Homophobia

Homophobia refers to fear, hatred, prejudice, and discrimination aimed at gay and lesbian people. Psychologist George Weinberg popularized the term in his 1972 book Society and the Healthy Homosexual, defining it as a dread of being in close contact with homosexual people. He deliberately located the problem in prejudice rather than in gay people themselves. The word has since grown well beyond its clinical roots to describe both personal hostility and systemic oppression. Homophobia shows up in slurs, bullying, violence, discriminatory laws, and family rejection. Many LGBTQ+ people also experience internalized homophobia, the painful process of turning society's stigma inward against oneself. Related terms have since emerged for prejudice against bisexual and transgender people.