A Homophobic World

I feel that Susan Pharr's article makes great points as to what homophobia is and how it is used to institutionalize heterosexuality. The way she defines the word makes me wonder why it's ever really been a "problem" to be gay or a lesbian. From a very young age I was taught to that boys like girls and girls like boys. Nothing outside of that world was ever discussed within my family, and to make matters worse, I can remember comments like "poor bastard" or "that sucks" when simply viewing an openly gay individual. I have come to realize that just because one is homosexual does not mean that they are in any way less of a person or individual than a heterosexual person. As Pharr points out, to be homosexual has a very negative connotation; it is a threat to the nuclear family, and to life in general when discussing AIDS.

I personally know people who have grown up living a heterosexual life, but have now become an openly gay or lesbian individual , but guess what? They are still the same person! It is ridiculous to follow the sociological map that tells us that if a person is a homosexual it must mean that we should feel sorry for them; however, most of the time this is not the case. Society sees gays and lesbians as a threat to male power; homophobia is simply the word we use to describe all of the instances in which we view those that desire the same sex negatively. The world has made it a terrible thing to be a homosexual, when really they are no different than any other person on this planet. Whenever the rest of the world realizes this and decides to make some changes, our society can begin to make great strides to a better tomorrow.