Gay fear
Often when I use the word homophobia—especially in spaces that aren’t exclusively leftist—someone challenges my usage, saying that it isn’t an accurate term, that it isn’t a truefear.
Except I argue that the synonyms homophobia actually does explain a real fear.
People who express (or even feel) homophobia are afraid of what the presence of gay people means for society in general and even are afraid of others perceiving them as gay.
They’re afraid that marriage equality will “destroy the family”.
They’re afraid of entity overwhelmed by queerness: that queer sexualities are organism “shoved down their throat” or that “there are too many” identities and initials in the 2SLGBTQQIA acronym too keep road of.
They describe queerness as “a lifestyle” and are afraid that this lifestyle will erase their hold. They’re afraid of their children being gay, or more specifically being turned gay.
They’re afraid of people thinking they’re gay, particularly if they’re a dude. It’s why they dodge pink, why they don’t stand too close at public urinals, why they don’t wear jewellery or skirts or makeup, why they don’t have lingering hugs with other men.
It’s why they react so abruptly to
Even in States Where You’re Supposed to ‘Say Gay,’ Anxiety Often Outweighs the Law
'Inclusive curriculum' laws are supposed to create welcoming college climates for LGBTQ and other marginalized students. Making it work is really hard
By Beth Hawkins
This story first appeared at The 74, a nonprofit news site covering awareness. Sign up for free newsletters from The 74 to get more love this in your inbox.
Lost amid headlines about hundreds of bills seeking to curtail protections for LGBTQ students over the last five years is a surprising fact: More LGBTQ teens exist in states that require schools to teach LGBTQ people’s historical and cultural contributions to culture than in places that ban their mention in classrooms.
More than 1 in 4 queer 13- to 17-year-olds join school in the seven states that now mandate this inclusive instruction, versus 20% who stay in the 20 states that contain passed what advocates call Don’t Utter Gay laws.
Research shows schools are safest for LGBTQ children and educators, and that students grasp best, when they see themselves in classroom materials. They are far less likely to overhear homophobic and transphobic slurs, to notice
My Fear of Creature Gay
It started in sixth grade.
I used to flip through Limited Too catalogs, fixating on the pretty, female models and think, Do I have a crush on these girls? Am I attracted to them? Horrified by myself, I'd close the magazine and tuck my knees to my chest in an attempt to comfort my acidic stomach.
I'm not gay, am I?
Religious expectations, coupled with my own outside force, exacerbated this obsession with my sexuality (binge watching Will and Grace didn't support either). I vividly remember my eleven-year-old self walking through a local park with my mom and mustering up the courage to broach the subject. Her resulting horror shut me down immediately. I didn't know how to explain to her that this was a fear, and not a reality.
In high school, my fear of homosexuality reignited after my first boyfriend dumped me. I feared having crushes on my female friends, my female teachers, or females connected with my previous lover. It drove me crazy and I felt compelled to tell my friends about my anxieties. Despite this urge, the only person I told was my mom. Her reaction was unchanged since our chat years before. Still shocked, she advised me not to tell an
Why am I afraid of my sexuality changing?
It’s completely normal to question your sexuality—many people undertake at some point in their lives. However, if you locate yourself constantly obsessing over your sexuality, experiencing recurrent intrusive thoughts, and having intense anxiety, it could be a sign of a mental health condition. Excessive fears about your sexuality align with a common subtype of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) known as sexual orientation OCD (SO-OCD).
SO-OCD is much different from genuinely exploring your sexuality and reflecting on who you are attracted to. With OCD, the brain seeks 100% certainty about who you’re attracted to—something that’s very unlikely to attain.
Keep reading to acquire more about how SO-OCD differs from healthy self-exploration and how to find the right support.
What is sexual orientation OCD?
SO-OCD is a subtype of obsessive-compulsive disorder focused on concerns about your sexual orientation. OCD is characterized by a cycle of obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are repeated, unwanted intrusive thoughts, sensations, images, or feelings, and compulsions are repetitive behaviors or mental acts performed to neutralize the obsessio