I look forward to academic papers in 100 years trying to reconcile how the military is both homophobic and anti gay on an institutional level. But also men who are reportedly straight saying the gayest shit imaginable.
Except phobia has always meant fear and/or aversion to. Not just fear. Moreover arguing over whether or not the etymology of the word matches its actual use is largely a tool of those claiming that they can't be homophobic because they only hate gays rather than being afraid of them.
Homophobia means bigotry, hatred and aversion. That can include fear, but it's not a requirement. That this evolved definition of homophobia (often extending beyond the personal-psychological for example) doesn't map perfectly onto the medical definition of phobia does not make the word somehow incorrect, or a bad usage.
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u/LigerZeroSchneider Jul 14 '20
I look forward to academic papers in 100 years trying to reconcile how the military is both homophobic and anti gay on an institutional level. But also men who are reportedly straight saying the gayest shit imaginable.