Stigma and Discrimatn Affects Gay and Bisexual Men's Health | CDC

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homophobia, culturally produced fear of or prejudice agast homosexuals that sometim manifts self legal rtrictns or, extreme s, bullyg or even vlence agast homosexuals (sometim lled “gay bashg”). Although the suffix phobia generally signat an irratnal fear, the se of homophobia the word stead refers to an attudal disposn rangg om d dislike to abhorrence of people who are sexually or romantilly attracted to dividuals of the same sex.

As dtrializatn brought migratn om ral to urban areas, the greater nsy of people ci permted same-sex attracted dividuals to anize (ially unr the cloak of anonymy), which ultimately led to greater visibily and the scientific study of homosexualy.

The power of homophobia is such that homosexual dividuals often feel culturally pelled to misreprent their sexualy (somethg known as beg “ the closet”) orr to avoid social stigma. For men, petive team sports, vlence, rs, beer, and an emotnls disposn have been associated wh masculy (and th heterosexualy), while an appreciatn of the arts, fe food, dividual sports, and emotnal exprsnism has been associated wh homosexualy. In such a culture, is believed that anyone might be gay, and, as a rult, heterosexuals’ social, sexual, and personal behavurs are limed bee men fear associatn wh femy and women fear associatn wh masculy.

Conversely, when cultural homophobia is so great that cizens do not generally believe that homosexualy is even possible (as many ntemporary Middle Eastern, Ain, and Asian cultur), there is no need to prove to one’s peers that one is not gay. Men n, for example, hold hands many highly homophobic cultur (bee others do not perceive they n be homosexual), while hand holdg among men rais homosexual spicn the Wt.

The word "phobia" the name nveys that fear of difference leads to hate; homophobic beliefs n be said to origate out of fear that the whe supremacist and lonial stat quo regardg genr and sexualy will be challenged, shatterg the worldviews of many people, but homophobia manifts as actns that are anythg but fearful.

Ahead, we will review the history of homophobia, the ways that manifts, and the tnal opportuni that n help a person shift om a stance of homophobia to one of acceptance. "Whereas homosexualy per se impli no impairment judgment, stabily, reliabily, or general social or votnal pabili, the Amerin Psychiatric Associatn (APA) lls on all ternatnal health anizatns, psychiatric anizatns, and dividual psychiatrists other untri to urge the repeal their own untri of legislatn that penaliz homosexual acts by nsentg adults private.

Homophobia operat on a personal and systemic level, while heterosexism operat primarily on a systemic level bee is both the societal belief that heterosexual people should be prrized above all others as well as the real-world implitns of that belief. The may sound siar, but the difference is that homophobia is a personal feelg you hold, while heterosexism supports those feelgs to be part of the systems of our stutns.

While transphobia and homophobia have thgs mon like beg related to misogyny and sexism, transgenr and nonbary people experience thgs that cisgenr LGBQ+ people don’t, which lls for more specific language. People alg wh ternalized homophobia may feel the need to “prove” that they’re straight, exhib very stereotypil behavr of straight men and women, or even bully and discrimate agast openly gay people.

Other LGBTQ people Your lol LGBTQ muny center Onle muni of LGBTQ people Q Chat Space is a way for LGBTQ+ teens to nnect wh each other through live-chat group discsns — no matter where they are Tsted LGBTQ adults that you may already know, such as fay members or teachers Straight people who are alli to LGBTQ people A Gay/Straight Alliance at your high school, if applible. If you feel safe dog so, speak up when other people are beg homophobic or biphobic, such as makg offensive jok, g negative language, or bullyg or harassg someone bee of their sexual orientatn or inty.

The prsure is most keenly felt her relatnship wh Viv, who chaf at Jean’s ternalized homophobia and knows om past experience to protect herself om the hurt engenred by a partner whose self-acceptance wh ndns. That changed after his ath, when the strappg, straight-actg (but ocsnally sensive) hunk om Wka beme the poster boy for Hollywood homophobia: a closeted star who’d been forced to play a role his entire reer that wasn’t te to himself, on screen and off.

And though not as physilly threateng, anti-gay slurs and lack of acceptance of sexual mori to muni and fai n also have vastatg psychologil nsequenc on gay and bisexual people. Rather, the experienc of homophobia, discrimatn, and stigma that LGB people are exposed to put the dividuals at a higher risk of velopg mental health issu due to chronic strs associated wh the experienc. The rults of the study monstrated that dividuals who belong to a sexual mory group wh a heteronormative society are prone to high rat of ternalized homophobia (lack of acceptance of one's own sexualy), stigma, and experienc of discrimatn and vlence.

However, spe changg laws and cultural norms, people still hold on to homophobic beliefs and act ways that promote willful ignorance and discrimatn that serve to put the muny at risk both physilly and psychologilly.