrimination from their family and society, or conceal their sexuality, allowing others to presume their heterosexuality.¹⁰ Having a concealed identity can cause great anxiety for young gay and lesbian people, and the dilemma of whether to ‘come out’ can cause severe personal distress. Equally, for young people who have been brought up to believe that homosexuality is wrong, the realisation that they might be gay can cause them to feel immoral, and lead to feelings of low self-esteem.

Homophobia can cause extreme harm and disruption in the lives of young gay and lesbian people. In the USA many young gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people have become homeless as a result of being rejected by their families after revealing their sexual orientation. A 2006 study found that between 20 and 40 percent of young homeless people were gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender.¹¹

What can be done to tackle homophobia?

Schools have an important part to play in challenging homophobic attitudes. Lesbian and gay pupils are more likely to feel positive about school if their school has explicitly stated that homophobic bullying is against the rules. In schools that have said homophobic bullying is wrong, young gay people are 60 percent more likely not to have been bullied.

Young people standing around two young people sitting

Young people in Massachusetts perform a play about homophobia in high school

Studies have shown that personal attitudes become more tolerant towards gay people if individuals are exposed to an educational programme about homosexuality, such as lectures, courses and workshops.¹²

Also, when schools respond strongly to homophobic bullying, lesbian and gay young people are more likely to feel able to be themselves, more likely to feel part of the school community and more likely to be happy. Therefore it is important to report any incidents of homophobia so that more young people are encouraged to do the same. This also acts as a deterrent to those carrying out homophobic bullying.

Community based organisations have good scope to provide support to gay and lesbian people who might feel marginalised and isolated, especially in societies where homosexuality is banned. Such groups have influence on attitudes of the general public and can campaign for tolerance towards homosexuality.

Other bodies and agencies that could positively influence the way that gay, lesbian and bisexual people are treated are leaders of political parties, police forces, health services, broadcasters and employers.

Finally, many governments throughout the world uphold laws that ban homosexuality. Repealing these laws would reduce discrimination against gay and lesbian people, and would go some way to encouraging societies to embrace the diversity of different sexualities. Eradicating homophobia would not only enhance the human rights and quality of life for gay and lesbian people, it would also encourage gay men to be tested for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. In the current climate in many places, gay men are too scared to come forward for medical services due to the negative way they expect to be treated.

Homosexual or Gay? Defining Homosexuality

Why are people called homosexual or gay, and what does it mean?

The terms heterosexual and homosexual are rarely used in everyday speech. More often people use slang words or terms which are abusive. Throughout the last century the terms used to describe gay people and that gay people used to describe themselves, have changed. These changes are important in telling us a lot about how lesbian and gay people lived their lives and felt about themselves as well as social reactions to them. What about the terms, 'straight', 'gay' and 'lesbian' which are commonly used?

The term 'homosexual' is not nowadays sex specific. It was first used by Victorian scientists who regarded same-sex attraction and sexual behaviour as symptoms of mental disorders or moral deficiency. Homosexual men and women decided to use the term 'gay' in order to distance themselves from being labelled as somehow abnormal or ill. In fact, some people find the term 'homosexual' insulting and abusive and object to its use.

Gay male and lesbian female symbols

Generally, the terms 'gay' and 'lesbian' are seen as being less laden with negative implications than 'homosexual'. The term 'gay' is used to describe both homosexual men and lesbian women but has become particularly associated with homosexual men. Its derivation is unclear but may come from the nineteenth century French slang for a homosexual man 'gaie'. Throughout this century it has been used as a sort of code word between homosexual men.

However, in the late fifties and sixties it came into everyday use in association with the struggle for gay rights. In this context the word 'gay' came to represent, as it does now, a word with no negative connotations but associated with a positive and proud sense of identity. Nowadays, the term 'lesbian' is used in relation to homosexual women and is derived from Lesbos, the name of the Greek island on which the lesbian poet Sappho lived in antiquity. In the past homosexual women have been called 'Sapphist' (again after Sappho). 'Straight' is used to describe heterosexual people and is an equivalent term to 'gay'.

'I don't mind so much what people call me as what they mean by it. I have been called a dizzy queen by some friends, and that's all right. But, mostly with people who are seriously prejudiced it's about how they say it - they say 'gay' like it's a curse not something to be proud of.' - Mark, 19

Choosing which term to use and how to use it can be troubling. If a person is describing themselves they can be anxious about the reaction they might get. If a person is talking about someone else, or the issue in general, they can feel anxious about causing offence or saying the wrong thing.

'I think that everyone is OK with the term 'gay' nowadays. It says something about lifestyle and identity as well as sexual behaviour which homosexual doesn't seem to do. I describe myself as 'straight' so I would use the word 'gay' in the classroom. Anyway it's what the kids would say. But they do need to be clear about what all the terms mean otherwise telling off for being homophobic doesn't make any sense to them. They say; 'it's just a word sir'.' - Teacher

Some men and women generally describe themselves as either 'gay' or 'straight'. Using these words gets away from the negative overtones of terminology like 'homosexual' or 'heterosexual' which for these people can feel too "medical". However, words like 'homosexual' and 'heterosexual' can have advantages in other contexts. Communication is a complex affair in which not only what words are used matters but also who is saying them, about whom and in what context.

For example, in school the term 'gay' is used a lot as an insult, and is not a word with positive overtones. A person called 'gay' by homophobic bullies in school might find it abusive because of the way it is said but the same person might happily call themselves 'gay' when they are with friends.

Defining homosexuality

How do you define homosexuality? Although the answer would appear to be simple, on closer examination it is more complex. People writing to magazine problem pages seem to define homosexuality using three criteria:

having sexual feelings towards other people of the same sex;
sexual behaviour with people of the same sex;
and describing oneself as homosexual.

It can be helpful to think of these elements of a person's sexuality in a visual way. It is possible to conceive of sexual feelings, identity and behaviour as three circles which overlap to varying degrees depending on the individual.

Thinking first of sexual feelings and behaviour we can imagine a situation in which two different people might be represented by the diagrams below. In the first diagram the circles overlap about halfway. This person might be attracted to people of the same sex without acting on it - equally they might be having sex with people of the same sex but feeling like most of their sexual feelings are directed to people of the opposite sex. In the second diagram this person's sexual feelings and behaviour go together so that they feel attracted to people of the same sex and have sex with people of the same sex.

[figures]

In the next situation, thinking of sexual feelings and identity, we can imagine how different people might be represented by these diagrams below. The first represents a person who is attracted to people of the same sex but does not always choose to call themselves gay. In the second diagram this person's sexual feelings and how they describe themselves are completely related.

[figures]

Thinking of these diagrams it is clear that they could apply equally to defining homosexual or heterosexual behaviour. They also show that defining sexuality depends very much on the individual in question, their sexual feelings, behaviour and how they describe themselves. There is a wide spectrum of potential relationships between the three elements. In other words it can be helpful to think of a spectrum of experience from exclusively homosexual to exclusively heterosexual with many people in between. Sometimes people who feel equally attracted to men and women and have sex with both, choose to place themselves in between and call themselves bisexual.

The main points to bear in mind when defining heterosexuality or homosexuality are:

The three main factors are sexual attraction, sexual behaviour and identity. For most people the factors go together in congruent way. So people tend to behave sexually in line with their sexual feelings. i.e. People tend to be sexually active with people they are attracted to.
However, sexual identity and behaviour may be quite fluid over a period of time and they may not always coincide with each other as people's feelings change. For example, a person may have at some point in their life a partner of the opposite sex and then later on someone of the same sex.
Applying labels to people is not necessarily a good or accurate way of describing them. There may be phases in a person's life when their sexual feelings and behaviour are very clearly homosexual or heterosexual. However, at other times, labelling them as heterosexual or homosexual does not fit exactly with their sexual behaviour or feelings.

However, falling back on simple dichotomising definitions of homosexuality and heterosexuality can be appealing because it keeps the distinctions between them clear. Some common beliefs involve doing precisely this by showing homosexuality as a kind of reflection of heterosexuality. For example:

Believing that some occupations and interests are more attractive and more suitable for heterosexual and others more attractive and suitable for homosexual people. For example, regarding sports as predominantly heterosexual and performing arts as homosexual.
Assuming that when two lesbian women or two gay men are in a sexual relationship they will adopt roles which are traditionally masculine and feminine.
Believing that lesbian and gay people can be identified by the way they look and talk. Thinking, for example, that gay men look more effeminate than straight men and lesbian women look more masculine than straight women.

Any examination of homosexuality inevitably brings into the open implicit assumptions about what heterosexuality is. Stereotypes of heterosexuality and homosexuality and the rigid boundaries between them can be explored by asking questions like:

Do a homosexual couple in love and a heterosexual couple in love experience the same feelings?
If a person who calls themselves heterosexual has sex with someone of the same sex are they heterosexual, homosexual or bisexual?