Coined by George Weinberg in the late 1960s, the term homophobia initially referred to a fear of individuals who identify as homosexual, and worry that such same-sex sexual orientation was contagious and threatened the traditional values of the family. In developing a term for such attitudes, Weinberg revealed the prejudice inherent in them and established “homophobia” as a concept deserving further exploration, enabling these attitudes to be challenged. Since Weinberg’s original definition of homophobia, professionals have used the term more broadly to refer to the fear that lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) orientations are present in oneself, that others will believe one is LGB, that people can be converted to LGB orientations, and that accepting homosexuality will lead to the extinction of humanity.

Under this broad ...