Homonegativity

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Homonegativity is a term, proposed for use by Hudson and Ricketts in 1980 for description of a negative attitude towards homosexuality or homosexual people, instead of term homophobia.^[1] The term "homophobia" is perceived by them and by many other specialists as quite scientifically incorrect. It has strong psychiatric connotations with phobias, while the negative feelings and emotions against homosexuality or homosexual people are not usually fears, but, more frequently, hatred, or prejudice, or aversion to homosexuality and/or homosexuals. The term "homophobia" also has strong negative political meaning and is perceived as pejorative and loaded. Thus the new, more scientifically correct and politically neutral, term was needed for description of the phenomenon.

The exact meaning of term "homonegativity" is a subject of scientific discussion and disagreement. Hudson and Ricketts propose to use this term as descriptive for any negative attitude towards homosexuality (be it emotional, moral or intellectual disapproval), and undependently of sources of this attitude (be it based on religious, moral, ideological or other beliefs). They also propose to stop using "homophobia" in scientific context as it is a scientifically incorrect term. In their view, term "homonegativity" includes what was previously considered as "homophobia" and should be used instead of it.

Russian sexologist M.Beilkin proposes to use the term "homonegativity" only for intellectual disapproval of homosexuality, leaving the term "homophobia" for description of emotions and feelings towards homosexuality, such as fear, hatred, aversion. He does not feel the term "homophobia" as being totally incorrect and says that homophobia really exists and it is a distinct phenomenon. In this view, homonegativity and homophobia are distinct terms, describing different things.

Charles Socarides, a well-known proponent of so-called reparative therapy, says that it is scientifically incorrect to label as "homonegativity" any aversion to homosexuality which is based on traditional moral or religious views in their fullness. He says that homonegativity is a phenomenon which is really existent. But he thinks that the term must be narrowed to those who use religious or moral arguments to specifically target homosexuality or homosexuals, while not being so strict about other, unrelated to homosexuality, moral or religious normatives. Or to those who support or propose discrimination for homosexuals.

[edit] See also

• Homophobia
• Heterosexism
• Heteronormativity
• Heterophobia
• Biphobia

[edit] References

1. ^ Hudson, W. and Ricketts, W. (1980) A strategy for the measure of homophobia. Journal of Homosexuality, 5, 357–372.

[edit] Bibliography

1. Janice P Richmond, Hugh McKenna. Homophobia: an evolutionary analysis of the concept as applied to nursing. Journal of Advanced Nursing 1998 28:2 362
2. Scott W. VanderStoep, ​Charles W. Green. Religiosity and Homonegativism: A Path-Analytic Study. Basic and Applied Social Psychology 1988, Vol. 9, No. 2, Pages 135-147
3. Krane, V. (1997). Homonegativism experienced by lesbian collegiate athletes. Women in Sport and. Physical Activity Journal, 6, 141–164.
4. Wells, J. W., & Franken, M. L. (1987). University students' knowledge about and attitudes toward homosexuality. Journal of Humanistic Education and Development, 26(2), 81-9