6 ms·
The word "homophobia" was derived, it's not a true phobia in the psychiatric sense. If it were, then there would be people who become irrationally terrified wh
by RichardCA 7y ago
The word "homophobia" was derived, it's not a true phobia in the psychiatric sense.
If it were, then there would be people who become irrationally terrified when presented with groupings of things that are all the same.
It's more akin to a portmanteau. But that doesn't mean the phenomena it describes are not very real ones.
I would argue that homophobia and transphobia are both describing the same underlying phenomenon. But I also respect that there is fierce debate around that question.
- SAI_Peregrinus 7y agoI'd say that the underlying phenomenon is classic xenophobia. These are just specific cases of it, where the "foreign/different/alien" thing is someone's sexual or gender preference, or even opinion on the validity of those things. (EG it's possible for a homosexual to be anti-homosexuality: their tribal affiliation's homophobia is stronger than their personal sexual orientation. Then you get headlines about a "Wide Stance".)