Homophobia

Rating:
Summary: The Psychopathology of Homophobia Illuminated--90% At Least
Review: The richest psychological study to date of thisproblem. Moreover, the author's unique contribution is to complexlyINTERWEAVE homophobia and psychopathology. He holds up twin mirrors, each refracting the other. One mirror hilights all the warps and tangles of this phobia, rarely spotlit in such depth. The other reflects all the major psychiatric disorders (obsession, paranoia, etc.). So the disorders embody the phobia which illuminates the disorders. (Incidentally this twin vision makes the book a fine armchair-textbook in general psychiatry for the amateur reader.) And, SPECIFICS. Kantor not only articulates the concepts, he also supplies concrete examples to show our culture's non-rational hatred-and-fear of homosexuals. His specific anecdotes (the ignoring policeman, the hostile checkout-clerk, the vindictive co-worker, etc.) really bring home how ugly "queer-fear" is by putting human faces on this misbehavior.

My single QUALIFICATION is that the book seems to solely discuss psychiatric causes/types of homophobia, and thus it may shortchange probable sociocultural causes of the malady. It doesn't dismiss such, merely overlooks them. True, it briefly discusses religion, etc. But isn't some "homophobia" caused by our being socialized, early and unconsciously, into norms of heterosexism plus aversion to the unspeakable (the queer)? Just as some male chauvinism and white racism are picked up insidiously in the air we breathe? For, other cultures demonstrate much less homophobia (Thailand, parts of Europe); others, much more (Islam, others). So, I suggest that many people are "homophobes" via social conditioning, unlike the 'phobes in Dr. Kantor's book who are so via psychogenic illness. (You are gay, your best friend shuns you, temporarily at least.....Your parents disown or ostracise you.....are these bad responses caused by psychogenic illness, or by counterproductive social learning which can be unlearned, if slowly?) HOWEVER, my criticism should not disqualify this valuable, indeed essential, book. I would simply offer today's "integrative" perspective which seeks many causes, many levels (psychological, social, economic, historical, etc.) to many complex problems. And indeed it's still a sickness, even if socially caused--culture can be a "standardization of error," after all. But to assume 100% of folks initially averse to gays/lesbians are psychogenically sick, might possibly block needed insights into culturally-learned maladaptions.

OTHER BOOKS on homophobia do exist. Warren Blumenfeld's "Homophobia: How We All Pay The Price" is pragmatic. T. McNaron's "Poisoned Ivy" relates to colleges/universities. But the whole issue is still under-examined. Why? Scrutinizing homophobia can help (1) examine gender, (2) help teach how to confront any sensitive social issue better, but especially (3) can be RELEVANT TODAY. As I write this, "the gay thing" is frothing up. The American military stumbles about with it. The Boy Scouts feel unmanned by it. Gay youth are bashed by it, even with Gay-Straight Alliances in high schools--which in turn disturb some parents. Same-sex marriage is pre-emptively blocked by legislation. Sure, things will improve; "yesterday's heresy is today's commonplace and tomorrow's orthodoxy." But to help us all get liberated from this "dragon" fear (=scary, but non-existent in fact), Kantor's book can only help in major ways. END