2 million lesbian, gay, and bisexual middle and high school students have
been the “frequent” targets of homophobic harassment in school, often
by the teachers and staff (Bochenek and Brown, 2001).
The systematic devaluation of same-sex desire and behavior, the
stigma attached to being gay, becomes a crucial element in one’s identity
(Plummer, 1992). Homophobia constricts gay and lesbian experience
because gays are painfully aware that they are not seen as equal—only
because of the gender of their partner. But we are often less aware of the
power of homophobia to structure the experiences and identities of het-
erosexuals. Heterosexuals, especially men, spend a significant amount of
time and energy making sure that no one gets the “wrong” idea about
them. For men, the stakes are enormously high: Being “accused” of being
gay, even for a moment, implies that they are less than fully masculine.
In an interview in 2001, Eminem was asked why his raps almost
always included derogatory references to “faggots.” In response, he said:The lowest degrading thing you can say to a man... is to call him a faggot and
try to take away his manhood. Call him a sissy, call him a punk. “Faggot” to me
doesn’t necessarily mean gay people. “Faggot” to me just means taking away your
manhood. (cited in Kim, 2001, p. 5)Because they mistakenly assume that all gay men are feminine and lesbians
masculine, heterosexuals also demonstrate that they are “not gay” by exaggerating
gender-stereotyped behavior. In this way, homophobia reinforces the gender of sex,
keeping men acting hypermasculine and women acting ultrafeminine. “Heterosexual-
ity as currently construed and enacted (the erotic preference for the other gender)
requires homophobia,” write sex researchers John Gagnon and Stuart Michaels (1989).Sexual Minority Communities
In response to sexual inequality, people with minority sexual orientations often band
together, both to find suitable partners and to escape the hostility of the mainstream
society. If there are enough of them and they manage to find each other, they can form336 CHAPTER 10SEXUALITY
The vocal antigay statements of some
Christian denominations sometimes make
us think that all organized religion is
antigay, but in fact religious bodies were
instrumental in the gay liberation
movement of the 1970s, and today a
number of Christian churches permit gay
members and clergy, including the Episcopal
Church, the United Church of Christ, the
Disciples of Christ, the Lutheran Church
(ELCA), the Presbyterian Church in America,
and the American Baptists. In all, about 30
percent of Protestants in the United States
belong to gay-friendly denominations.Didyouknow
?
The Heterosexual Questionnaire
In the 1980s, a young writer named Michael Rochlin
composed a questionnaire to illustrate the impact of
homophobia on the way heterosexuals understand
sexuality. Among the questions:1.What do you think caused your heterosexuality?
2.When and how did you first decide you were a
heterosexual?
3.Is it possible your heterosexuality is just a phase you may
grow out of?
4.Is it possible your heterosexuality stems from a neurotic fear
of others of the same sex?- To whom have you disclosed your heterosexual tendencies?
How did they react? - Why do you heterosexuals feel compelled to seduce others
into your lifestyle? - Why do you insist on flaunting your heterosexuality? Can’t
you just be what you are and keep it quiet? - A disproportionate majority of child molesters are heterosex-
uals. Do you consider it safe to expose your children to het-
erosexual teachers? - With all the societal support marriage receives, the divorce
rate is spiraling. Why are there so few stable relationships
among heterosexuals?
Sociologyand ourWorld