Homophobia

Homophobia is a hotly contested concept in the current era of globalization, especially with regard to the issue of whether, and to what extent, contemporary globalizing forces are leading to the homogenization, polarization, or hybridization of cultures. The term homophobia is generally defined as fear and loathing of homosexuals and homosexual activity. Although the attitudes and associated behaviors denoted by this term seem to be very old, the term itself is new, appearing with its current meaning for the first time in print in 1969.

On the one hand, a global consensus is emerging against homophobic behavior. For example, High Commissioner Catherine Aston, on behalf of all EU member, candidate, and associated states, endorsed the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia on May 17, 2010. On the other hand, however, approximately 80 countries currently impose criminal penalties for homosexual activity between consenting adults, ranging from fines to imprisonment to hard labor, flogging, and even death. With varying frequency, homosexuals are also subjected to extra-judicial beatings, rape, and murder, even in countries that have recently witnessed diminishing levels of homophobia. Those who condemn homophobia perceive it as prejudice or irrational fear, while its defenders are likely to view themselves as staunch champions of traditional values, morality, and civic order, if not civilization itself.

Same-sex attraction and associated sexual activities seem endemic to the human condition, and evidence of them is found far into antiquity. These activities have been treated with varying degrees of acceptance or tolerance in different societies over time. Some forms of what would today be considered homosexual activity were at times tolerated or even encouraged in ancient Greece, pre-Christian Rome, and among the Sambia of New Guinea, to list a few well-known examples. However, with the entrenchment in the West of Judeo-Christian doctrines, as variously interpreted, acceptance gave way at times to vehement condemnation backed up by draconian punishment, although there were also periods of Christian tolerance—even Catholic popes were known to have had male lovers. Other major world religions have been similarly ambivalent, and in some cases, scriptures or doctrines have been interpreted as condemning homosexuality. At the same time, most religions and denominations today have knowledgeable and faithful adherents who reject these interpretations as inaccurate, misguided, or as contrary to more fundamental values of the religion such as love, compassion, kindness to strangers, and the like. Other rationales for condemning homosexuality have included medical/biological, criminal/antisocial, and political reasons. Critics of homophobia contend that none of these can withstand rational scrutiny and are therefore mere rationalizations for irrational prejudice or worse.

The World Values Survey, which conducts comparative public opinion research in more than 55 countries representing more than 80% of the world's population, has found that hostility to homosexuals correlates highly with what it terms “survival” values, which also include other beliefs such as that money and hard work are very important, that a woman needs to have children to be fulfilled, that a child needs two parents, that obedience and respect for authority are the most important things to teach children, and that jobs should be reserved for members of one's own nationality. However, as economic insecurity declines, these beliefs tend to give way to more permissive “post-material” values. Accordingly, the most prosperous nations have generally experienced marked reductions in homophobia during the past 30 years, as evidenced in surveys as well as in legal changes prohibiting discrimination against homosexuals. However, several economically insecure nations have recently witnessed not only the maintenance but also even the intensification of persecution and criminal prosecution of homosexuals, often aided and abetted by anti-homosexual groups from Western countries such as The Fellowship, a conservative religio-political organization headquartered in the United States. Especially in the former colonial areas of Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, branding homosexuality as a loathsome foreign import can boost a politician's nationalistic and/or moralistic credentials. At the same time, these trends contribute to cultural polarization in relation to the sharply reduced homophobia experienced in the more prosperous countries.

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