Internalised Homophobia.

[Emiliano]

I think it takes more than legalizing homosexuality to dismiss the negative connotations many people associate with it. It needs a no risk of being punished for being gay or anything about it, and not to be treated or viewed in any separate way. And feeling that way oneself, too. But many people don't feel that way yet, so it's still something a lot of people do. Ending internalized homophobia would take an acceptance on the inner self scale and the outer social and cultural scale.

I think it's important that any group of people can know they and others like them have a place in the broader society. They need to see it and participate in it. Established institutions like the military, how [MENTION=24108]Doc[/MENTION] described, would have to see it as another normal way to be, too.

So even if there's no backlash against the current process of acceptance, it may take more generations until gay people as a diverse whole can grow up without experiencing anything that would make them feel like they are in someway held back or bad or at risk and are powerless to change that.