Homo- is a Greek prefix meaning same, equal, like, similar, common. Not to be confused with the Latin word homo, which which means humankind.
Phobia is an anxiety disorder characterized by extreme and irrational fear.
So, "homophobia" means an irrational fear of the same. Thus in the semantics of sexual politics, it must have been devised to describe somebody who is in frightened denial of his or her own homosexuality.
Or alternatively it is a typically illiterate import from the Americans, the Humpty Dumptys of the English language, for whom a word means what they choose it to mean.
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'Homophobe' is like 'self-hating Jew', a term devised as an omnibus, non-answerable, epithet applied to people who do not agree with whatever Israeli policy or Gay Activist banner issue is being debated at the moment.
ReplyDeleteThis description, like 'racist' or 'pedophile' is designed to stick to you and your reputation and to be remembered by your acquaintance in such a way that you will do anything to avoid it - especially so that you will keep your mouth closed and not disagree publicly with the policies being supported by such groups, as e.g., 'gay marriage' or West Bank settlements.
As I commented before, my main concern is the self-hating Brit. The pathology probably stems from the closet homosexuality and S&M fixation of so much of the British establishment; alternatively we may be the lost tribe of Israel after all.
ReplyDelete