Something occurred to me while I was covering Pride this last week.
We march in solidarity with the LGBTQ2S+ community to show support and help people who may frequently feel marginalized by others to remember they are loved and have a place on this Earth.
Those who engage in these marginalizing behaviours often identify themselves as homophobes or more recently transphobes. Another example of this are people who call themselves Islamophobes.
This is all just semantic lipstick. None of these are traditional phobias — describe as a “a persistent, excessive, unrealistic fear of an object, person, animal, activity or situation.” For example, someone with arachnophobia is usually paralyzed in terror if they’re aware a spider is present. They typically can’t function and have to leave the room. Most arachnophobes are acutely aware there’s very little a spider can do to hurt them — it’s an irrational fear. Lastly, to be recognized as an arachnophobe you typically need to be diagnosed by a professional.
Aside from trauma survivors who could very well develop legitimate fears of people who resemble someone who hurt them in their past, I‘m pretty sure the vast majority of people who claim they’re homophobic or transphobic have not seen a doctor about it. They’re using politically correct terms to mask their discrimination.
Nearly across the board I would say people in the LGBTQ2S+ community have far more to be worried about homophobes and transphobes than the other way around. In the riding of Lacombe-Panoka Alberta last month, a political candidate made national news after a speech she made comparing children who’s lifestyle she disagreed with to putting feces in a smoothie. She won the election overwhelmingly and is now collecting an MLA’s paycheque. This year saw a swathe of reports from across the country of parents keeping kids home to “protest” Pride Day — which effectively proves these are taught behaviours, not medical conditions.
Really, if anyone should have a “phobia” here it’s the LGBTQ2S+ community, since politicians can build entire careers attacking LGBTQ2S+ people. We’re watching this happen in real time all across North America. The simple fact is there is not one government on this planet attempting to impose LGBTQ2S+ culture on the masses. At most, a select few acknowledge the community and the wealth they bring to our world.
Claims socially functional straight people are legitimately scared of people they never interact with are disingenuous — they’re masks for other intentions. These are folks who feel they have a “right” to treat others poorly because they’re different, and when society tells them they can’t do that anymore they claim they’re being treated the way they want to treat others. Among the more extreme examples, an outspoken anti-vaccination activist made international headlines several years back for comparing the Pride flag to a prominent Nazi symbol. The differences between the two should be obvious to anyone not clouded by hatred.
If anything, the extreme backlash against LGBTQ2S+ self actualization should be our primary concern. There are individuals who are determined to prevent other individuals — whom they do not know or interact with — from enjoying their lives. And they’re determined to get their way — Florida’s governor is now making a presidential run on a platform entirely built on anti-LGBTQ2S+ rhetoric.
Meanwhile, our LGTBTQ2S+ friends just want to have happy families, live in peace and dance like no one’s watching.
Let’s stop giving the haters shelter.
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AUTHOR’S NOTE: I have intentionally excluded the names of the individuals used as examples to avoid giving them further infamy. All these incidents are easily googled if you wish to study further.