Is homophobia a choice?

I really wanted to answer this, but I am not sure if I can as well as I wanted too.

I don't think people can so much as choose what they are "scared" of, as phobia would depict, but with people I think it's how you deal with it. It's what you project which is a choice, I think. You can be worried or anxious about being around gay people but I don't think it gives you the right to make them feel the same about being around you, to any degree.

I haven't dealt with many, but I do know I would handle myself differently if I was uncomfortable around someone. I can't really blame it on anything, my class at school were all taught the same in each class, to a degree, and we still have a few who thought I was weird and didn't like me. I would say it's a family thing but some of the roughest and even gypsy kids liked me when some of the more affluent kids didn't.

I would personally try and use media to make gay, race, religion an acceptable and non-aggressive factor of life. If people like Eminem weren't allowed to spew crap about gay people maybe it wouldn't be seen as so different. We could also do with introducing gay people in the background, we don't have to be the centre of attention because we are new and interesting, maybe we could be a support role like in one of those vampire shows?

I had a cousin who used to use the word "gay" as a negative insult, "this is gay" etc and my Aunt put him straight right away and explained to him how hurtful it could be, this helped curb it and he loves me, so he wouldn't say because he didn't want to upset me. He did however ask me a ton of questions, but that's good. So may good parenting too.

I don't know, those are my thoughts.

 

I've never been a homophobe, so I'm trying to answer this by equating it with my own values. Though misguided, a homophobe believes, in essence, that homosexuality is immoral. I don't choose my own values. I cannot suddenly choose to believe that some of the things that strike me as most immoral are suddenly good. And yet neither are my values unchanging. They've remained on a similar course as I've grown, but some things have changed, a result of a greater understanding of the world. One might say I choose to that greater understanding, and that's true in some ways. But that was possible only through certain circumstances, the right arguments, the right experiences. So transferring this back to the homophobe, I'd say that no, it isn't a choice, but neither are they impossible to change.

Of course, that only refers to one type of homophobe. Many don't seem to take the thought far enough to decide homosexuality is wrong.

My point is that the concept of choice is not as straightforward as you might hope. Choices are only made once one is in possession of the necessary information and frame of mind. I see it as analogous to a teabag. You've never seen a teabag before. Yes, you could choose to insert it into boiling water and drink the result, but why would you until you've learnt what its for?

 

I think people soak up the world through their own set of senses and how each person perceives it is totally different. This is probably an unpopular opinion, but I think people have every right to be homophobic if that's how they feel. As long as they are keeping within their boundaries of the 1st amendment and not intentionally trying to harm/bully someone, that is. Yeah it sucks that homophobes exist, but people are going to disagree on things and that's just how the cookie crumbles. Homophobes have reasons of their own to believe that being gay is wrong. It makes sense to them. Just like my lack of belief in God makes sense to me. Sure, I'd love to believe in God, but I can't force myself to think it's real when deep down I don't. Same with them. If homophoes think that being gay is wrong, then how are they just supposed to change their minds while still being true to themselves.

In short: I think it comes from a mixture of nature and nurture.

 

I don't believe that homophobia is a choice so much than as a result of a lack of education and understanding. Part of the human condition is that a lot of the time we prefer to lash out at things that we don't understand or like rather than trying to understand them. Perhaps it's some kind of innate survival response that we haven't quite grown out of yet, I don't know.

I do believe that every single person has the capability to learn and understand things; once we have come to realise that the thing we are striking out against actually will do us no harm, it becomes easier to learn about it and accept it. I do not like meat, but I am fully aware that other people eating meat does me no harm at all, and so I accept that they do so, it's just a difference of opinions or lifestyle choices, if you like.

Principally, I think that attitudes to homophobia are essentially the same as this. Unless you are queer, other people being queer does not affect you, and is essentially none of your business. It's this, I think that we need to teach people in order for them to begin to gain a greater understanding. For the majority of homophobes, I expect that this would work, depending on how you approach it and how patient you are, and how willing to persevere with them to help them understand.
There are some, unfortunately who will not be swayed. Many of those people I think are religious. But there are plenty of religious people who although do not condone queer lifestyles simply because their religion says so but are perfectly prepared to listen and learn and I think in time will be able to accept it.

Simply put, I do not believe homophobia is a choice any more than I believe that homosexuality is a choice. I think that more education is required on social issues of this kind, things that we are not taught about in school or by our parents very often but should be.

 

Yes, homophobia is a choice if you're referring to the hatred towards them.
I hate alcohol because it tastes bad, but I choose to hate it and not attempt to tolerate it so I can build an acquired taste.

Plain and simple.

 

Yes. You can choose to like or not like someone.

 

Well, whether the fear itself is a choice or not, is something up for debate. But how people deal with that fear is their choice. You know, like by not systematically oppressing us and just leave us be.

 

hatred is a choice

 

No but it's learned behavior :dry:

 

I just think homophobic people are misguided.

 

I agree with stocking, I think it's learned behavior (at least most of the time). Sometimes kids are taught to be homophobic by their parents or society, and then they grow up to be homophobes. ><

I think being homophobic is sort of a choice and sort of not a choice. People might have taught you to be homophobic, but you can choose to educate yourself on LGBT and get rid of that homophobia.

 

Yes and no. If while growing up it is all you know, you will adopt it. However, once your brain develops a bit and you are exposed to other ideas, good people will eventually recognize it for the filth that it is and change their opinion.

 

It is learned behavior. It can often be broken. Meeting those in our community helps. The internalized homophobia for those who were raised that way is hard to break even if you identify as LGBT.

 

I don't think it matters if someone chooses to be a homophobe or not.

I don't think it matters if it's a choice or if it's just something that happened to someone.

I still think that we are each responsible for the words and actions we put out into the world, regardless of whether we learned a behavior or belief from someone else or whether we specifically chose it. I think that the idea that if someone has a really deep belief about something, then that's just what they believe is bullshit. We can examine our beliefs, we can learn new things, we can change our minds and hearts. It's not always easy, but it sure is possible and anyone can do it.

 

I believe it's a mixture of both some people do it out of hate some do it out of peer pressure and some don't know why.

 

My friend was conditioned to hate and wanted to gas gays, blacks, pakis and jews. He goes to EDL marches and votes BNP. The very second I told him I was gay he was silent then the next morning he said "if anyone gives you any shit let me know, you've completely changed my mind overnight sorry for what I've said over the years". If his dad knew he told me this then he would be kicked out of his house (his dad is partial to the Nazi salute).
I think that is example enough that people can change.

 

I think that a lot of these people just don't know any better and believe what they're told, based off of old stereotypes and from what their family/friends think/say, along with "traditional family values".

 

haha, the question alone seems really thought provoke when you really think about it.

when i first heard the term "homophobe" i thought it was the fear of "homo-sapiens" ,which never made sense to me until the definition of it followed. the "fear of homosexuals, monotony, sameness"(which for me was the homosexual part, however you guys defined it). i think it may be a choice, but it depends on how the person really was raised and taught.

i've experienced it several times, and not so much serious as the other ones were. as far as i know , it was the lack of education and reason. we always progress towards a new culture that sometimes, folks hold on to the old beliefs that we may consider taboo in the past, but could be a different story in the future. being queer is one of those examples. i mean i could probably elaborate more if i was a tad bit smarter haha. that's just how i see it....so far. it might change another time haha.

 

I don't suspect they choose to fear (and thereby come to hate) LGBT people any more than they choose (or anyone chooses) any other fears.