homophobia

American  

[hoh-muh-foh-bee-uh] / ˌhoʊ məˈfoʊ bi ə /

noun

1. an aversion or hostility to, disdain for, or fear of gay sexual orientation or gay people.

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homophobia British  

/ ˌhəʊməʊˈfəʊbɪə /

noun

1. intense hatred or fear of homosexuals or homosexuality

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Sensitive Note

The combining form -phobia is used in some words that describe intolerance toward a group of people as defined by nationality, ancestry, sexual identity or orientation, creed, or race: homophobia , Islamophobia , transphobia . Though there is an element of fear when interacting with the unknown or the Other, words in this category are not primarily about anxiety; rather, these terms are commonly associated with hatred or disgust. The use of -phobia words to indicate hostility toward groups of people is therefore frequently criticized. Advocates and activists representing these groups recommend using the prefix anti- instead, in words such as antigay , anti-Islam , antitrans .

Other Word Forms

• homophobe noun
• homophobic adjective

Etymology

Origin of homophobia

First recorded in 1960–65; homo(sexual) + -phobia; popularized by the American psychologist George Weinberg (1929–2017); an earlier sense “fear of men or humankind” was first recorded in the 1920s, from Latin homō “man, human being” + -phobia

Example Sentences

The author says she wrote her books "to work out a lot of my feelings about rampant misogyny, homophobia, violence" in the sport of which she had been a life-long fan.

From BBC

"For example, a tweet being shared to allege homophobia on my part was actually ridiculing homophobia," he said.

From BBC

Along with their friends, we've followed all the ups and downs of their relationship as they navigated family drama, homophobia and mental health issues, alongside the joy of first love.

From BBC

And likewise, maybe if someone who feels strongly about “traditional marriage” can enjoy Margaret Cho’s rainbow confetti cannon, there’s a chance of a little less homophobia in the world.

From Salon

Through “The Assassination of Gianni Versace,” Murphy attempted to critique the homophobia that drove the narrative surrounding the case in the same way he and his team used the O.J.

From Salon