OLDIE, BUT GOODIE: HOMOPHOBIA, THE REAL DEAL…

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I THINK THAT THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST PIECES I’VE EVER POSTED ON THIS BLOG. READING THE ENTRY AGAIN TOOK TO THAT PLACE & TIME WHEN I HAD TO DEAL WITH THE HOMOPHOBIA OF MY FAMILY & THE PLACE THAT I WORKED. THE FEAR THAT SOCIETY FEELS WHEN IT COMES TO US SHOULD SHOWS US THAT WE ARE A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH…IF ONLY WE COULD SOMEHOW CONQUER OUR OWN HOMOPHOBIC FEARS…

If you look up "HOMOPHOBIA" in the dictionary, it will probably tell you that it is the fear of homosexuals. While I take issue with this definition, it is nevertheless true that in many ways, it really is a fear of homosexuality or at least homosexuals. But if one analyzes what a phobia is one would see that it doesn’t correlate with the meaning of homophobia. Phobia refers to a mental illness related to fear. Therefore, so-called homophobia should refer to a mental illness related to the fear of homosexuals or homosexuality. It is hard to imagine people being scared of homosexuals. Fear need not follow from hatred or vice versa.

For instance, one could fear riding a motorcycle, but one need not hate motorcycles because one is scared of riding one. If homophobia was treated as a phobia countless of MEN and WOMEN that are SAME-SEX-PRONE would be living lives that were peaceful and humane. But society does the opposite of what the word HOMOPHOBIA truly stands for, they confront and try to destroy that which they fear. Homophobia is widespread in on this planet; especially in the Caribbean Nations with Jamaica being the ‘FRONT RUNNER’ in this game of hatred. This hatred touches the lives of many, not just in Jamaica but all over the world. There are countless persons world-wide that commit suicide yearly because of being a direct victim of how homosexuals are treated by society. When one lives with rejection day after day, and society discounts one's value constantly, it is difficult to maintain perspective and realize that the problem is OTHER’S perceptions, not one's own.

When you live your life thinking of believing that the SEXUAL side of yourself is unnatural; how then do you cope? Homosexuality is found in all cultures and cultural norms seem to have little influence on the incidence of homosexual behavior. So the claim that it isn't natural becomes rather difficult to support. There are many things that go on in society that we would consider disgusting, but we don't outlaw them just because of that. So it’s US VS. THEM! And as difficult as it seems to admit society has a stronger reaction to the male-to-male relationships that they do to the female-to-female relationships…meaning that the homophobic person feels threatened by the perceived notion of the ‘SEXUAL ROLES’ in male-to-male sexual activity. Male heterosexuality is defined not only by the desire for women but also, and more importantly, by the denial of desire for men.

Therefore, expressions of homophobia serve as a means of limiting those who they view as displaced in the realm of sexuality. It’s not clear why male heterosexuals would need or even fear homosexuals in order to affirm maleness…unless their sexuality was already experienced as threatened by some other cause. This brings about the instinctual fear of infection that they feel will happen if they are not shunning the fear that exists within them. It all has to do with the fear of losing control, dominance and status. Well, straight men, you can relax. The vast majority of gay men don't want you. We F&CK for the same reason you do - as a part of the expression of love, caring, concern and commitment. Since we're not likely to get it from you, you're not attractive to us and you have nothing to fear from us. There are however a small minority of gay men who actually do enjoy seducing you. However such encounters are conducted in an atmosphere of equality of the shared emotional experience, and a recognition and respect for the straight man's need for discretion. But all in all ‘HOMOPHOBIA’ is negative cost on society and this cost is enormous. This cost doesn’t affect just the gay person, but his family, his acquaintances, his employers, and to society as a whole. This outright fear is a simple matter of sex and shows how society deals with SEX and SEXUALITY; causing a great deal of SEXUAL DYSFUNCTION.