People often assert that they are not homophobes while also opposing gay rights. I wonder what they mean by this.
Wikipedia, clearly the leading authority on the subject, defines homophobia as "a term used to refer to a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards lesbian, gay and in some cases bisexual, transgender people and behavior, although these are usually covered under other terms such as biphobia and transphobia." The Anti-Defamation League used a more focused definition, "Homophobia is the hatred or fear of homosexuals - that is, lesbians and gay men - sometimes leading to acts of violence and expressions of hostility." Then there's Merriam-Webster weighing in with "irrational fear of, aversion to, or discrimination against homosexuality or homosexuals."
Clearly, there is no real consensus on what constitutes homophobia. Maybe Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart's remark about pornography, "I know it when I see it," applies here.
So, what's your definition of homophobia? How do you know when someone is a homophobe?
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