Homophobia In Masculinity And Sexism

The function of Homophobia in masculinity and sexism Growing up, men are faced with the continual threat of being seen as gay and the continuous challenge of proving that they are not gay. In short, boys and men are kept in line by homophobia. Step outside the boundaries of masculine behavior and you’re immediately faced with verbal and physical attack. According to the Anti – Defamation League, Homophobia is the hatred or fear of homosexuals- that is, lesbians and gay men- sometimes leading to acts of violence and expressions of hostility (2001). Homophobia locks all people into rigid and gendered ways of being that inhibit creativity and self-expression. It comprises the integrity and humanity of heterosexual people by pressuring them to

Homophobia is a constitutive part of heterosexual masculinities, and this involves the expulsion or denial of homoerotic desire (Epstein & Johnson, 1994: 204). Homophobia is defined as a negative attitude toward individuals because of their sexual orientation (Herek, 2000). Homophobia is an important topic to study because it can lead to violent behaviors against homosexuals and/or can lead to severe depression and even suicide of homosexuals. Homosexuality is a topic that should be approached with great sensitivity in today’s culture. Homophobia leads men to limit their loving and close friendships with other men. The fear of being identified as a "poofter" leads men to behave in hyper masculine and aggressive ways and to close up emotionally. Specifically, gender self-discrepancy, attribute importance,

The Gender attributes importance is defined as how significant sex stereotypes are their sex identity. Homophobic is linked with traditional views of gender roles and since birth we are subjected to gender stereotypes. Such as pink is for girls, blue is for boys. Ballet is for girls, rugby is for boys. Dolls are for girls, trucks are for boys. Boys, girls, men and woman are expected to behave in certain ways and these expectations are placed upon us from a very early age. Some of the gender norms prescribed by our society for men include, being physically strong, not emotional, rational, heterosexuality that must be constantly proven, and other perceived masculine qualities. Homophobia reduces the likelihood that heterosexual men will interact with gay men, thereby ruling out opportunities for the attitude change that often occurs through such contact. Kimmel & Amy (2008) view hegemonic masculinity as a social ideal of a real man, described by society as young, married, white, and protestant, urban, heterosexual, white of college education, good complexion, height, and weight and employed. They argue that any male who does not have any of the described character traits should consider himself as inferior or unworthy. Gender is an ever present force that defines daily behavior of human