AP Drops Word ‘Homophobia’

Good for them. This always struck me as an Orwellian neologism. The thinking seemed to go, “These people hold an unfashionable view. And they disagree with me. Therefore, they cannot be rational. They must have some type of clinical disorder.” Even a few libertarians, to their everlasting shame, adopted this particular example of regimespeak.

Dave

I’ve always hated that politically motivated nonword, too. Beyond what you said, it doesn’t even make any structural sense, since its roots would suggest an irrational fear of “the same” or “sameness.”
Anonymous

Let’s see if “islamophobia” gets dropped as well. I predict 2020, with lots of the same everlasting shame to be divided all across the political spectrum, I imagine.

May that other phobia last forever in our catalogue of irrational fears: anatidaephobia, or the fear that somewhere, somehow, a duck is watching you..

Kind regs from / Amsterdam (clip) /, Holland,
Richard

Richard
Anonymous

This is a rare example of journalistic integrity coming from the Always Progressive news agency. Maybe they have decided to show some magnanimity towards the
increasingly irrelevant and marginalized social conservatives who have born the
brunt of such Orwellian insults.
http://www.TomWoods.com Tom Woods

Richard, if you click on the link, you’ll note that they are indeed also dropping that word.
Anonymous

Did I say 2020? I meant to predict 2012 of course
Thank you Tom, edited my previous post accordingly.
guest

Here’s an article that’s really thought provoking. It’s not the “pray the gay away” type stuff:

The Meaning of Same-Sex Attraction
http://www.narth.com/docs/niconew.html

As our clients begin to live more authentically, they discover that they have a
growing ability to be assertive. Living in an authentic self-state brings a
person freedom, self-possession, and healthy social relatedness.

…

Assertive behaviors help fulfill male identification needs, and propel the
client toward mastery of interpersonal conflicts, especially those that
repeatedly arise with other men.

…

A significant number of our clients report a family background which could be
defined as narcissistic. In the narcissistic family, the child is placed in the
communications structure of the Double Bind, or the “no-win predicament.” If he
assumes responsibility for the fact that he does not feel loved for who he
really is, the child is rewarded with parental love and attention (but of a
narcissistic and malattuned sort). That is the nature of shame -assuming
responsibility for “not having been lovable.” However, if he maintains his
assertive stance, holding onto the integrity of his own perception and his own
his internal state, he is punished with parental inattention and withdrawal.

…

The consequence of the Double Bind for the child is a split from the self. The
result is a disowning of the True Self, which–for our clients–included a
disowning of their masculine ambition. Thus is born the False (and genderless)
Self. Later, homosexuality will appear as a narcissistic attempt to bridge that
shame-induced self-split that separates the man from his masculine ambitions.
Same-sex attractions will then substitute for the lost masculine within.
Anonymous

I find this to be such a rare and out of character example that, for me, the question becomes if there might be another explanation for this journalistic move than just integrity or magnanimity?
Jeremy

Thanks Tom. Glad I’m not the only one who despises this garbage.
vox

Great move. Another example of collectivist thinking that not only needlessly harms homosexuals but also those who disagree with it on perhaps natural, moral or religious reasons. I reason to think that most people who disagree with homosexuality do not wish to steal away the rights of homosexual folks, much less to do them any harm. All the more reason that private/voluntary means should be implemented for more peaceful and prosperous human relations. And yes, the government should stay out of the marriage issue altogether; employers and employees should also privately bargain for what benefits various family groupings can earn in an employment package.

This would gladly remove that evil third party that intervenes in the peaceful bargaining process and effects the death of natural exchange and the right to choose associations.
EmEs

Not sure what this article has to do with the topic at hand, but I can assure you, as I am a gay man, that I do not lack assertiveness and I still find guys attractive. This IS my authentic self-state. Furthermore, I’d love for someone to define what masculine ambitions are with some depth.

I think there are a lot of men nowadays who lack traditional masculine attributes but remain attracted to women. They reject their role as fathers, they over-indulge in hobbies (i.e. sports, cars, video games, etc.), they aren’t responsible with their money, etc. yet they still are attracted to women.

And what about lesbians? Do they lack feminine ambition? Because lesbian women are known for their desire to have children and start a family.

Narth is a junk science organization. In this study, what was their sample size? Is it possible that these people had other psychological issues that could establish an explanation for why they responded the way they did?

Narth is in the same category as the “global warming is destroying the world” ilk as far as I’m concerned.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1124894434 Jason Whittington

It’s an irrational word to begin with. There’s no fear of homosexuality in taking a stand on morality. But, hey, to each his own; that’s why I’m a libertarian.
Rob Nabakowski

Good Lord. I made the mistake of reading the comments. I share NOTHING in common with those people, save the air that we breathe.
Sam

Should have been using homosexualmisia all this time. I wonder why that never caught on.
http://www.facebook.com/isaacgsmith Isaac Smith

I thought Freud coined the term to describe a patient whose latent homosexual urges caused him to become angry at people he perceived to be acting on similar desires. Maybe you’d argue the word is used too often as a misdiagnosis but it certainly applies to folks like Larry Craig and Ted Haggard.