Is the term homophobic wrong since a phobia is a fear.?

Yes, and thank you for bringing it up, I've always hated that term. I know tons of people who don't like gays for whatever reason, but I've never met anyone who was afraid of them.

No, it's just misleading. A phobia is an irrational fear or loathing, not just any old fear. An irrational fear or loathing of a minority group is called prejudice.

If you find it offensive then you've got issues. If you find it disagreeable, why? Finding same-sex 'activities' a turn off is one thing (I'm the same with opposite sex activities) but having issues with same-sex relationships based purely on the fact that you think it is somehow wrong is homophobic.

There are some people among the mexican/latino community that i know are actual Homophobes, When you mention a guy/guy or girl/girl relationship they are ready to jump ship. They change the subject or just get mad for no apparent reason.

You can say it is a wrong term and your right. Then again we live in a country where we vote an idiot into presidential office and a movie star into california congress, so we are bound to make stupid words up.

Homophobia goes just beyond that. Those who are do not just find it offensive, it also includes the fear that the person has some of those traits and therefore must over -compensate. It is an unreasonable fear as homosexuality is not a virus and you can't catch it.

You are thinking of phobia as in the clinical term, not as in the non-medical sense in which case it means aversion towards. A number of terms with the suffix -phobia are primarily understood as negative attitudes towards certain categories of people or other things, used in an analogy with the medical usage of the term. Usually these kinds of "phobias" are described as fear, dislike, disapproval, prejudice, hatred, discrimination, or hostility towards the object of the "phobia". Often this attitude is based on prejudices and is a particular case of general xenophobia.

The fear comes from ignorance. A lot of str8 people actually think that becasue I am gay I must be attracted to every man I see. Another thing some people say is that I must be a pervert wanting sex with boys or even male dogs and horses! The worst thing they fear is that they might enjoy having sex with a gay man. Because they know it is "wrong" to be gay, if they have any sexual pleasure with a man then they would be wrong too. So they want to avoid everything gay. Usually they laugh loudest at crude gay jokes or tell the crudest ones themselves. They fear liking it but they fear us liking them even more.

My Uncle was a farmer and one day he came to our house for a visit. We have a parrott who whistles a lot and she was whistling that day. I whistled back to her, which made her whistle even more, and my Uncle actually thought I was whistling at him. I was horrified when I realized he thought I found him attractive! Well, he was an ignorant man and never made an effort to understand my sexuality so he lived in fear of it.

Hope this helps... Rob R

Actually, I believe there is a 'fear' attached to the word homophobic because they are afraid of 'the unknown'...the things they don't understand. Personally, I don't care for the word 'homosexual' at all...going out for a beer or going out to play hockey...if all the players are male...is a homosexual activity. I would much prefer the word...homogenital... meaning that we are attracted to those members of our own gender sexually. I think a lot of the words heterosexual people use for gays are meant to be derogatory/hurtful as a way to make us want to "change our ways". They find it very difficult to understand it isn't a choice...and even asking them if they chose to be straight doesn't convince them. Oh well.

I'm am a proud phobia because had it not be for phobia I would have be gay, have aids, and so on. They say being around gays does not make you gay well just look at the growing numbers of gays.Being around people with aids doesn't give you aids, again I advise you to look at the growing number of aids. Ask all the certified Doctors of prove that being expose to things does not have an effect on any living organs. Ask them why the wear mask when attended to some highly contagious patient.

Phobia refers to more than just fear.

pho·bi·a (fō'bē-ə) Pronunciation Key

n.

A persistent, abnormal, and irrational fear of a specific thing or situation that compels one to avoid it, despite the awareness and reassurance that it is not dangerous.

A strong fear, dislike, or aversion.

Many people fit this description, and are homophobic, even if they aren't necessarily "scared".

it seems wrong because usually homophobics are far more hateful than they are fearful. but i agree with the fearful part because some of them are raised in environments where they're taught it's wrong. so if they have gay feelings themselves, they fear them and dont know how to react. thus acting out in hateful and harmful ways to try and prove to others around them and possibly to themselves, that their straight arrows. any form of intolerance is offensive and disagreeable.

I'm afraid of gays but I don't want to persecute them, nor do I want to be guilty by association by being seen with any homosexuals. So, yes, I'm afraid of them. Homophobic. I'm not going to punch them or anything. There's no anger, just fear.