Homophobia: Contemporary Issues, Tensions, and Personal Views

This essay examines homophobia as a prevalent contemporary social issue, focusing on its negative attitudes and discrimination against homosexual individuals. It discusses key tensions such as societal views, legal changes, and the rise of homophobic acts even in countries with legalized homosexuality. The essay highlights personal viewpoints on discrimination, emphasizing its negative impacts on mental health, education, employment, and housing. It advocates for equal rights and opportunities for all individuals, regardless of sexual orientation, and condemns violence and discrimination based on sexual preferences, referencing relevant theories and scholarly works to support its arguments. The paper also provides a brief biography of the author to highlight their personal experiences and views related to the issue.

Contemporary Issues in Today’s World

Identify a contemporary issue related to difference and diversity (sexism, racism,
homophobia, and ableism,
In today’s global world, different people in society are having different view point.
Almost every individual has his or her opinion, which may or may not differ from the opinion
of society. It becomes a contemporary issue. There are several contemporary social issues
which are prevalent today. Due to the broadening of the world and globalization, almost all
the issues are now international issues and affect people from all over the world
(Pacilli,Taurino, Jost, & Van Der, 2011). People now have strong opinions regarding these
issues and now are not afraid to put forward their point. The issues like sexism, feminism,
racism, homophobia or ableism are now not only limited to some countries but are now
worldwide issues. In this Paper we are going to one of the issues that is homophobia, what
are the key tension points for the issue and theories related to this issue.
Homophobia as social issue
Many individuals in recent times have come out of the closet and identified themselves as
homosexual. Homophobia is negative feelings or attitude towards the sexuality of these
people. Homophobias are basically of opinion that homosexuality is morally wrong and
should not be considered by people (Mason, 2003). That these people should not be placed
with society. These people are being discriminated against the homosexuals on the basis of
preference of their sexuality (Adam,1998). They cause fear among the society and thus many
times apply strict legal actions on homosexual people. Also, because of these aversion
towards the homosexuality brings the extreme case of violence, negativity, bullying. This
bullying and violence against homosexuals is termed as “GAY BASHING” (Willis,2012).
Some of the homophobic are so abhorrent to the idea of homosexuality is that they resort to
the violence. These homophobia people execute so much power that often people with same
sex preferences don’t come out in open and misrepresent their sexuality. Due to this social
stigma, the homosexuals avoid anything that is coded as homosexual so as that people don’t
come to know about their sexuality. There are certain codes which are followed by
heterosexual beings, and homosexuals attached themselves to these codes. Such as they try to
play extremely competitive sports which are often associated with heterosexuality, they often
turn to violence to show faux heterosexuality, they start showing preference for cars and
beers and they even portrait themselves as the emotionless beings. The show of emotions,

love for arts and love for fine food are something which are associated with the
homosexuality. These extremities cause the culture of homohysteric which means that people
are very well aware of people being homosexuals in society and thus turn extreme or high
degree of homophobia (Tomsen & Mason, 2001). Homohysterics believes that any person
can be gay so in order to avid this all the social, sexual behavior are limited. No men want
any connection with femininity and no women wants anything masculine.
Summarise the issue by describing some of the key tensions
Many countries which are very against the homosexuality and often regarded as
homohysterics sometimes believe that they don’t have any homosexuals living within their
country. It is because homophobia within these countries are so strong and powerful that
citizens can’t believe that someone among them can be homosexual (Flood & Hamilton,
2005). African, Some Asian and Middle Eastern countries are still against the homosexuality.
In last decade, with beginning of 21st Centaury, many countries have legalized the
homosexuality. Europe, North America, South America, Australia and many other parts of
western counties have decriminalized the homosexuality. The same sex marriage is also even
allowed in this countries after the political issue of equal rights have risen in last decade.
But even now when the same sex marriage law has been introduced, more and more people
nowadays coming out of closet and introducing themselves as homosexuals, the number of
homophobic people are also on rise. Even in the western countries, where homosexuality is
often as common as heterosexuality, these countries are witnessing the terrifying acts of the
homophobic people against the homosexuals.
One of such incident happened with actor Jussie Smollett. It ids reported that the actor of the
famous tv series “Empiree” was attacked on January 29th by two people. These people hurled
the racist and homophobic slurs to him. They threw some unknown chemical on his face and
one of them tried to wrap a rope around his neck. It was just the luck that the actor is
hospitalized on the time and safe now.
Another incident happened in London in January, where 8 unknown men attacked the gay
man who was leaving the Dalston Superstore. The attackers beat the man up to death, kicked
and stomped him. They also attacked one of the onlookers who was trying to film the
incident and threw the corrosive acid substance on him.

So not only the general gay people but even celebrities and other heterosexual people are also
at cumulative risk.
Many contemporary theories have surfaced in recent times which points towards the assessed
homophobia. Many theories like feminist, socio-historic, structural, queer and gender panic
relies on scholarly disciplines are diverse set and therefore comprises of own object of
analysis. Be it Heterosexuality or homophobia (Hopwood & Connors, 2002).
My own view or position in relation to some of these tensions
Being an individual in the world, I have seen this discrimination at various levels.
Children being abused for the way dress, behave and talk. As per my point of view,
discrimination causes a negative impact on society. If a child is discriminated it causes the
long lasting effect on his or her mind. These are several issues and acts which are not easily
forgivable. These children can be a very successful person in the future but because of past
negative impacts, they don't have trust or attitude to achieve goals. Also, the negative attitude
leads to many mental health issues like depression. These mental health issues, in turn,
burden the Health sector of Government. A person when can’t identify himself or herself as
homosexual in public, he feels frustrated with himself and society. That person has to
suppress his or her own urges to behave naturally and instead has to behave what societally is
correct. They also have to suppress their natural sexual urges. All this suppression causes
depression, anxiety and other kind of mental issues and many times lead to the suicidal. The
discriminations against individual prohibit any nation from attaining their highest health ratio.
It affects society on all levels, be it education, housing, employment. People are not given a
chance in better employment places or even if given they are not promoted which causes a
worthy person to be left behind. It also negatively affects the productivity of the organization
and thus in turn nation. The homosexual people are not preferred for renting or selling houses
thus affecting housing system.
As per my point of view, I strongly stand against the idea of discrimination on the
basis of sexual orientation. I have been brought in the kind of environment where I have
learned that each individual should be given equal rights and opportunities. Just because
certain person who is supposed to be masculine but prefers femininity is not a basis for hate.
Even they could be better behaved, well-educated and sophisticated than from many of other
hetero sexual people.

The violence on the name of homosexuality and heterosexuality should not be tolerated by
any nation. A person is born with certain preferences and choices. Its no body’s business to
tell him or her what one should do or not (Meyer & Dean, 1998).
References
Adam, B. D. (1998). Theorizing homophobia. Sexualities, 1(4), 387-404.
Flood, M., & Hamilton, C. (2005). Mapping homophobia in Australia (pp. 1-15). Canberra,
Australia: Australia Institute.
Hopwood, M., & Connors, J. (2002). Heterosexual attitudes to homosexuality: Homophobia
at a rural Australian university. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services, 14(2), 79-94.
Mason, G. (2003). The spectacle of violence: Homophobia, gender and knowledge.
Routledge.
Meyer, I. H., & Dean, L. (1998). Internalized homophobia, intimacy, and sexual behavior
among gay and bisexual men. Psychological perspectives on lesbian and gay issues, 4, 160-
186.
Pacilli, M. G., Taurino, A., Jost, J. T., & van der Toorn, J. (2011). System justification, right-
wing conservatism, and internalized homophobia: Gay and lesbian attitudes toward same-sex
parenting in Italy. Sex Roles, 65(7-8), 580.
Tomsen, S., & Mason, G. (2001). Engendering homophobia: Violence, sexuality and gender
conformity. Journal of Sociology, 37(3), 257-273.
Willis, P. (2012). Constructions of lesbian, gay, bisexual and queer identities among young
people in contemporary Australia. Culture, health & sexuality, 14(10), 1213-1227.