Tory MEP Claims homophobia is propaganda and does not exist

[Lilmy87]

I have yet to meet anyone who has an irrational fear of homosexuals, or of homosexuality.

Very strange. I am reminded of a teacher I once met who claimed that he had never, in his 20 years of teaching, witnessed a single instance of homophobic bullying I think perhaps some people choose not to see the things they don't want to have to deal with or acknowledge, within an institution or within society. I think such views display great discomfort and hostility towards homosexuality.

In terms of whether of not homophobia is in fact a phobia in the medical sense of the word, I find it perverse that someone could deny that there are individuals who have hatred, fear, discomfort and hostility towards gay people; the statistics Marshlander points to are surely and compelling evidence as one could need!

However, I sincerely hope I do not offend anyone to say that while homophobia is surely an irrational fear, in my opinion it is more productive to treat it as a social problem than a medical problem. I think homophobia can have many causes; some may be organic to the individual, while others may hold such views because of factors such as the way they have been brought up, their cultural and social environment and the norms within that. That is not to jusitfy and excuse, but to suggest that hopefully there is a possibility that homophobic people, while holding irrational views, perhaps have the capacity to be rational people; that they can be engaged in debate and exposed to other points of view, and through this, educated. I do not mean to suggest which should provide a platform for their views, so much as create an enviroment in which they can become informed. I think that is more helpful than classifying it as an illness, which seems to suggest it cannot be changed. I hope that is not offensive to anyone.

This discussion leads me to wonder how many people within politics and society as whole, still hold such views.