Homophobia is usually defined as fear or hatred towards the homosexual community. Two feelings that, despite being different, are often related since fear can harbor hate and hate can hide fear. These negative feelings are the basis of homophobia, its causes, how it is organized and how it manifests itself. If you want to know more about the types of homophobia, causes and consequencescontinue reading this Psychology-Online article.
Homophobia: meaning and origin
When the homosexuality It began to be considered clinically as a mental illness, back in the 1960s in the United States, a psychologist and psychoanalyst named George Weinberg coined the term “homophobia” to refer to the discriminatory attitudes of mental health professionals towards people. gay.
The term homophobia emerged at a time when there was still no specific label to name the different forms of discrimination and hostility that homosexual people had to face, which is why it quickly gained popularity and spread and evolved.
Today, homophobia is the preferred signifier to refer to a vast spectrum of negative attitudes toward homosexuality.
4 types of homophobia according to the spheres in which it manifests itself
Homophobia is so broad that there is not just one type, but rather we can classify it into four different classes:
1. Institutional homophobia
Institutional homophobia is based on established rules or laws against homosexuality. This type of homophobia also refers to state-sponsored homophobia, which includes laws that deny fundamental human rights to the LGTBIQ+ community.
2. Cultural homophobia
Cultural homophobia constitutes discrimination promoted by those social norms and values that are not written by law.
3. Personal homophobia
Personal homophobia is that which is exercised individual level. It refers to the private and individual point of view by which heterosexuality is considered superior to homosexuality. Psychologist Gregory Herek identified three types of attitudes, focusing on their causality, that would constitute personal homophobia:
- Attitudes that develop from personal experiences
- Attitudes that arise from one’s own identity
- Attitudes that emanate from latent homosexuality
4. Interpersonal homophobia
Interpersonal homophobia occurs when personal homophobia is manifested externally. towards another individual.
Although these typologies specify the different spheres in which homophobia manifests itself, they do not clearly delimit the different forms that such manifestation takes. Therefore, these forms are detailed below.
7 types of homophobia according to the way it is expressed
The theoretical framework of homophobia presented here identifies seven forms of discrimination different, although interrelated, towards gays and lesbians, which are framed within the concept of homophobia, including those forms of prejudice that can be considered “mild” in some contexts.
5. Radical homophobia
It includes violence, advocacy of violence or related actions that are classified as extreme.
6. Prohibitionist homophobia
It refers to the value, normative or regulatory systems that prohibit or condemn homosexuality. Unlike radical homophobia, it does not include physical violence as a measure to ensure or enforce such prohibitions.
7. Negative homophobia
It refers to the refusal to recognize the existence of homosexuality in certain societies or the refusal to recognize homosexuality as an innate possibility.
8. Avoidant homophobia
It refers to the overwhelming desire to avoid any physical contact or interaction with homosexual people.
9. Morbid homophobia
It refers to the perception of homosexuality as a disease or as a carrier of a disease.
10. “Lukewarm” homophobia
In this type, the individual or society is not against homosexual practice, but is against homosexual people being granted the same rights that have traditionally been associated with heterosexuality, such as marriage or adoption. They are the typical ones who say: “Wanting to be gay seems fine to me, but on top of that they want to have children…”
11. “Veiled” homophobia
It refers to disguised forms of prejudice towards gays and lesbians. This type of homophobia is usually subtle and can go unnoticed behind some excuse or justification – the veil – which can range from very flimsy to very elaborate.
Consequences of homophobia
Homophobia can have serious consequences on three broad levels:
- At the state level: especially in those countries where fundamental rights are denied to homosexual people or they are even persecuted and punished for being who they are.
- At an interpersonal level: because of the physical and psychological violence that homosexual people can receive from homophobes.
- At the intra-individual level: especially in homosexual people with internalized homophobia, who internalize self-rejection, which can have an impact on their mental health, preceding depression, anxiety, demoralization, anguish, etc. In the following article you will find the keys to .
Here you can read more information about the .
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
If you want to read more articles similar to Types of homophobia: causes and consequenceswe recommend that you enter our category.
Bibliography
- Elipe, P. (2019). LGBTQ+phobic harassment. In V. Sánchez (coord.), Prevention of interpersonal violence in childhood and adolescence (pp. 117-140). Madrid: Pyramid.
- Lyonga, F. (2019). Shades of Homophobia: A Framework for Analyzing Negative Attitudes Toward Homosexuality. Journal of Homosexuality, 1-21. doi:10.1080/00918369.2019.1702352