What is heterophobia?

[cynatnite]

I'm in a discussion right now with someone who insists that some gays are heterophobic. She insists the term has been around since the 70s and not uncommon. I like to think I'm somewhat informed, but I had never heard it before our discussion.

Can someone help me out here?

[Posteritatis]

1. A dislike of heterosexuals, I'd assume

And some certainly are; there's not a group on the planet that wouldn't include a few jerks.

[Hello_Kitty]

2. I don't know but I'm pretty sure it hangs out with Reverse Racism and Misandry. eom

[ShortnFiery]

5. I doubt that it's a prevalent condition as heterosexuals are NOT known as

an historically oppressed group. Sounds like something right wingers on FOX could conceive of during drunken stupors watching their creepy "Red Eye" late night swill programming. :shrug:

[babylonsister]

3. I keep dictionary.com handy; it's not a word, per that site.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/heterophobia

Tell that someone they are full of it.

[cynatnite]

4. That was my gut feeling, but wanted to be careful before I said anything...

Thanks!

[Rhiannon12866]

6. I'd never heard of it, so I looked it up...

Here's what I found, but it still sounds like bullshit to me... :eyes:


Heterophobia is a term used to describe irrational fear of, aversion to, or discrimination against heterosexuals. Heterophobic is the adjective form of this term used to describe the qualities of these characteristics while heterophobe is the noun form given as a title to individuals with heterophobic characteristics. Heterophobia is used in the same manner as homophobia - that being, one who has a fear of something. In the case of homophobes, they are alleged to fear homosexuals. Heterophobes are alleged to fear heterosexuals. The argument of Heterophobia as a reversal of Homophobia is used in the same sense that reverse racism is said to correspond to racism.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heterophobia

[LoZoccolo]

7. I heard of a heterosexual couple who had given up "penetrative" forms of sex.

Something about male aggression or something. I would say that that's definately heterophobic.

[Warpy]

8. It's a neologism

but there are idiots in all groups.

There are gays out there who talk disparagingly about "breeders" and lesbians who rag on straight women for consorting with the enemy. Such positions honestly don't demean anyone but the bigoted speakers.

However, they hardly add up to a phobia the way homophobia does. They might be bigots, but they're not frightened bigots. Homophobes are.

[Toasterlad]

44. I Get What Your Saying, But I Disagree On a Point.

There are gay people who dislike straight people, and there are gay people who FEAR straight people: often with good reason. Yes, it's not the same as homophobia, since heterosexuals are a privileged majority, but there ARE homosexual bigots. And just like nearly all heterosexuals are guilty of some homophobia at one point or another, I'd say that nearly all homosexuals are guilty of some heterophobia at some point.

Bigotry of ANY sort is wrong, no matter how understandable it may be.

[Raster]

9. Heterophobic as in a gang of gay guys going around beating up straight guys?

Heterophobic as in gays laying in wait for what they think is an obvious straight guy to kick the living shit out of him and then leave him hanging on a fence to die?

Heterophobic as in going to straight bars specifically to pick fights with straight guys?

Heterophobic as in going to straight areas to look for unsuspecting straight guys to harass and harm?

Heterophobic as in starting rumors about the straight guys' supposed sexuality simply to be an asshole?

Heterophobic as in gays organizing nationally to make sure straights don't have the same civil rights as gays?

Heterophobic as in gays using their religion to rationalize their heterophobic bigotry?

[mitchtv]

18. great post

+1

[Raster]

22. Thanks, mitchtv!

[Political Heretic]

39. Thank you so much for getting us back to the truth here.

[Captain Hilts]

10. Fear of breeders?

[ZombieHorde]

11. I found a photocopied peice of paper a few days ago with the word "heterosexism" typed on it.

The source of the photocopy seems to be a college psychology book, Teaching of Psychology, by J.M. Simoni.

The content of the photocopy was common homophobic beliefs and questions, but with "hetero" inserted where "homo" would normally be.

I kept the photocopy, here are some examples:

Is it possible your heterosexuality is just a phase you may grow out of?(sic)

There seem to be very few happy heterosexuals. Techniques have been developed which might enable you to change if you really want to. Have you considered trying aversion therapy?(sic)

Why do you insist on flaunting your heterosexuality? Can't you just be what you are and keep quiet?(sic)

[Lone_Star_Dem]

12. Is that the fear of total strangers attempting to beat you to death because you're gay?

:shrug:

[Behind the Aegis]

13. A made up word to counter actual bigotry against gays.

It is the equivalent of "reverse racism." The term she may be thinking of is actually "heterosexism" which is the concept that all people are heterosexuals and are treated as such until otherwise corrected.

[Touchdown]

40. Actually you described Heterosexual assumption.

Heterosexism is general majority discrimination/bigotry and institutionalized anti-gay rules or laws in business or government. Sort of like Racism/Institutionalized Racism.:hi:

[Behind the Aegis]

43. "Heterosexual assumption" is a part of heterosexism.

It is one of the many components, the others which you describe. I use the definition I did because it tends to be more "accessible" to people being taught about "execeptionalism." I have taught diversity classes for years and when discussing 'heterosexism,' describing it as I did in the previous post makes it easier to understand when the larger social and institutional issues are introduced. :)

[Touchdown]

46. Oh' That makes sense!

They are related.

[Double T]

14. heterophobia is real.

Just ask any gay person.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heterophobia

[Behind the Aegis]

17. You're being sarcastic, yes?

[Double T]

20. The gay guys I know can't imagine being heterosexual.

[Behind the Aegis]

23. What does that have to do with heterophobia?

[DRoseDARs]

27. Good luck getting a (pardon the pun) "straight" answer to that question. n/t

[Toasterlad]

47. And If a Straight Guy Can't Imagine Being Homosexual, Does That Make Them Homophobic?

Of course not.

There's a difference between a lack of understanding and a lack of empathy. You don't have to understand what it's like to be gay to empathize with a gay person. And vice versa.

In other words, you don't have to be gay not to go around beating up gay people.

[Cleita]

15. I dunno. Does it itch?

:evilgrin:

[leeroysphitz]

16. A natural and justified fear of a persecuted sub group for a violent and hatefilled majority.

[Raster]

19. That's us: hateful queers preaching persecution and violence against

the persecuted heterosexuals. We preach discrimination from our gay churches and encourage our millions of members to donate to efforts to diminish heterosexual civil rights. We go into states armed with our millions upon millions of tax-free dollars to urge the citizens to disenfranchise their heterosexual friends and neighbors. In some countries we gays even enact laws forbidding heterosexuality and punish heterosexuality by death.

Oh yes, heterophobia is alive and well.

[burning rain]

21. Mostly baloney.

Everyone wants a spot in the Victimhood Olympics these days. Mind, people do tend to be tribalistic , so, you do find some lesbians who get addled when a largely but not exclusively gay woman they hang with takes an interest in a guy (betraying your gay "tribe"), same thing mutatis mutandis with some gay guys, but really, folks, oppression it ain't.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

24. I have encoutered some who were pretty hostile to us "breeders"

A while back I had an absolutely bizarre altercation with a gay couple at a car rental place. They wanted an upgrade to the car me and my girlfriend had reserved - they then began throwing around idiotic insults and among other things asked me "so breeder, what does a yeast infection taste like?" among other crudities and references to the menstrual cycle.

Had they been drunk, it might have been funny - but these guys were stone cold sober and really heaping on the abuse on some random couple trying to pick up their car after a long flight.

[Raster]

26. Let's be real: one isolated incident. How often do you think gays get harassed?

And I am NOT excusing their behavior. Tacky, low-class and boorish behavior is tacky, low-class and boorish regardless of sexuality. But seriously, in all your long years, how many other "heterophobic" incidents have you been subjected to?

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

30. Hostility isn't unusual - the car rental altercation was just bizarre

[Raster]

31. Truly. I think I would be either looking for the hidden cameras....

So, you are saying hostility towards you as a straight man by gay persons--specifically because you are straight--"isn't unusual?"

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

33. Been to California in the last year?

Yes, hostility is not unusual.

[cherokeeprogressive]

25. Fear of atoms other than carbon, particularly in cyclic compounds.

hetero – adjective

1. Chemistry. of or pertaining to an atom other than carbon, particularly in a cyclic compound.

[leeroysphitz]

28. I HATE non carbon atoms.

Bastards. :P

[cherokeeprogressive]

29. And I hate heterophobes. So we're even. n/t

[leeroysphitz]

34. Ok I need to get something off of my chest.

I don't really hate non-carbon atoms. I just said that to impress you.

Actually some of my best friends are non carbon atoms. No really we ussually hang out on Tuesday nights at the Taylor Applebee's on Ecorse Rd.

[Political Heretic]

38. lol

[dusmcj]

32. just another reaction, creating shadows of an Other /nt

[msongs]

35. it's a girl being gang raped at high school while her peers watch and do NOTHING to help her nt

[Political Heretic]

37. Without knowing in special context, that's misogyny, not hetero "phobia"

[Political Heretic]

36. It's phrased used in an attempt to normalize and trivialize the reality of homophobia

"hey there's heterophobia too!"

No, there really isn't. At least, not in the sense that there's roving gangs of men hunting for straights to attack and murder. Not in the sense that there are organizations formed around the mission of bigotry and discrimination toward straights. Not in the sense that there straights have to check to see if a restaurant, lounge or club is "straight friendly" first for fear of not being safe. Not in the sense that a government passes laws against straights making sure they have less civil rights than other people... etc.

There are gays who are bigoted toward straights. But calling that "heterophobia" and saying "oh pooh pooh, both sides do it equally" and "its all the same" is some fucked up bullshit in the extreme. One of these things is NOT AT ALL like the other.

This is similar, by the way to the subject of "reverse racism" - which is equally bull shit.

[Touchdown]

41. Something straight frat boys made up when we kicked them out of our bars.

We can't help it if the music we play is better!

[cynatnite]

42. Now, that makes perfect sense. n/t

[Toasterlad]

45. I Must Say, I'm Surprised By the Responses On This Thread.

To read them, you'd think that homophobia has scarred us as a community so much that we're incapable of intolerance, particularly toward heterosexuals. Because we've suffered discrimination, we're all saintly victims who are always in the right.

Gay people are, first and foremost, PEOPLE, like any other. We're not perfect, and we're just as susceptible to bigotry as any other sexual orientation. I know several gay people who instinctively mistrust and dislike straight people. I myself have been guilty of bigotry toward straight people now and again, as I'm quite sure the majority of straight people have been guilty of homophobia at least once or twice.

The fact that homophobia is a very real and very ubiquitous condition in straight people doesn't automatically invalidate gay people feeling the reverse. Bigotry is wrong no matter WHICH side engages in it, and pretending it doesn't exist only allows it to fester and grow.

No, of course gay people don't drive around looking for straight people to maim or kill. Of course we're not seeking legislation against straight people, or denying them jobs, or housing. We are definitely not doing these things AS A COMMUNITY. But as individuals, we can be - and are - guilty of a little heterophobia from time to time. We don't attack straight people because we're the MINORITY, and the minority is seldom in a position to attack the majority without repercussions. But our non-discrimination isn't due to any inherent superior goodness present in any of us: it's because there are more of them than there are of us.

Ask yourself this, and be honest: do you really think if gay people were - and had always been - the majority, we would treat straight people any differently than they treat us? Sadly, the kind of societal dynamics that lead to bigotry and group exclusion are a function of human nature. And human nature applies to ALL humans, straight & gay alike.

I think the point that the majority of you are arguing isn't so much that there's no such thing as heterophobia, but that, as a social issue, heterophobia is an insignificant concern compared with the massive issue of homophobia in this country. I would certainly offer my support to that assertion.