Homophobia

Homophobia refers to an irrational, exaggerated, and unfair fear or hatred of someone due to their sexual orientation. Homophobia can also be an unreasonable fear of developing homosexual feelings or embarrassment when people acknowledge one as gay (Hiebert 489). This problem emerges since some people will always oppose someone’s lifestyle or self-disapprove their life decisions. These individuals may choose to express their homophobic habits directly through insults, intimidation and physical attacks or indirectly by ignoring the interests of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) (O’Brien and McEvoy 4). Significant progress has occurred in the modern world as some nations (the United States, Britain, and Canada) have legalized same-sex marriage, while others (Australia, South Africa and so forth) protect or recognize those engaging in gay relations (Hiebert 488). Nonetheless, tensions remain between the LGBT community and the rest of the society since some people still consider homosexuality as an abnormality. Homophobia is, therefore, an unnecessary, but pressing issue, which causes hate among people, an aspect that poses grave implications within the community.

Argument
Homophobia should not exist in today’s world since it serves as a form of oppression that wrongly controls the LGBT community. This issue has existed as a political device since the colonial period, where the colonial empires banned same-sex relations to control people’s cultural identity and lifestyles and subsequently make them dependent (Seo 42).

The same trend exists today, with political leaders using homophobia to push their political agenda without considering its adverse effects on the LGBT community. For example, in Uganda, most leaders who have exceeded their terms encourage homophobia particularly during re-election periods, as a mechanism to distract people from real issues affecting them (Seo 42). Such a homophobic approach has become popular among Ugandan leaders as it gives an illusion that positive change is occurring, when in a real sense, the public, especially the LGBT community increasingly suffers. Furthermore, Ugandan leaders encourage homophobia by arguing that homosexuality is a kind of Western imperialism (Seo 42). As a result, homophobia is a lethal tool that politicians to not only control and inhibit the LGBT society but also deceive them.
Additionally, homophobia is a form of oppression, which causes social injustice. Social injustice is the act of using social power to deny others (sexual minorities) their freedom, dignity, and products of their labor (Hiebert 490). Homophobia causes the LGBT to suffer from a limitation of their ability to fulfill their needs or express their feelings, thoughts, and wishes. This restraint mainly occurs because homophobia makes heterosexuals to deny the LGBT community key opportunities or influences the LGBT to doubt themselves (Hiebert 490). Consequently, homophobia is wrong in the society as it uses social power to limit the development of some section of the society (the LGBT community). What is worse, this limitation on the LGBT people is unjust and unwarranted.
This social issue can also lead to an unnecessary rejection of individuals by their families and friends, as well as the rest of the society. Such dismissal forces LGBT individuals to rely on families of their choosing to survive. LGBT youth, in particular, are more likely to receive rejection when they are most vulnerable, and this may render them homeless. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 40% of the homeless youth are sexual minorities (CDC 1). These sexual minorities find themselves homeless because of their sexual orientation, which exposes them to additional risks. For example, a 2009 survey found out that LGBT youth who faced denunciation from their households were eight times more vulnerable to suicide, and six times more likely to become victims of depression (CDC 1). Moreover, these young individuals were three times more likely to consume illicit substances and engage in risky sex (CDC 1). On the other hand, the interactions that young LGBT adults have with homophobic individuals may make them isolate or alienate themselves more (Irwin 73). For this reason, homophobia can be harsh for young LGBT individuals who are trying to identify themselves. This phenomenon makes them more vulnerable to social ills and thus, should be avoided.
The society should also eradicate homophobia since it pauses deadly implications on the LGBT community. Homophobia causes these threats because it results in stigma, which is bad for the physical and cognitive wellbeing of sexual minorities (Hatzenbuehler et al. 33). Case in point, research by Hatzenbuehler et al. (41) indicates that sexual minorities who reside in areas with high homophobia suffer from a lower life expectancy than their counterparts in regions with little homophobia. In particular, Hatzenbuehler et al. (41) find out that between 1988 and 2008, only 78% of LGBT individuals residing in high-prejudice areas were alive compared to 92% of their peers in low-prejudice regions. Such a disparity occurs due to elevated rates of cardiovascular illnesses, violence, and suicide within high-prejudice communities. This life expectancy occurs irrespective of crucial mortality factors, such as age, education, and income (Hatzenbuehler et al. 41). Homophobia also poses dangerous effects to LGBT individuals as it limits their access to proper health care, influences them to engage in risky activities like suicide attempts, substance abuse and unprotected sexual activities (CDC 1). Besides that, homophobia may make it hard for sexual minorities to have long-term sexual relations or reveal their sexuality, and this can lead to stress, health risks (HIV/AIDS and STIs) and minimal social support (CDC 1). For this reason, homophobia may cause premature death since it encourages prejudice, marginalization, and discrimination, which expose LGBT people to stress, vulnerability and diseases, which lead to mortality.
Homophobia is also dangerous and unwarranted because its effects go beyond the LGBT community to include LGBT families. In other words, homophobia affects not only LGBT people but also their loved ones, particularly the youth. The United States Census Bureau indicates that LGBT parents raise approximately 10 million children (Rimalower and Caty 17). Young people with LGBT families face similar challenges from homophobia as any other LGBT person notwithstanding their gender identity or sexual orientation (Thompson 37). What is worse, the youth face these challenges at a vulnerable point in their lives, which expose them to additional problems. For instance, a young boy may realize that he is the only one without a mom and dad. This revelation may be troubling to the child especially if his friends ridicule his family setup due to homophobia. The child may struggle to understand why his peers treat him as different and decide to either act out or withdraw (Thompson 37). Similarly, the young boy may face a more direct and violent response from his peers, and this may adversely affect his studies and livelihood (Thompson 37). For example, the young boy with LGBT parents may face harassment, rejection, taunting, and stigmatization from his peers. This child may also have a rough time as his peers may assume that he has a similar sexual orientation as his parents (Rimalower and Caty 25). Such an assumption may forcefully define him. Therefore, homophobia poses a severe threat to even non-LGBT people as it may make them doubt their existence in the world.
Further, because of this effect on the youth, homophobia may also negatively affect the parenting of LGBT couples in different ways. Firstly, homophobia may undermine the parenting rights of same-sex couples as it is continuously becoming a political tool. That is, political leaders are using homophobia to question the existence of LGBT people, subsequently limiting their ability to raise their children. Secondly, homophobia challenges parenting rights as it forces LGBT parents to pay more attention to the dialogue about homophobic bullying and its societal role, rather than focus on the reality of bullying. In other words, homophobia makes LGBT parents fear that by acknowledging homophobic harassment, they would be conceding to the thorny issue of LGBT identity (Rimalower and Caty 24). Thirdly, homophobia threatens the parenting of LGBT couples as it links it to faulty parenting. For example, homophobic stereotypes assume that lesbians are less nurturing than heterosexual females and this may discourage LGBT couples from raising families (Rimalower and Caty 26).
Homophobia is further unnecessary in the modern society as it is bad for development. This social problem affects a person’s development as it can negatively determine their level of income, the possibility of acquiring and keeping a job, as well as the capacity to have and maintain health insurance (CDC 1). For example, one soccer star (Graeme La Saux) reveals that he almost abandoned his career because of homophobic bullying. Saux suffered from depression, doubted himself and lost his eagerness to train. All these homophobic memories have stuck and unfairly define him (Hudson 1). Homophobia can limit the development of a nation as well. For instance, homophobia has led to numerous development problems, such as unemployment, high living costs, high taxation and low wages, in Uganda since it creates an illusion of development when nothing positive is occurring in the economy (Seo 42). As a consequence, the United Nations ranks Uganda as one of the least developing nations globally. Homophobia should thus be avoided since it is causing more harm than good to the society.
Additionally, homophobia limits development as it adversely affects critical sectors of the economy like health care. Homophobia has both a direct and indirect impact on attitudes and policies within the healthcare sector. For instance, because of homophobia, a majority of people may choose to define health issues affecting the LGBT community as marginal or inconsequential since they only concern a small portion of the society (Irwin 73). Furthermore, homophobia may hurt health care delivery especially in cases that require people to reveal their marital or relationship statuses. In such situations, LGBT individuals may feel unwanted or invisible, and in worst scenarios, have no access to valuable information or decision-making capabilities about the care of their loved ones (Irwin 73). Homophobia may also make LGBT healthcare workers feel unsafe or unappreciated in their work due to homophobic bullying, discrimination, and rejection (Irwin 73). All these negative impacts of homophobia on health care affect development since they challenge the people’s health, which is a crucial contributing factor to growth.
Today’s society should avoid homophobia as it also poses numerous restraints on heterosexuals. That is, because of homophobia, almost everyone is modifying their behavior to avoid appearing or being recognized as gay. Nowadays, people choose not to wear some attire, not to reveal their favorite songs or movies, or even teach their children to avoid certain toys and possessions due to homophobia (Hudson 1). As a result, homophobia prompts a fearful response from a majority of people, who pass on this fear to younger generations. The agony that the LGBT community faces, inevitably affects the rest of the society. Homophobia, therefore, oppresses the oppressor. People should address this problem as it threatens to convert almost all members of the community into victims.
Conclusion
It is clear from the evidence presented that homophobia is a thorn in the society’s flesh. It affects not only the LGBT community but also the rest of the society. On the one hand, homophobia oppresses, limits the ability, causes unwarranted rejection, and negatively impacts the health of the LGBT community. On the other hand, homophobia causes restraints on LGBT families, challenges the parenting of LGBT couples, inhibits development in numerous ways and forces almost everyone to modify their habits for fear of being called or considered ‘gay.’ People should, therefore, come together to fight homophobia and eradicate it from the modern world. It is an unwarranted, but grave issue as it causes one of the biggest evils (hatred) in the society.

Works Cited
BIBLIOGRAPHY CDC. “Stigma and Discrimination.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 29 February 2016. 10 January 2018. https://www.cdc.gov/msmhealth/stigma-and-discrimination.htm.
Hatzenbuehler, Mark L., et al. “Structural Stigma and All-Cause Mortality in Sexual Minority Populations.” Social Science & Medicine 103 (2014): 33-41. PubMed. 10 January 2018. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3818511/.
Hiebert, Dennis. “Is it Homophobia or Homoppression?” Canadian Review of Sociology/Revue Canadienne de Sociologie 53.4 (2016): 488-492. Wiley Online Library. 10 January 2018. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cars.12131/full.
Hudson, David. “Homophobia Doesn’t Just Oppress Gay People, It Affects Us All.” The Independent. 30 January 2014. 10 January 2018. http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/homophobia-doesnt-just-oppress-gay-people-it-affects-us-all-9088207.html.
Irwin, Lyn. “Homophobia and Heterosexism: Implications for Nursing and Nursing Practice.” Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing 25.1 (2007): 70-76. 10 January 2018. http://www.ajan.com.au/vol25/vol25.1-10.pdf
O’Brien, Carol-Anne, and Olivia McEvoy. Addressing Homophobia Guidelines for the Youth Sector in Ireland. Dublin: BeLonG To Youth Services, 2010.
Rimalower, Lucy, and Caren Caty. “The Mamas and The Papas: The Invisible Diversity of Families with Same‐Sex Parents in The United States.” Sex Education 9.1 (2009): 17-32. Taylor & Francis Online. 10 January 2018. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14681810802639921
Seo, Hyeon-Jae. “The Origins and Consequences of Uganda’s Brutal Homophobia.” Harvard International Review 38.3 (2017): 42-43. Harvard International Review. 10 January 2018. http://hir.harvard.edu/article/?a=14531
Thompson, Carolyn. “The Struggles, Experiences, and Needs of Children in LGBTQ Families.” Diversity Factor 15.3 (2007): 36-42. 10 January 2018. http://www.ctthompsonconsulting.com/uploads/3/8/8/4/38842185/diversity_factor_article_-_august_2007_-_edited.pdf.