Levels of Homophobia

Negative Levels of Attitude

Repulsion:

• Homosexuality is seen as a sickness, a sin or a crime. Anything is justified to change those people. Prison, hospitalisation, negative behaviour therapy, including electric shock are all justified.

  Pity:

• Heterosexual chauvenism. Heterosexuality is assumed to be more mature and certainly to be preferred. Any possibility of becoming straight should be reinforced and those who seem to be born that way should be pitied, the poor dears.

  Tolerance:

• Homosexuality is viewed as just a phase of adolescent development that many people go through and most people grow out of. Thus Lesbian and Gay people are seen as less mature than straights and treated with the protectiveness and indulgence one used with a child.
• Lesbians and Gays should not be given positions of authority, because they are still working through adolescent behaviours.

  Acceptance:

• Still implies that there is something to accept, characterised by such statements as You`re not gay to me, you`re a person. What you do in bed is your own business. That`s fine as long as you don`t flaunt it.

• Ignores the pain of invisibility and stress of closet behavious. Flaunt usually means say or do anything that makes people aware.

• Denies social and legal realities with which Lesbians and Gays live

Positive Levels of Attitude:

Support:

• Works to safeguard the rights of Lesbian and Gay people

• Aware of the climate and the irrational unfairness of attitudes and realities.

  Admiration:

• Acknowledges that being Lesbian or Gay in our society takes strength

• Willing to truly look at themselves and work on their own homophobic attitudes

  Appreciation:

• Values the diversity of people and sees Lesbian and Gay people as valid part of that diversity

• Willing to combat homophobia in themselves and in others

  Nurturance:

• Assumes that Lesbian and Gay people are indispensable in our society

• Views Lesbian and Gay people with genuine affection and delight

• Willing to be Lesbian/Gay advocates

Developed by Dr. Dorothy Riddle, Tucson, Arizona