Homophobia

After reading Suzanne Pharr's article on Homophobia, I definitely learned new terms that have altered my view on gays and lesbians. Growing up I had never really heard a lot about gays and lesbians, when I got older and started hearing things on television, or people in school cracking jokes is when it became a topic that I wanted to know more about. When I was younger, I wasn't educated on the topic so when people would say a joke, I'd giggle. I don't know if it was because I wanted to fit in, but I definitely know that because I wasn't educated enough on gays and lesbians, I didn't have a clear understanding. Suzanne brings up a term called lesbian baiting, this is my first time hearing the word. She says that it is an attempt to control women by labeling them as lesbians because their behavior is not acceptable. I think that labeling lesbians and gays is no fair, they should be treated just like everyone else. I also found it interesting when she says that "Lesbians look like all women and all women look like lesbians", because when I find out someone I know personally is a lesbian and it had come as a complete shock, the first thing out of my mouth is "She doesn't look like a lesbian". Through personal experiences of people I know "coming out", it has changed my views and attitudes towards gays and lesbians for the better.