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But for real how did homophobia become the term for what is very rarely an actual fear?
The word phobia may also refer to conditions other than true phobias.
For example, the term hydrophobia is an old name for rabies, since an aversion to water is one of that disease’s symptoms. A specific phobia to water is called aquaphobia instead. A hydrophobe is a chemical compound that repels water. Similarly, photophobia usually refers to a physical complaint (aversion to light due to inflamed eyes or excessively dilated pupils), rather than an irrational fear of light.
Several terms with the suffix -phobia are used non-clinically to imply irrational fear or hatred, such as Xenophobia and Homophobia
A specific phobia to water is called aquaphobia instead.
Please be lying, the only thing worse than mixing Latin and Greek is using words that mean the exact same for different things
Then you’ll be delighted to hear that the black rhinoceros is diceros bicornis.
don’t forget ablutophobia
According to Wikipedia it was an actual fear that homosexuality is contagious. That belief is probably alive and well amongst idiots.
I always thought it to be more akin to hydrophobia instead of arachnophobia - as in fat reacting to water. Now I think that is to take as fat is neither attacking water nor is it insane.
When the spiders start laying eggs in your eyeballs that’s when you will start sucking dicks.
The freaking spiders are turning everyone gay!
How does xenophobia fit into the picture?
That’s a good question! Xenophobia has an evolutionary basis and exists in other species as well (e.g. chimpanzees). Encountering another group of humans (or chimps) might be dangerous. Being cautious is beneficial for survival.
However, when you add racism and are actively hostile to another group - is it still a Phobia? And if not or if it is not fear-motivated, what do you call it?
I’d differentiate between xenophobia and racism. Being weary of something different is very different to feeling hate or acting against it.
A lot more people than would like to admit are a little bit xenophobic, but not racists.
Because phobia isn’t just a fear of something, it’s a fear or aversion to
As an 80s kid, before I learned a few things about how the world works, fear was very much one of the top feelings I got when near guys I knew were gay. Perhaps you youngsters got to skip that phase.
I never translated that to hate, though. I don’t exactly understand how that process even works. I’ve hated a few individual people in my life (100% because of what they did to me), and I feared none of them.
I was definitely scared as a kid. There were two openly gay men in our area (at least loud and social enough to be small town known that is). Their mannerisms seemed so unnatural to me.
As I got older though and spent more time around them it didn’t bother me at all.
The one guy (white guy, tall, very effeminate) was always hanging around partying at my exes house. He and I have been friends for over 20 years now. Legit one of the coolest and strangest people on the planet.
The other dude (black guy, very tall, very effeminate) came in my store all the time and he and I became friends. Around 2015 my car broke down. I borrowed my mom’s car and it broke down the first time I drove it. I was in a total panic because I couldn’t get to work. Dude overheard me dooming and glooming to my mom and freaking out. He walked up and said, “You’ve always been sweet to me so I’m gonna let you borrow my van as long as you need it.”
The van had N64 controller ports built in, so I put an N64 in there with a few of the best games for him. He was always hauling his entire neighborhood around in that thing and they were all stoked as shit when I gave it back.
I drove that van for around 4 months. My kids were devastated when I gave it back. All the rednecks had jokes, “hyuck hyuck, what did you do to get that van?” I came up with a good comeback. I’d look out and see what they were driving. “Let me take that Ford Ranger for a ride and I’ll show you, big boy!” Oh my god haha, they couldn’t handle it.
But yeah, back on topic. It was a fear because it was so unusual. I remember being horrified when the two dudes kissed in Big Daddy. It’s still a fear for a lot of people. They don’t want to see the world change, and it seems like a huge change when folks who barely existed in their reality are suddenly getting all of this representation in mainstream media. Because of the internet, everything is right there in our faces. They’re scared that their kids will be influenced into that lifestyle. I think that’s mostly because sexuality is more of a spectrum, and they’re afraid that it will awaken something in their kids that would have otherwise remained buried.
Then you got religion. That makes it even scarier because the preachers say they’re going to hell.
Have a good one bud.
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Seems like at some point -phobia got watered down to “extreme dislike”.
Back in my day we used to crush spiders. What is this world coming to?
Typical Boomer.
A web of LIES!
I mean I have no problem with it. Might even help the economy with all the extra wedding services from arachnid customers.
Do you know how many babies those widows have?! Our welfare system will be overwhelmed within a years time!
