Curing Homophobia

Homophobia is pervasive in this and many other societies. Because we are all products of our society, most of us are homophobic, regardless of our sexual orientation.Assume that you are homophonic.
Dealing constructively with homophobia first requires an acknowledgement of its pervasive existence. We cannot easily eradicate our homophobic feelings, but if we are willing to acknowledge that we are all homophobic, then we can begin to take responsibility for our choices and change our behaviors.
In addition to assuming the everpresence of homophobia, we can do the following:
Identify homophobia, not homosexuality, as the problem to be addressed. In conversations with friends and colleagues, speak out about homophobia. For many people, the only time that they talk about lesbian, gay, and bisexual people is in the context of homophobic 'jokes.'
Think about the similarities and differences between homophobia and other forms of oppression. Use what you know about racism, sexism, classism, etc., to better understand homophobia and to look for ways to respond to homophobia.
Listen to the experiences of lesbian, gay, and bisexual people and assume that their experience with oppression Is valid. Similarly, assume that the ways in which lesbian, gay, and bisexual people experience the world are different from the ways in which heterosexuals experience the world.
Actively support anti-discrimination efforts, as well as campaigns to stop homophobic prejudice and violence.

Causes of Homophobia

Homophobia is directly related to both power and sexism. Sexism is the belief that men are superior to women, resulting in prejudice and discrimination towards women and femininity. Sexism systematically gives men more power than women.

This is a broad statement, so let's examine how sexism works. Consider two things that are sometimes joked about: men doing housework and women being advanced scientists. The idea of men doing housework is made fun of because housework is considered "women's work," or beneath men. In general, however, men are thought to be capable of doing housework (or capable of learning to do housework).

In contrast, women being advanced scientists is made fun of because of stereotypes that all women are unable to do advanced science. In general, women are (wrongly) thought to be incapable of being advanced scientists. While there are clear distinctions between advanced science and housework, jokes about these two things follow a clear pattern of sexism: tasks that women usually perform are seen as beneath men, and tasks that men usually perform are seen as above women.

One consequence of this system, besides devaluing women, is creating strict gender roles. Gender roles are the behaviors that society thinks are appropriate for men and women. What's wrong with strict gender roles? In the context of homophobia, strict gender roles devalue homosexuality and bisexuality by saying that it is only appropriate for a woman to be sexually or romantically involved with a man and for a man to be sexually or romantically involved with a woman. This leads to a culture that privileges heterosexuality over homosexuality, a system known as heterosexism.