What is Homophobia and how the world looks at it?
The world is celebrating ‘Pride Month’, in support of LGBTQ Community. But, the question of concern is, are we really empathic about the seriousness and concerns associated with it?
What is Homophobia?
In the generic system, it’s a broad term that refers to a range of irrational, negative, and frequently hostile attitudes, beliefs, feelings, and behaviours which some people express toward homosexuality, the innate natural sexual and physical attraction that a minority of men (who are popularly described as “gay”) have towards other men and women (who are popularly described as “lesbian”) have towards other women. If experts are to be believed, homophobia is also directed to people who identify themselves – or are perceived by others – as being bisexual (with both same-sex and opposite-sex attraction) or transgender (men who seek to live as women or women who seek to live as men).
Homophobia and new-age definition
It is a twentieth-century neologism that English-speaking nations have introduced to their language. Derived from the language of Greek antiquity in which “homo” means “same” (such as in “homogenous”, which refers to similar objects) and “phobia” means “fear” (such as in “claustrophobia”, which refers to a fear of confined spaces). This year let us celebrate Pride Month with no fear.
Is Homophobia a mental illness?
Modern medical science no longer defines homosexuality as a clinical disorder. However, it finds expression at various levels, the main type being institutionalized homophobia of which there are subcategories the first of which is religious homophobia.
Homophobia and religions
Homophobia and religions are deeply inter-related. The theory of religiously inspired homophobia revolves around sacred texts which underpin major global religions. You will be surprised to know that Islam’s Koran, considers same-sex behaviours as a grave sin and punishable acts. Also, the Judeo-Christian Bible documents some of the earliest taboos on homosexuality such as the admonitions which Book of Leviticus lists.
What Hindu scripture says?
Hindu scriptures refer to it as “third gender” which is not only associated historically with pariah castes but is also irrelevant to contemporary science. Majority of scriptures and rishi munis in India completely oppose it. They are also openly hostile to normative recognition of same-sex relations is an indication of the degree of spiritual condemnation that everyday contemporary Hinduism attaches to homosexuality.
What WHO says?
The World Health Organization (WHO) coins “violence” as “the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community, that either results in – or has a high likelihood of resulting in – injury, death, psychological harm, mal-development, or deprivation”. Violence can be “physical”, “sexual”, “psychological” and “verbal” abuse which entails a significant misuse of power arising from a dependent relationship, threats, intimidation, neglect and invisibility. Outcomes of violence are not only broader than physical injury, disability or death they collectively concern the social and cultural, individual and religious sectors, not just the police and judiciary.
Homophobia and violence
According to the 2010 Hate Crimes Statistics released by the American FBI National Press Office, 19.3 percent of hate crimes across the United States “were motivated by a sexual orientation biases”. Moreover, the Southern Poverty Law Centre 2010 Intelligence Report, which extrapolated data over fourteen years (1995–2008), found that LGBTIQ people were “far more likely than any other minority group in the United States to be victimized by violent hate crime”.
Homophobia and contemporary society
While the scrapping of Section 377 has been considered as a ray of hope for equality and acceptance, but experts believe that it’s just the beginning. Society needs to be realistic and accept the practicality. We need to understand that how will we react if someone in our family is lesbian or gay or bisexual, transsexual, intersex or queer. If we genuinely value the family as a foundation unit of society, then tolerance and respect for differences should start right there. Let’s zero down homophobia this pride month.
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