Homophobia refers to harmful actions and/or attitudes towards gay or otherwise queer people. This can be further defined as a fear, hatred, or discomfort toward gay people.
Homophobia is illegal in the UK, that is to say that acts of prejudice and discrimination based on a person’s sexuality are an offence.
It is known that acts of homophobia have a lasting and detrimental effect on everyone’s wellbeing (regardless of orientation or gender identity).
Homophobia can:
- Have a significant association with mental health disorders.
- Interfere with people’s ability to form strong friendships with others of the same sex, due to a fear of facing discrimination from being perceived as part of the LGBTQIA+ community.
- Affect the satisfaction with one’s quality of life.
- Cause people to conform to specific gender-based roles and stereotypes that cause inhibited self-expression.
- Also stigmatize heterosexuals, along with those perceived or labelled by others to be LGBTQIA+, the children of LGBTQIA+ parents, and the parents of LGBTQIA+ children and their friends.
Other definitions/things to note:
In some cultures, homophobia is not recognised – because being homosexual or a member of the LGBTQIA+ community is forbidden. In some cases, homosexuality is illegal, such as in Indonesia, Malaysia, Sudan, Afghanistan, etc..