[Larry D.]

Why do so many heterosexual men dislike homosexual men? A good amount of straight men try to change, make fun of or harm homosexuals. Is it threatening or disgusting, or is it something else to them?

User Detail :  

Name : Larry D., Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Gay, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Atheist, Age : 17, City : Norman, State : OK Country : United States, Education level : Less than High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class, 

[Pedro]

This is a question that shouldn't need to be asked in this day and age. I think there are several forces at work that make homophobia - at one level or another - still prevalent:
1) Religion. Most of the world's religions have some sort of prohibition against homosexuality. It's been theorized that during the time when those religions arose it was culturally important for there to be a rising population. Leaders were afraid that homosexuality would lead to a population decrease and make their 'people' extinct. As with any religious edict - no matter how archaic - it is very difficult to change minds.
2)Minority population. Even the best guesses place homosexuals at less than 10 percent of the world's population. As with most minorities, they become easy targets for people with a beef.
3) Male aggression. Most homophobia is expresed by men. Ironically, you would think straight men would encourage homosexuality and thus lessen competition for women. However, men are very group-affiliated, meaning they like belonging to a group (this is why the armed forces work the way they do). If someone doesn't belong to their group, especially in an area as primal as sexuality, they consider it a contrarion, ie. an enemy.
4) Ignorance. The image most people have of gay men (and really I don't think there is as much bias against lesbians) is that of the drag queen or campy 'queer.' While these groups get the majority of attention, they are a small sub-group of the gay population. Most gay people live their lives as mundane as everyone else's, only the gender of their partners is different. Again, ironically, if gays weren't so demonized, I believe the more flamboyent elements would decrease.
5) Denial. Many of the most rabid homophobes are/were gay themselves. They were simply in denial or self-hating for the reasons given above. Rather than confronting their own denial they lash out at gays.
6) Sexuality. Any type of deviance from accepted sexual norms is condemned by many people. Case in point: Sodomy - consensual oral or anal sex between straights or gays - is still a crime in many states.
In time I believe this will become a fringe element. People are beginning to realize that gays live all around us - in our community, work and family.

User Detail :  

Name : Pedro, Gender : M, Race : Hispanic/Latino (may be any race), Age : 33, City : Easton, State : PA Country : United States, Occupation : Telecommunications, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Mike20610]

I think that what two males do in private is their own affair. What I don't agree with is the idea that this lifestyle should be accepted as normal by the rest of society. I put this behavior in the same catagory as any other sexual preference. (S&M, exhibitionism, etc.) A person's sexual activity is a private matter and no ones business but their own. But I don't want to talk about it at the water cooler.

User Detail :  

Name : Mike20610, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 41, City : Fort Worth, State : TX Country : United States, Occupation : Engineer, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Kim Smith-Stout]

Is it possible that some men who feel this way believe they are threatened by gay men in the same way that perhaps they themselves threaten women? Before I proceed, I want to make clear that I do not believe men are inherently predatory, nor even that most/all men behave this way. My statements about predatory behavior toward women are based on stereotypical, generalized situations - cultural messages, generally accepted behavior by men in groups, etc. Furthermore, I believe that some men may not even recognize predatory aspects of our culture and/or their own behavior. Having said that, men in some cultures (I refer specifically to my own) are taught to degrade women; to view them as objects to satisfy male desire; to deny the validity of, or to simply ignore, a woman's right to say 'no.' Therefore, is it possible that some homophobic men are afraid (perhaps unconsciously) that they will be on the receiving end of such behavior? Perhaps they are (unconsciously) placing expectations of their own behaviors onto gay men - and they are terrified of the possible results.

User Detail :  

Name : Kim Smith-Stout, Gender : F, Race : human, Religion : Atheist, Age : 36, City : Tempe, State : AZ Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, 

[Dorian]

hi, larry i am also 17 years old and gay i saw your question and i have also tryied to find a solution to your question. i am a closeted gay i but my farther is fairly homophobic. one comment he says when he sees two gays(mainly on telly) i 'oh, two tail gunners' which is a stereotypical view in that all gay men have anal intercource, one survey i read said that 59% of men had not been recipient or active partner in this including myself. i think the main reason for homophobia is ignorance and the very bad stereotypes good luck

User Detail :  

Name : Dorian, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Gay, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 17, City : r, State : NA Country : United States, Occupation : student, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Upper class, 

[Author]

Posts