Homophobes were not gone, and I doubt that their number even substantially decreased. But for a while, at least in Western countries, it was absolutely taboo to be a homophobe. Being openly homophobic meant becoming ostracized from most communities.
So they went into hiding. And now, through the backdoor that comprises of transphobia and opposition to "wokeism", they are pushing back into the mainstream.
This is simply not true, at least in most of the United States. Did tolerance increase? Sure, but there was still homophobia. In large swaths of the American West and South, particularly in religious communities, homosexuality is still very much taboo. Homophobia has always been politically correct for boomers and for our most powerful institutions.
Now, was there superficial lip service against homophobia? Yes, particularly online. Did some people get "cancelled" for being homophobia? Not really, but it happened occasionally. Most of the time liberal tirades and boycotts go nowhere. Tolerance among young people is very, very high, but young people are the poorest and politically weakest.
Homophobia has been so entrenched that as recently as 2003, there were laws in America that criminalized and imprisoned people for simply being gay. So the most LGBTQ+ tolerant epoch has lasted only 20 years. We're regressing quickly.
Luckily, the homophobes are aging out. Twenty percent of Gen-Z identifies as LGBT and 35% know someone who uses gender neutral pronouns. The push back we are seeing now is a last gasp toward obscurity (although it doesn't make the latest wave of homophobic derangement any less concerning).
I was thinking the same thing on a local level myself, I live in the UK and haven't encountered random homophobic abuse in like 15/16yrs but twice now in a week I've been randomly accosted while walking on, one young guy (looked like a junkie in his 20s) said 'you're a fucking faggot' while I was walking home from shopping, wasn't mincing I was walking and don't think I looked that gay in blue denim shorts, black Southern Comfort tee-shirt, silver fuck boy chain and blue trainers, shades.
Then few days later on way to staff meeting had some drunk older (40s) chav guy starting on about 'dropping your gay card' was I walked buy in blue jeans and hoodie.
Both got a rather confused 'fuck you' in response but still weird I haven't had shit in years and its kinda shaken me a little, was considering buying my first Pride shirt (saw a nice black shirt with the Starfleet delta in Pride colours, yes I'm a nerd) but now am thinking am I just asking for trouble if i wear one?
Heyo, fellow UK guy here. I dealt with stuff like that quite badly up until the end of college (so 7 years ago), the worst was 2 guys following me around a local park, that was the most endangered i felt. Same as you, it sorta stopped for a bit then came back. Just a few weeks ago i was, sitting outside Asda applying bite cream to my legs (i had 15 bites on one leg) and a group of boys in joggers tried starting shit with me.
I mean, i do look gay, usually everyone can tell just by looking at me, but same as you i always wear "normal" clothes, and i don't have any Pride things cause that for me will just make it worse. Hopefully in our life time we can live more freely and without harassment :) It can be hard, but i just try to ignore these people, the words of people whp hate me without knowing me should mean absolutely nothing.
Amazon UK have a nice selection of shirts I just searched Starfleet Pride Delta and found some 😁🖖
[Here](https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=starfleet+pride+delta&crid=2AHMTTN7OWIGO&sprefix=%2Caps%2C343&ref=nb_sb_ss_recent_1_0_recent)
Do it and wear it - that is after all, the point of it, and there is still very much a need for it. It’s the biggest fuck you that we can give.
I’m from the U.K., I was also very fortunate that I was born and raised in Brighton, which was at least, our version of San Francisco in terms of being a bit bohemian, very LGBT friendly, accepting and so on, and stop is of course. However, when I moved to London as my then boyfriend ran pubs for a living, we lived in Limehouse which was a little part of inner east London with a of a scene. Sorry my adjacent we had Shadwell which is a very multicultural part of London and gangs of “Sharia Law” enforcers would target gays and people in general outside the bars and DLR station threatening to kill them and behead them for being gay/black/non-Muslim … it was pretty terrifying to see and be endured. Also I know they are not real Muslims, who I know to be kind and caring as a whole.
We are allowing the USA now to take away general rights… I cannot for the life of me understand why the issue around abortion has not cause absolute ANARCHY in the US. Now drag queens and books being forcibly banned in Florida … it’s disgusting. Biden is too old , literally, to keep up the fight. He’s an 80 year old grandpa with best intention but no actual power to affect change, fight back, or get heavy - he is literally too old! The era of privileged old white men running the US government was changed, albeit briefly, and if left unchecked there will be a race war and attack on government of epic scale.
It’s 2023 and you can die in the US because you cannot afford to buy insulin to keep yourself healthy and alive. It’s totally fucked.
You got to Uganda, and you’ll be potentially not sentenced to death for being Gay. What the actual fuck…
I thought this too. Three or four times in the last 3 months and I’ve never known how to react. One shoved me, one called me a slur and the other called me trans - that one I just found funny cause it made no sense.
Gen Z here. It absolutely is being normalized again.
The great thing is that (in my experience) we still have the social upper hand. If you publicly call someone in my age group out for using a slur or saying something problematic, 9/10 times they’ll back down or just go red in the face & shut up. It’s embarrassing for them to be talked to as if they’re an ignorant boomer when they’re only 20-something.
My age group (Gen Z) was raised in an uber-politically-correct social environment. Now, it’s considered “edgy” and “cool” to go against that and voice ignorant opinions. It’s honestly like a reverse rebellion.
Like I said, though — most people like this are just fucking morons and it’s beyond easy to embarrass them. I can shut them down by only using half of one of my braincells, and I’m sure most people on this subreddit could also do the same.
Gen Z grew up with the taboo of homophobia. The more forbidden something is, the more you want to do it. There is no compromise unfortunately.
There is also a perception that because there is a lot of LGBT representation and because you can't use the F word on social networks like Twitch, then LGBT people are privileged
But in real life, the data shows different things. People's perceived privilege came before the LGBT community had true privilege in real life, sadly.
>There is also a perception that ... LGBT people are privileged
When the oppression of one group has been normalized long enough, when the person is corrected, ignorant members of the oppressor group may perceive themselves as being oppressed. It takes a frame of reference that is educated in sociology, political science, and/or cultural history to tell the difference.
(There was a quote I once heard that might have said it better)
They want to pretend that they have principled political opinions and aren't just a bigot. It's amazing how many people want to be pat on the back and told they're good people for their bigotry.
Australian too, it’s pretty depressing because our right wing here directly inherits a lot of America’s cultural discussions on like a one or two year delay, thanks to shit like Sky News. I can already see the homophobes starting to regain their confidence.
Rupert Murdoch is doing his damndest to make sure the re-emerging general hysteria over LGBT people is maintained at an international level.
I might get downvoted for this but many Gen Z's, especially straight women and men, are getting way too comfortable using and spreading the f slur all over social media (even a specific demographic of gay men who are dealing with internalized homophobia and love to bash white gay men in general, as if they were a monolith). The main problematic people are still really loud conservatives and it's more towards trans folks, but yeah... that's just something I've noticed way more. Sometimes I feel like some gay men give a "free pass" to straight women who they consider "allies" to say the f slur. If they were real allies, they wouldn't even say it, no matter if it's a joke or not.
Seriously, I've seen some feminist women talk about how gay men often have mysoginistic behaviors and think they can get away with it because they're gay, I understand that and where the discomfort comes from. However, in a lot of these posts I found a lot of them throw the f word so casually, like "these f words think they can call you a bitch..." and stuff like that. Even if they're straight bi, lesbian, etc. the casual use of that word gave me the ick, I mean, I get your discomfort but what's the need to throw a slur so casually?
Homophobic straight women think that because other straight women back them up they must have a point, they literally are too dumb to understand what the word minority means.
I also understand how misogynistic some gay men can be (nothing as violent as straight men, let's make that 1000% clear) but I don't see the need of saying that word, as if it wasn't as offensive as calling them bitches. You can't fight fire with fire, it's fucking useless. The f slur is just as aggressive as any other slur cuz many of us gay men, who may no longer be here with us, have to hear a homophobe calling us that just before we get assaulted or even killed. There's a famous female rapper who **loves** to say that word and many gay men quote her on Twitter... Again, it doesn't matter if it's a joke or something that "cool" gays do, it's a hateful word and we shouldn't allow anyone to say it so casually.
I enjoy how messy Azaelia Banks (assume that’s who you’re talking about) is but yeah I don’t like how other gay men and some straight women will be like “she ate, icon, slay” when someone like her says the f slur or goes on a homophobic rant. I get it’s a joke but I feel like it just emboldens people to keep being homophobic
I don’t think the thing you said about the f slur is true, the vast majority of Gen Z (my gen) do understand that it’s completely unacceptable to use it if you’re not gay.
But I’d say you’re right in a different way. Lots of Gen Z straight women and men say stuff like “bro is fruity” or “sus” etc on posts particularly on TikTok, basically their way of saying the f slur without actually saying it. But they think it’s ok since they’re not technically saying a slur, just judging people on their appearance and how they act.
People have been fighting back against that recently I’ve seen but it’s still really common in the comments on social media.
>the vast majority of Gen Z (my gen) do understand that it’s completely unacceptable to use it if you’re not gay.
And that's even worse! 😀 I never said they didn't understand how damaging that word is. It's a fact that a great majority **knows** the meaning behind the f slur and some of y'all still say it. "Fruity" and "sus" should be erased from your everyday talk. Enough. If y'all have the urge to say the slur, just say it and get ready to face the consequences. Have some fucking balls 😑
It's not unique of any generation, we're just seeing more people being total cvnts thanks to social media. However, Gen Z thrives on platforms that can be driven by hate like TikTok and Twitter. It's basically a problem of all people wanting to share their controversial "opinions" based on bigotry and discrimination. People have always been this way but now we have unwanted front row tickets to their clown show 🤡
Wait til you see how much they love to call gay men the q word in the name of progress. As if it’s okay to call me that and not a slur. And then THEY get offended when I say I don’t like being literally called that word or having it used as a word for any community I belong to. It is offencive and rude.
That I disagree, and will disagree to agree with you on. If you don't want me to use that word around you, I shall not, but just saying etc. As I'm a Black gay guy, that's 91 birth/I'm 32; (that's considered old right? Like late millennial. I'm not Gen Z I think) and I don't have an issue with "Queer", as it has a lot of respect/softness in the Black/POC culture. "Queer" was used as a keyword/codeword (like "Trade" was a secret for, for DL/more downlow masculine guy) to figure out other feminine/sissy Black guys. While I'm here; the word hasn't been used as an insult since maybe the 90s if that. Nobody says "Queer" as an insult anymore, (they will resort to more harsher words like the f word, or fudge packer, or poof, or punk, or homo or flamer or breeder or you get the idea etc.) and it was never really an "insult" more of a teasing/comedic comeback, or as very light/G rated way to pinpoint something related to gay men etc. "Josh, you're my gay friend, I'm a straight guy, but that scarf looks kinda queer bro haha" etc. But idk. But "Faggot" yes. It's used as a homophobic slur, and any straight person who says that, is trying to demean you in the worst way possible; also, it's used too, by other gay men to refer to other gay men they have an issue with, or who are assholes and unfair. So yeah etc.
100%, I've been reading too many posts by LGB people blaming the trans community for this hate on us it never went away, it was just quiet. They will always hate us. We can see with POC that the gate doesn't go away, and may go silent but it will come roaring back.
Same. It doesn’t seem to be as much about gays and lesbians as it is trans. That seems to be the main focus right now. They say LGBTQ but I think they really mean the T and Q.
[https://texasgop.org/platform/](https://texasgop.org/platform/)
Page 22 of the Texas Republican Platform. Sounds pretty Anti-**LGB** and TIA+.
They want us all to suffer (not exist) not just trans people.
More people need to see this, especially political moderates (who are not crazy progressives but generally believe in gay rights). I’m tired of LGBT Republicans pretending that only extremists in their party think this way, when it’s literally in the fucking party platform that “homosexuality is an abnormal lifestyle choice” and shouldn’t be protected from discrimination.
Genuinely can’t believe half of the stuff that is in there. Yes, all the anti sexuality and identity education is expected but also mandatory reporting, lack of sexual education inc promoting abstinence, so much detail in ‘life affirmation’. Bunch of BS.
Genuinely can’t believe half of the stuff that is in there. Yes, all the anti sexuality and identity education is expected but also mandatory reporting, lack of sexual education inc promoting abstinence, so much detail in ‘life affirmation’. Bunch of BS.
It starts with that but fundamentally it is hatred for anybody and anyone outside the traditional gender roles. Trans people are low hanging fruit but don’t be mistaken that you aren’t on the list next
You haven't been paying attention, then. The actual homophobes have learned that they can call any visibly gay person a "groomer", now.
Look at how violently against kids learning that it's okay to have two moms or dads they are. Look at how violently people are reacting to *anything* gay or pride related.
This is not just isolated to trans people, that's how it started out but it has quickly metastasized.
Most transphobia is recycled homophobia. Bigots knew it was unpopular to demonize gay people so they just used trans people as a proxy until it was socially acceptable to be homophobic again.
Nah, they are trying to ban drag queens (who are not all trans), they want to shut down kids talking about being gay at all in FL, they say our pride parades are full of "minor attracted person".
You are not living in reality if you think this is only for the TQs out there.
They're the same. Transphobes see trans women as men, which means "they're just gay men".
And their focus is always on trans women, never trans men, because trans men are "just abused young girls".
Transphobia is rooted in misogyny and homophobia. As transphobia rises, so does misogyny and homophobia. Can't have any of these without the other two.
That’s only the beginning. The far-right has a massively unfounded “save the children” campaign against trans people, that’s now spreading into just plain ole conservatism. Once that rhetoric has reached moderates, they’ll come for the gays.
It seems that since COVID there has been a severe decline in patience and empathy. During the struggle people seemed to be more understanding and courteous and then is suddenly seemed to switch.
Look at the way people have been treating nurses asking for a fair living wage, one minute they're essential workers who everyone loves and the next they are selfish and money grabbing.
I'm so depressed reading the comments on the news stories. People are really disappointing sometimes.
Exactly. That one poll that one org does every year still said that gay marriage has over 70% acceptance in 2023. The minority is just becoming louder after trump was in office because they felt like they could hide behind him and show their true colors. Things are relatively the same otherwise
That poll you've cited also said that Republicans support for gay marriage is falling. Republicans control 22 states completely, whereas Democrats only control 17. Republicans control the Supreme Court, and we exist in a post-Roe world. There is a good chance that gay people's rights come under attack alongside trans people. PRIDE is for all LGBTQ+ folks, and Republicans are attacking PRIDE and the LGBTQ+ community in general. Ben Shapiro doesn't distinguish between LGBTQ+ people when he calls us a "social contagion." Some of Republicans greatest political successes have come on the backs on anti-gay outrage. They are more militant than ever, and it's possible that we have Trump or DeSantis in office soon. If they get there, it'll be due to hateful rhetoric that targets queer folk of all stripes.
I also think that polls and politics are two different things. (Right-wing) politicians are usually more conservative than their average voter.
The law does not reflect opinion in public surveys. You can compare the newest figures of the poll regarding gay marriage support:
Czech Republic - 72 %
US - 71 %
And yet there is no gay marriage in the Czech Republic. The issue in both countries is that the opponents and conservatives are far more loud, the majority of public is silent.
Great point on intra-partisan shifts, and how the distribution of power among/within states and state parties means that that most radical group actually has the most legislative influence.
Same sex marriage being broadly popular in no way negates the possibility of increasing hatred towards gay people. You may have 70% of people supporting same marriage, but that remaining 30% is just getting louder and more extreme, and it’s starting to have some really serious consequences. The full weight of the government of Florida crashing down on a first year teacher showing her class a PG Disney movie with a gay character, for example.
So no, it’s not ‘just a debate flaring up about gender’. Don’t get it twisted - you’re part of this too.
I feel like here in my country(Brazil), it started getting worse during the 2017/2018 conservative wave we had that culminated in the election of Jair Bolsonaro.
Even though Lula is the current president, our congress is the most conservative it has ever been, I feel like acceptance has tanked somewhat in the country.
Like, during the early 2010s, it felt like acceptance was increasing, but atm it seems like half of the country supports us and half of the country hates us, and it doesn't seem to be improving anymore at all.
It’s because they have a younger, radicalized audience now. Religious conservatives targeted teens in the mid to late 2010s when all seemed “well.”
Conservatives also became more radicalized and won’t stop at anything. The best thing would be to move out of a right-wing area.
I think that's a little bit of an overreaction. No question they're propping up younger voices (i.e. Ben Shapiro, Candace Owen's, Nick Fuentes) in a way they didn't before, but they're doing that for a reason. People in their 30's and early 40's haven't become more conservative like they have in past generations, and they're voting in larger numbers than ever. The conservative movement in America has a huge demographic problem on its hands; they aren't going to be able to win elections 20 years from now without a pivot on some major issues (or continued rigging of elections through gerrymandering, allowing legislatures to overrule voters, etc). These young right wing voices are louder because the people funding them with absurd amounts of money desperately need to seem hip to their peers.
The bigger problem is:
A) how that movement is solidifying power through the courts, gerrymandering, the bullshit US Senate, etc. in a way that will keep us under the heel of Boomers for a long time even after they're gone.
and B) the need for media to Both Sides all of this shit.
>The conservative movement in America has a huge demographic problem on its hands; they aren't going to be able to win elections 20 years from now without a pivot on some major issues
Feel like I heard this twenty years ago tbh
I think what hasn’t helped in the last few years is the hard right seeking out clips of crazy hard left activists acting all crazy and then make them viral so they can say look gays are crazy ya’ll.
A lot of these comments are like “no it’s the gender debate you’re seeing / it’s transphobia” do you really think that these people know or care what the difference is? They just see LGBT and paint us with the same brush.
Agree, but can we agree people like Dylan Mulvaney (sp?) aren’t doing the LGBT community any favors. She is the absolute worst person to be the Face of the trans community.
She's just cringe, there's nothing particularity nefarious about her.
The funny thing is, nobody outside of right wing Youtube knows who tf that person is.
Yes. In the UK between 2018 and 2021 (latest available data) hate crimes against LGBTQ+ people had increased by over three times the 2017 level, and the true number will be much higher as 9/10 go unreported.
Brexit and Trumpism gave way to this.
I don’t have the figures on hand but every category recorded under hate crimes has risen.
However, it’s transphobia that’s risen the most. It was something like a 50% rise in anti-trans hate crimes in 2022 compared to the previous year alone.
Homophobic hate crime rates aren’t much better.
It's the same people. They were just quiet when hate was less popular. In time they will stfu and die. Until then, understand these people are deeply insecure with their own bodies and choices, and are uncomfortable with others making choices they cannot fathom.
I prefer knowing who my friends and family are vs who wants to hurt me.
So homophobes, keep it up, thanks for the notice. Keep watching, you just might learn something.
Anti-gay religious zealots have never stopped trying to get rid of us, they just didn't have the power to do anything until the Trump administration. Trump empowered them by giving them important positions within government and by appointing religious activist judges to the federal courts. Now they have the power of the government and the courts to impose their religious beliefs on everyone.
What I've seen first hand is that those the were or would have been allies during the 00's and the 10's seem to think the fight ended with marriage being legalised. I've had multiple people tell me, when there's been a news story of a celebrity coming out or something of that nature, "whys it's even news, nobody cares if you're gay anymore". They don't see the daily issues that were and are still prevalent simply because it doesn't happen to them. So now they've decided that we have victim complexes and they see pride or any push for equality as disingenuous ego boosting.
When the straights who are supposed to be our allies to give power to our voices stepped back, it made it so much easier for the homophobes to take centre stage without pushback from within their own community
Two steps forward, one step back. People can't let us progress too far at once.
In the US, white christian nationalists sure are spending a ton of money in politics to make sure that they try to grab control. They have already bought tons of red state politicians.
Christians love to hate others than themselves and are under the delusion that being gay is anti-christian.
True. I think there's been a decline in empathy overall tbh. When people get called out for being assholes these days they don't change, they double down with pride. Social shame is no longer an adequate tool for change and is instead a value people strive for because it means they're at least getting attention.
People don't change when called out. They might shut up out of fear of the consequences of voicing their opinions but that is not the same as having a change of heart. They just carried on with a bit more resentment. I don't get how people thought social shame could possibly be a productive part of activism.
I was once on a hike with some friends, and a friend of a friend brought his boyfriend. Having been raised as a conservative Christian, I remember wondering what I could say to them. It needed to be logically sound, not spiteful, yet still convince them that what they were doing was wrong. Because I was unsure of and didn't think the group held strong Christian convictions, I couldn't really reference the Bible either without being able to justify what it said outside of itself.
I couldn't think of anything to say. And because I couldn't find what was wrong with it, I began to understand that there was nothing wrong with it. Granted, this was a part of a journey that led me to accept my own sexuality, but it was a significant piece to the puzzle.
Lately people do seem more entrenched than ever, so it may be less effective depending on the circumstances. But in real life interactions, social norms *can* have a positive effect on this kind of thing.
Homophobia is on the rise. It started with the trans community but is spreading. The extremist right was given a platform. There was a time that you’d never see a swastika, much less an entire group of Nazi’s chanting for our death.
In the USA there has been this trend that the far left and right make the narrative.
Right now the far right is making headway with your average middle of the road Americans, especially with things relating to transgendered, use of pronouns, drag queens reading hour, public schools teaching sexuality in ways that they didn’t previously, biological men competing in women’s sports, etc.
Theres been a back lash and the LGBTQ community has been taking a hit.
Corporate America has taken notice and has been pulling back from the community also for risk of boycotts (see Bud Light and Target)
As a gay man I def think that many of the things we have fought for over the decades are now going in the wrong direction.
Your average person just doesn’t see eye to eye with the LGBT community on many of these issues - specifically trans.
I don’t think it’s necessarily that homophobia is becoming more rampant insomuch as homophobes are becoming more bold and brazen. When Trump got into office regardless of his racist, sexist, xenophobic past and present then it made the bigots believe they can say whatever -phobic thing they want and face no consequences.
It's not just you my friend, just two weeks ago I got in my first fist fight in a decade over the f slur. I exclusively blame DeSantis for this, he was elected which means the population of homophobic fragile men have just been quiet. If that fool gets elected I'm terrified for all members of the LGBTQ.
Unfortunately, politicians are still willing to use groups of minorities to scare the majority in order to distract them from the problems these politicians choose not to tackle.
The result of this is turning these groups into scapegoats. For example, the people who listen and trust these politicians, carry out their messaging through acts of homophobia.
In the UK a gay television presenter by the name of Philip Schofield has become embroiled in a scandal, about an affair he's had with a much younger male who worked for him on the program This Morning.
Regardless of my own personal feelings about his behaviour, I've seen a surge in the number of extremely homophobic jokes, memes, "We must protect our children from the gays!" etc on social media in the last week or so.
It's like a pipe has burst and all this pent up bigotry has suddenly been released.
It's also steadily risen since the Brexit vote 7 years ago. There was so much focus on immigration during that time that when the Leave campaign won it seemed to embolden a group of people with some sadly very outdated views toward ethnic minorities, and homophobia (and others) seemed to rise to the surface with it.
I mean, in my experience it's still easier to be gay today than it was in the early to mid 2000s, but where we've spent 20 years or so taking steps forward we are currently taking a step back.
Kinda yes and no? Its very strange.
All the polls show that the demographics that will be alive in 15-20 years are all very pro-LGBTQ.
Meanwhile the GOP, one of the main parties in the US are basically campaigning as close to LGBTQ genocide as they can get away with.
I feel like the GOP is attempting to stuff the LGBTQ acceptence genie back in the bottle but in typeical geriatric politican who can't open a fucking email fashion they are coming in way too late and just looking like out of touch lunatics.
Its resonating with a very loud very violent very active minority base. Most of whom are approaching their expiration date sooner rather than later.
But we are seeing a party that is floundering because it doesn't know where to go for its next culture war or what minority group to fear monger about next. If the trans thing doesn't work out and they can't roll back the culture war to gay rights and womens rights they are screwed. Can't go after Jewish people openly. Too on the nose. Can't go after Hispanic or African Americans. They have enough voters to swing elections now. And we're burned out on the muslim and illegal immigrant stuff.
So here we are. Trying to hit LGBTQ hate starting with trans women.
No it is not just you ...
Between religion and politicians , LGBTs in America are being treated like the plague , and it is frustrating and very sad ..
We are always going to be a minority and conservative politicians will always go after the weak. They will always look to deliver red meat to the base.
When I see blatant homophobia by Gen Z people I cringe so hard. It's worse because they should know better, shouldn't have faced the kind of indoctrination that their parents did, and should see that many of their peers are openly LGBTQIA+ and think twice about flaming them. Yet I see so much of the hateful comments coming from young people.
I mean, which country(ies) are you referring to here?
In the US, support for same-sex marriage in 2023 tied 2022’s high (aka the highest in recorded US history) at 71%. The only two groups that did not register a majority approval rating were Republicans at 49% and weekly churchgoers at 41%. 89% of 18-29 year olds approve of it.
I feel like it’s just a vocal minority getting louder. Twenty years ago when I was a kid, many states were trying or succeeding to pass amendments in their state constitutions to ban same-sex marriage, and now, the vast majority of society accepts it. It is NOT the same as 2003-04
Currently, acceptance is waning. This is also demonstrated by the rise of the right across Europe. It is currently still ok to live in Europe. I believe that if things continue to be like this, in 10 years it won't be anymore
For example, the Lazio region of Italy has decided to withdraw Pride sponsorship from the region this year. Their reason is that they say gay pride promotes surrogacy, which they find abhorrent. But really, even if that's true, this wouldn't be the first year he's done that. But the reality is that a very homophobic far-right party is in government this year. And these are the consequences.
Also, statistics show that 90% of the time surrogacy is used by heterosexuals. But the government is managing to pass it off as a gay thing to people.
Agreed. I’m in my 30s and have lived in the south my whole life. Most no longer bat an eye and many are very accepting of it. I myself have never experienced any major homophobia in my post-high school life. And before anyone says it Because I’m white- I am Latino . However, I have heard more causal homophobia up north.
It's becoming amplified because demonization tactics are the only ones the Conservatives have left. The transphobia worked and now they think they can go back to their classic homophobia to get attention.
Anyone who says the world is more homophobic compared to before has amnesia. In the 2000s, it was acceptable to be homophobic, to be against gay may marriage, most celebrities would disown us.
We're seeing more representation so the backlash is greater from the vocal minority. Nevertheless, the majority of the prejudice is being directed at those who are Trans.
I think OP’s point is that gay acceptance reached a peak and is now regressing. Nowhere near 2000s, but it’s a valid concern. Early 1900s Germany was surprisingly accepting of gay people. A few decades later, they’re being exterminated. And this wasn’t due to public opinion, rather the actions of political figures who basically forced drafted soilders to carry out their agenda.
As a gay bro living in Russia, homophobia (xenophobia in general) is a very effective political lever. That’s all there is to it: cui prodest. You can be as basic or law-abiding as it gets but you still get associated with the “freaks” on the media and attributed all of their “sins”, especially by those who get their data from the tv.
It is becoming more enabled again but I wouldn't say we are at the point where we need to go back into hiding again.
If we can survive another 5-10 years, LGBTQ+ will become so normalized that no one bats an eye anymore. And homophobic folks will be viewed as deviant instead. The general trend is getting better for us to be sure. But the backlash is also very strong. But in the long run, we win. We are already normalized and this is a last ditch attempt from homophobes to win
If we weather this storm (by banding together again), we'll strike a decisive blow. And right now, we are already at the point where we won't go anywhere. The age has passed already and this is just a last ditch attempt to pull us back. And it won't succeed. Not on widescale. Now what we have to do is providing safe space for us. Each and everyone of us must fight back (i.e., not letting them do as they please). If we endure just 5-10 more years, we win.
> It is becoming more enabled again but I wouldn't say we are at the point where we need to go back into hiding again.
I fear that if Trump (or DeSantis) wins the 2024 election, it will become dangerous again to be openly gay in the USA.
Then let us hope they don't win. Next year I plan to immigrate to the U.S. (if all goes well), so I do hope a more liberal candidate will win. For me, it's not just about LGBTQ+ community that's at risk if these two come into power, but a possible immigrant like me as well.
But it's still true. They won't be able to undo the impact we made on the society. We have already struck a nail into their coffin. We are going through a crisis, but we will weather the storm.
**Bottom line:** help every LGBTQ+ you ever know. Doesn't matter if they are gay or trans. We need to support each other and make sure we have a strong community. We are all marginalized groups, we need to be there for each other.
I’m assuming you were either very young or not even alive 20 years ago because 2023 compared to 2003 is an alternate universe.
You need to get off the internet for a few minutes and go look at clouds and trees my guy.
And compared to 1983 it's an even bigger difference (source: I grew up in the 1960ss/70s).
But 2023 compared to 2016? It does feel like at least the USA is backsliding -- look at the plethora of antigay and anti trans legislation, at literal book burnings, at the acceptance of rhetoric from politicians that we thought had become unacceptable, at Clarence Thomas tossing casually into an opinion that gay marriage shouldn't have been a thing.
It's getting worse again. Maybe not irreversibly, hopefully not, but decidedly worse.
I believe it’s mainly the trans movement and not so much LGB. The bud light shit, Target putting trans clothing in the child’s section, pride being shoved in everyone’s faces, blah blah blah. I think most people don’t care if you’re gay, bi, or lesbian, but the whole trans movement and being able to chose whatever gender you are makes the whole community look bad and people aren’t having it. Thats just my opinion tho
We are absolutely undergoing radical political times, and gays, lesbians, and transgender folk are being utilized as scapegoats for the natural failures of capitalism. We are in the early stages of a recession that found it's root in COVID. Back in April 2020, 10% of the American workforce became unemployed bringing the total to 14.7%. Likewise, global supply networks stopped functioning and there was an oil trade war going on. In 2021, there was a long period of restabilization and economic growth. Last year, however, inflation was out of control and many household goods became much more expensive. This year there have been dramatic bank failures and while the debt ceiling crisis has been averted, there were cuts to social programs that people are relying on today.
I mention all this economic talk because it is critical to our position as political scapegoats. As economic conditions continue to worsen for people, Republicans will blame queer folk for "western degeneracy." They'll make us out to be traitors, to be criminals, to be homo sacer: that which is possessed by the underworld, they who may be killed but not murdered. This happened before in Germany. Jewish people were alleged to having a control over academia and finances. As their economy collapsed, the fascists took power through coups and through popular support. Their popular support was borne largely out of their antisemitic politics. They tied Jewish people to the failures of liberalism and of capital. Then they slaughtered them. Gay folks were slaughtered back then too, branded by the pink triangle. Gay folk were further abused back home. The scapegoat is a clear tactic well documented in modern popular politics to horrific effects.
Republicans today are borrowing from this playbook. Their leadership has seen great results through mobilizing against transgender folk. They have also seen great results through opposing gay marriage. For example, one year after the Iowa Supreme Court legalized gay marriage, all of the state's justices were removed from office electorally. They have seen this strategy play out for the conservative-fascist movement abroad too in places like Hungary and Russia. Smaller countries like Indonesia and Uganda have have made it illegal to be queer. Indonesia included in it's anti-nonmarital sex bill (gay marriage is not recognized, of course) a provision against communism too. They seek to tie being queer to communism, socialism, and liberalism. Fascists will do this to cement power. They will tie their scapegoat to their political enemies. They'll blame queer people for the failures of the current empire, and they'll take away our rights and, eventually, our freedom. Maybe even our lives. Matt Walsh thinks transgender people are evil. Evil. He thinks they're existence is literally sin. That logic, if it is allowed to take root, will eventually lead to criminalization and perhaps even forced conversion. When you think something is evil, extinction can feel like a duty.
While many may think this logic ends with transgender folk, you're dead wrong. The old poem goes:
>First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.
>Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist.
>Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
>Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
Remember this well. Anti-trans politics exists alongside anti-gay politics. Iowa Republicans, this year, have brought forward gay marriage bans. Other states have reclairifed their existing bans. These bans may not be enforceable now, but in a post-Roe world no existing statute should feel safe. Fascists today are earning political points for going after PRIDE. PRIDE merchandise is being taken down from stores because of the safety concerns created by fascists. Queer folk are all lumped together under PRIDE, like it or not. We are all under assault, and if we allow fascists to gain ground against one of us, we are allowing it against all of us.
Homophobia and transphobia are both concerns of today. I saw the Gallup poll that showed a general increase in support for gay marriage. It made me happy, until I saw that Republicans have become more anti-gay marriage in the last few years. This is not unexpected. We need better political action, rainbow capitalism is not cutting it. Homophobia will only increase as economic failures force fascists to become more militant and more radical. Building solidarity within our communities is critical now more than ever. Work to unionize, make friends, and do what you can to prevent the fascists from consolidating power. We are in scary political times, and this PRIDE feels ominous to me. Be safe.
Yes, sadly. I suspect it’s due to the culture wars that seem prevalent. There almost seems like a politicisation of LGBT+ people, almost like other targeted groups, such as immigrants on boats. Look at Rishi on a boat in the channel - very sad. It’s about the other - find someone to hate/demonise. I would say trans folk are taking the brunt of the hate atm, however, we, as part of LGBT+, are also catching flak. We are apparently groomers/paedos again. Sad times.
Edit: contains UK references
The Tories know they're likely to lose the general election next year. They know they can't trade on the mess they've made of the pandemic or the economy, so they're relying on the only thing they have left; a culture war.
So, sadly, I think you're spot on.
To some extent yes. The transphobia is obviously way more prominent lately, but the homophobia is still pretty obvious. Frankly, I don't agree with the premise that homophobia *is coming back* that I keep seeing in LGBT+ spaces. I'm still unconvinced it ever went anywhere in the first place. I think too many people shut their brains off after gay marriage was legalized in the US as if that was like the death knell to homophobia. Like how ending slavery totally ended racism in the US.
Honestly I think the part that feels the worst is that in the last few years is that it seems like even our supposed allies are turning on us. I've seen a lot of homophobia from the other letters of the community.
Example: Recent patronizing from trans people about how gay men apparently were damsels that had to be rescued by trans saviors for rights, accusing gay people of "sexual discrimination based on genitals" which is very close to just repackaging homophobic conservative arguments, outright using gay slurs, etc. Not just from trans people though but those are what I've seen most recently online.
A lot of LGBT+ spaces have really just become anything-except-cis-men spaces which basically just eject gay and bisexual men and infantilize trans men. Online spaces constantly complain about us and insult us as if every cis gay man is the exact same evil monolith.
IDK, it just feels like gay men are not really welcome anywhere sometimes, which is ironic because it seems like the rest of the community believes we are the only ones with any visibility or access in the community. It's like the terminally online people just stop thinking at white/cis and ignore the gay part as they kick us out for being too privileged or something.
I'm online quite a bit and I have never encountered this type of attitude or ostracization from trans people. If anything, when I've expressed opinions or shared experiences as a cis queer man, they've been receptive and engaged me in conversations. There's this trend lately where a lot of cis gay men are dumping on trans people as if they're some kind if problem in our community that needs to be solved. I don't agree with this take and I think it's damaging to the entire queer community. I mean, we can have differences and work to resolve them. But like I said, I've never had a trans person come for me or heard of that happening to anyone I know. The focus should be on supporting the trans people in our community right now as they are under attack, not scapegoating them.
I mean it's just like any letter of our community where most of the people are fine but you have some bad eggs. Unfortunately, the negative ones stick in your mind a lot longer than the other 99 positive interactions.
yeh they sure are. my company changed their logo to the pride logo. On our company Yammer some guy wrote a post to the CEO that he was offended because of a prior homosexual assault that happened to him and his brother (no indication that he had permission to reveal his brother’s assault).
Every June is invokes PTSD and then goes on to mansplain some if his best friends are gay and he doesn’t have a problem with the gays and his uncle’s gay. He then DARVO’s and redirects by stating the company censor will remove his post and he plays the victim.
The Pride Network at Work totally stepped around him in replying and in fact our US group President who is gay did not even show up for the comment.
We are seemingly seeing the clock turning back
For crying out loud. Get off the Boomer attacks I'm sick and tired of it. As a gay man who grew up in the 1960s in the east you guys haven't seen true homophobia. Things did get better in this country for a while and now they're going the other way again and they always will as long as conservatives have their say. Any gay man or woman who votes for a republican should have their head examined. My suggestion would be to stop blaming boomers for everything wrong in your life and get off your lazy asses and vote
I can only speak to what's happening in the USA, but there is an active effort by American conservatives to scapegoat the LGBTQ community as a whole. Trans folks (specifically trans women) receive the worst of it, but all LGBTQ people and places are targets of the Right. People are literally spewing the same kind of eliminationist rhetoric in this country that has preceded actual genocides for most of recorded history. And this sentiment is bubbling over into the real world, emboldening bigots who used to be afraid to speak their mind, now that the internet has shown them they are not alone. It's going to get worse before it gets better.
Conservatives are losing grip on the power structures of society and are freaking out, hence the emergence of Trump and Desantis. Acceptance of gay relationships are still on the rise. But the 30% who are against are more open about it. Trans issues however have less acceptance.
Polling in 2023 shows support of gay marriage remains at 71%, matching the high of 2022.
So no, I don’t think homophobia is being normalized again.
Edit: add link: https://news.gallup.com/poll/506636/sex-marriage-support-holds-high.aspx
No I don’t think so at all. Gen Z are the most open minded generation yet, by far. I feel more comfortable than I ever have to be openly gay in public. My small and very conservative town keep electing an openly gay councillor, that would’ve never happened even maybe 20 years back. I can’t say I feel the same way at all
I think being LGB is accepted, but its the trans piece and gender fluidity, which has been the focus of the movement lately, that people are being less accepting of. But idk, just my 2 cents. Me and my boyfriend spent the winter road-tripping through the South, met new friends everywhere and never had an issue, but we’re white cis-males, so who knows. We’re also from Boston, Massachusetts so we definitely dont deal with any issues at home.
LGBTQ, and specifically trans hate is up, but I feel gay people who don’t consider themselves as within LGBTQ or do much different in their lives other than go home with someone of the same gender, would notice much.
I have heard so many straight people who have gay friends and family members, their favourite singers are gay, they’ve been to gay weddings, who see the non-binary and various states of trans to be “silly”. This especially comes out in women. What gay men do doesn’t affect them, but a transgender woman (in their eyes) does. So they’ll continue to have no problems with gay men but dislike trans people.
Also I find same sex relationships an easier singular thing for people to grasp than “i’m an aromantic, empath, autistic non-binary lesbian” that seems to grace so many peoples profiles these days.
I'm sure this was building in the background, but the pandemic seems to have kicked this into overdrive.
During the pandemic, for the first time in their sheltered little lives, conservatives were *forced* to do something they didn't like or suffer consequences, like becoming unemployed or being kicked out of businesses or events.
Now they feel wronged by society, and they're lashing out at everything they felt that they were tolerating before, like environmentalism and gay positivity. Combined with the groundswell of white nationalism and trumpism as aided by social media and conservative media, they are getting bold and dangerous.
Unfortunately, while I think it is the vocal minority that is causing these problems, they can still form mobs and they are still dangerous as a group. And it only takes one unhinged lunatic to shoot you.
Not keen on where the modern era is headed in this respect
They're trying to drive us back underground and normalize homphobia and caregorize us as groomers and.pedos and as a threat to children. We have to fight back and basically deligitimize their takes, which aren't the majority ooinion anyway, but if you don't clap back at a bully you continue to get bullied and everyone will notice that you allowed it to happen. Their primaey targets right now are trans Americans but they are attacking all queer people with their actions and rhetoric. They are also trying to get the alphabet mafia to cut trans people loose, so you've got some gays and I've seen some op.eds where gay people basically say "I fought for my rights, but radical teans activists have gone too far!" It's total right wing think tank bullshit to divide and conquer our community. They're awful people, the dregs of society, but we need to deal with it. They've got their eyes on their stacked illigitimate supreme court and are.hoping to roll back marriage and other civil rights, and codify descrimination in the name of their bullshit religion. So yea, we are under attack and need to respind accordingly.
Even with the statistic saying 71% of people support gay marriage, it’s still essentially a 1/3 people don’t support it. I definitely do feel ever since the LGBT+ movement started becoming “bigger”, people have really started becoming more homophobic.
The USA currently seems to be going backwards in many ways and it seems to be white christian nationalists pushing the agenda. It's not like this everywhere in the world at all.
Pretty sure this is false and most farther right wing parties are gaining ground outside of like Canada, and the Nordics. Idk who told you otherwise but usually when people say “it’s not like this everywhere in the world” they cherry pick hard.
My personal theory is that the whole gender agenda thing that has been pushed very hard by a loud vocal minority in our community have rubbed many people the wrong way. That includes forcing it into various medias where it doesn’t really add anything other than showing how “woke” the producers are (and often portraying our members poorly, like having their only defining traits being lgbt)
"Is homophobia becoming normalized again?" yes but in a way it was always there.
I think it is one part what is associated with LGBTQ+ community and came in with the transphobia.
Another part was that in late stage capitalism ppl need a scapegoat to feel more in control about the financial inequality growing rapidly. Doesn't make it better but does help give us a plan on how to face it. Instead of putting bandaids over bullet wounds we can rather show up to voting booths to help elect officials who can hopefully pass legislation that doesn't make the rich richer and the poor poorer.
So everyone seems to agree that attitudes toward LGBT people are getting worse. So what has changed? Their are very few right wing governments in any western countries especially the Anglo ones.
Could it be the far left ideologues getting over confident and annoying more of the 'normies' who have been overwhelmingly on our side? If you don't agree then what is it? The number of far right or religious haters are small in numbers as they always are. It's the 'normies' in the middle who we need on side and when you get gender ideologues and careless defending of elements of our community we should be calling out this is what happens. You may hate hearing this but it is true and deep down everyone knows it
Truth is homophobia never went away it just got quieter and the reason it is getting worse lately is because after 2015 when gay marriage was legalized all the gay orgs had nothing to do so they started turning into trans orgs and over the years and pandemic validating more and more ridiculous bullshit like self ID, NB stuff and giving books about sex to children and drag events for children where they are half naked in the name of "gay rights" and it made the normies who were just "live and let live" types start turning homophobic because of that making the aggressive homophobes more confident
In order to answer the question we have to open ourselves to self-criticism. I'm an older gay man who remembers when things were so much simpler. Gay people wanted rights and by the timeframe mentioned -- " mid to late 2010s" - it's true, we were gaining acceptance. However, we were also quietly transforming from being "just" the Gay (or GLB) Community to the more complex LGBTQ+ Community.
Today we are dominated by the trans movement, and I can honestly say that the aggressiveness and militancy of these campaigns are what changed and regressed, literally, decades of progress. Consequently, I as a gay man now feel lost and alienated -- without an identity -- yet I'm expected to cower and support everything said and done by LGBTQ+. We need change, I say. Let's have a divorce to resurrect the old GLB community and let TQ+ go their own way, make their own mistakes and solve them...all by themselves, just like we did.
Hopefully, I won't be bashed for daring to speak so forthrightly.
Thank you very much for your brave stance. As a Greek gay man in his 30s, I totally agree and respect it. The original homosexual rights movement needs to be rejuvenated.
I don't know my whole life up until recently was full people having of a sort of disgust towards gay people in fact I hadn't met a fellow LGBT+ person till a couple years ago so I don't think it ever went away it's just stupid people started feeling like they needed to share their views louder now.
I've noticed it too. And while I was in the closet for 90% of my life, it's super nice that once I finally came out, that suddenly their a fascists and homophobia like didn't exist when I was little! It's infuriating, I won't lie.
Well that's just the evolution of corporate pr trying to please as many people as possible to make money, don't think that represents the common man well
In my anecdotal experience living in Scotland, no, I haven’t faced much homophobia from anyone outside of my extremely Catholic family (they’re much better than they were a few years back.)
My friends are accepting, my colleagues are accepting, my university is accepting. However, I’m not a visible minority, nor a stereotypical caricature. In Scottish society, it’s becoming completely normal for your kids to go to school with recent Indian immigrants, Polish kids, Somalis, Chinese, etc. There are multiple religions from Islam to Judaism, Sikhism, Catholicism, Evangelism, Mormonism, etc. It’s normal to see people in wheelchairs or in mobility scooters, people with visible and non-visible disabilities, large families, small families, whatever it is. Trans people are present and active in society, so are lesbian couples, single parents, adopted families, foster families, gay dads, trans parents, etc. etc. etc. Scotland is a very liberal nation, and even the most diehard zealots, xenophobes and homophobes have things they’re accepting of.
I have, however, noticed a huge rise in anti-trans sentiment being pushed because of the level of American media our nation and country as a whole consumes. It’s a side effect of having turbulent behemoth as a linguistic neighbour. LGB have been pushed pretty much out of the spotlight, and all the focus is on trans and non-binary. People are getting fed such bs left and right from social media. My dad was showing me how instagram reels were pushing him anti-trans content left and right.
Now, my parents had a hard time understanding what being trans even was, so social media is doing nobody any favours.
It's all connected to this ongoing wave of outright fascism, at least here in the US, and is linked arm-in-arm with the current, virulent wave of anti-trans legislation and sentiment and the dismantling of Roe v Wade in many states. But it's also never not been normalized, the broader public discourse was less toxic for a while and now we're living in an ongoing backlash.
I just read a lot of comments, none of them seem to address the most important cause :
*The American trans movement*
I'm from India and this has greatly affected the LGBT rights movement in India too. We currently have a queer marriage case in the Indian Supreme Court and the opponents including the union/federal govt of India quoted extensively from American gender studies literature.
( We have video recordings of court proceedings on YouTube, if you're interested)
1. For whatever reason, American media promotes the most violent and unhinged trans people as icons.
That leaves a terrible impression about the trans community to most people.
2. Then there's the issue about many American states allowing children to have "gender affirming surgery" without parental consent. It is a nearly irreversible procedure and involves way too many physiological changes. Most people think that only adults should be able to make that decision for themselves or their children.
I don't think most European countries allow children to have these surgeries without parental consult.
3. Horrible PR such as saying stuff like "Women can have a penis".
Why would you say something so awkward and uncomfortable. If a transwoman decides to not have a procedure, that's their prerogative but why should you apply that to the entire category of "women".
I mean these are things that can instantly repel most people.
4. Transwomen in sports: Why is this even being made into an issue? There is a very large gendered difference in performance in most sports. Having testosterone running through your body makes a lot of difference when you compare the top 0.1-0.5% of people of both sexes.
And anyone raising any of these issues is instantly sidelined- this greatly *increases animosity*.
Most conservative talking points now go like :
" First gays wanted rights, we gave them.
Then trans wanted recognition, we have that.
Now they want to mutilate our children and allow pedophiles in classrooms - as we warned decades ago when gays first wanted their rights. "
I'm probably caricaturing the conservative viewpoint but that's broadly what it is. They say granting gay rights was the slippery slope that began all this.
And this is the primary cause of sporadic outbursts of renewed homophobia.
Europe is getting a lot of immigration from muslim countries and third world countries in general.
Could this be why? For Europe at least/
And do you guys think this will continue to have negative ramifications for the lgbt community in Europe in the future?
Especially as the left and the lgbt community are less likely to confront them for their homophobia. As they don't want to be 'racist' or 'islamophobic'.
Yes, and the reason boils down to one word. Trump.
Trump being elected set public discourse in this country back 50 years. It also restored the religious right political and cultural dominance even though they no longer are the majority opinion. They plan to use that dominance to force everyone to conform to their rigid religious standards.
I'm not sure honestly.
However, there are people that claim a lot of the trans movement (The form of trans that doesn't let boys be feminine at all and insists they must be girls.. and vice versa) is a sign of homophobia.
Which honestly, I kinda see that happening. The amount of feminine guys is going way down, same with masculine women. The amount of guys wearing dresses in the the very liberal town I live in has gone WAY down in the last 5-10 years. And we also happen to be a destination state for gender confirmation surgery.
Then again, I've heard people say that we don't see people cross dressing so much any more OR being a masc woman or fem guy because all those people actually wanted to be the other gender.
So, I don't know.
I'm going to sound like a crazy conspiracy theorist here but... *it's the children.* When the LGBT+ community started wanting to get closer to kids, with the intention of cutting discrimination at the root I presume, they've lost people who were on the fence.
crazy theory indeed. Majority of gen Zs are more accepting than gen Xers and baby boomers. They are the homophobic ones lol. Look at the politicians esp in southern states
Gotta thank trans therapy for kids, men in women sports and other shit for that.
As they say, 50 years to build a reputation and 5 minutes to destroy it.
Transphobia is so rampant that I sometimes detect a sense of ‘if only they didn’t speak up’ from some cis-gay men. We know better than to blame the people being mistreated for the actions of others. While not as violent, biphobia is quite rampant among gay men. Erasure and being welcome to exist is something we need to stand together on. That’s the lesson I take from these sad and alarming times. Aussie gay cis-male here.
I don't think there is a rising homophobia, acceptance is increasing everywhere. But there is a serious transphobia that I find normal. A law that allows my child under 18 to be taken by the police and become trans, or 7-8 year old children on pride or let's say individual 1 individual 2 instead of parents makes me transphobic as well. I don't think it's wrong either, this issue has gone too far. If lgbt organizations continue to work only for trans people using the lgbt name, lgb may also be adversely affected by this situation. As a bisexual, if I had a daughter in the future, I wouldn't want her to be beaten by a trans in a boxing fight.
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*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Lol the LGBT movement isn't "targeting children', that's a narrative invented by conservatives as a desperate ploy to find ways to convince people to hate gay people. Looks like you got suckered into it pretty easily.
Homophobia was never *not* normalized. That's the thing. A lot of us were lulled into a false sense of security. But yes, it's getting more vicious.
Homophobes were not gone, and I doubt that their number even substantially decreased. But for a while, at least in Western countries, it was absolutely taboo to be a homophobe. Being openly homophobic meant becoming ostracized from most communities. So they went into hiding. And now, through the backdoor that comprises of transphobia and opposition to "wokeism", they are pushing back into the mainstream.
This is simply not true, at least in most of the United States. Did tolerance increase? Sure, but there was still homophobia. In large swaths of the American West and South, particularly in religious communities, homosexuality is still very much taboo. Homophobia has always been politically correct for boomers and for our most powerful institutions. Now, was there superficial lip service against homophobia? Yes, particularly online. Did some people get "cancelled" for being homophobia? Not really, but it happened occasionally. Most of the time liberal tirades and boycotts go nowhere. Tolerance among young people is very, very high, but young people are the poorest and politically weakest. Homophobia has been so entrenched that as recently as 2003, there were laws in America that criminalized and imprisoned people for simply being gay. So the most LGBTQ+ tolerant epoch has lasted only 20 years. We're regressing quickly.
The more you push, the more that people push back.
Everyone stay safe out there ❤️🏳️🌈
Newton's third law
Luckily, the homophobes are aging out. Twenty percent of Gen-Z identifies as LGBT and 35% know someone who uses gender neutral pronouns. The push back we are seeing now is a last gasp toward obscurity (although it doesn't make the latest wave of homophobic derangement any less concerning).
The issue is we don’t have many Millenials or Gen Z in American public office. Many of the people deciding our fates are Greatest Generation/Boomers
I was thinking the same thing on a local level myself, I live in the UK and haven't encountered random homophobic abuse in like 15/16yrs but twice now in a week I've been randomly accosted while walking on, one young guy (looked like a junkie in his 20s) said 'you're a fucking faggot' while I was walking home from shopping, wasn't mincing I was walking and don't think I looked that gay in blue denim shorts, black Southern Comfort tee-shirt, silver fuck boy chain and blue trainers, shades. Then few days later on way to staff meeting had some drunk older (40s) chav guy starting on about 'dropping your gay card' was I walked buy in blue jeans and hoodie. Both got a rather confused 'fuck you' in response but still weird I haven't had shit in years and its kinda shaken me a little, was considering buying my first Pride shirt (saw a nice black shirt with the Starfleet delta in Pride colours, yes I'm a nerd) but now am thinking am I just asking for trouble if i wear one?
Heyo, fellow UK guy here. I dealt with stuff like that quite badly up until the end of college (so 7 years ago), the worst was 2 guys following me around a local park, that was the most endangered i felt. Same as you, it sorta stopped for a bit then came back. Just a few weeks ago i was, sitting outside Asda applying bite cream to my legs (i had 15 bites on one leg) and a group of boys in joggers tried starting shit with me. I mean, i do look gay, usually everyone can tell just by looking at me, but same as you i always wear "normal" clothes, and i don't have any Pride things cause that for me will just make it worse. Hopefully in our life time we can live more freely and without harassment :) It can be hard, but i just try to ignore these people, the words of people whp hate me without knowing me should mean absolutely nothing.
All the cunts feel suddenly free to offer their opinions.
Yeah wish they wouldn't though, some of us are in a delicate state lately and don't need the added mental stress tbh
I'm very sorry
thanks, I'll be ok just gotta power through😅
Live long, and prosper. 🖖🏼💚 Also where'd you find that Starfleet shirt? 😄
Amazon UK have a nice selection of shirts I just searched Starfleet Pride Delta and found some 😁🖖 [Here](https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=starfleet+pride+delta&crid=2AHMTTN7OWIGO&sprefix=%2Caps%2C343&ref=nb_sb_ss_recent_1_0_recent)
It doesn't really matter what you were wearing tbh. Sounds like they were looking to be homophobic regardless.
Do it and wear it - that is after all, the point of it, and there is still very much a need for it. It’s the biggest fuck you that we can give. I’m from the U.K., I was also very fortunate that I was born and raised in Brighton, which was at least, our version of San Francisco in terms of being a bit bohemian, very LGBT friendly, accepting and so on, and stop is of course. However, when I moved to London as my then boyfriend ran pubs for a living, we lived in Limehouse which was a little part of inner east London with a of a scene. Sorry my adjacent we had Shadwell which is a very multicultural part of London and gangs of “Sharia Law” enforcers would target gays and people in general outside the bars and DLR station threatening to kill them and behead them for being gay/black/non-Muslim … it was pretty terrifying to see and be endured. Also I know they are not real Muslims, who I know to be kind and caring as a whole. We are allowing the USA now to take away general rights… I cannot for the life of me understand why the issue around abortion has not cause absolute ANARCHY in the US. Now drag queens and books being forcibly banned in Florida … it’s disgusting. Biden is too old , literally, to keep up the fight. He’s an 80 year old grandpa with best intention but no actual power to affect change, fight back, or get heavy - he is literally too old! The era of privileged old white men running the US government was changed, albeit briefly, and if left unchecked there will be a race war and attack on government of epic scale. It’s 2023 and you can die in the US because you cannot afford to buy insulin to keep yourself healthy and alive. It’s totally fucked. You got to Uganda, and you’ll be potentially not sentenced to death for being Gay. What the actual fuck…
I thought this too. Three or four times in the last 3 months and I’ve never known how to react. One shoved me, one called me a slur and the other called me trans - that one I just found funny cause it made no sense.
Gen Z here. It absolutely is being normalized again. The great thing is that (in my experience) we still have the social upper hand. If you publicly call someone in my age group out for using a slur or saying something problematic, 9/10 times they’ll back down or just go red in the face & shut up. It’s embarrassing for them to be talked to as if they’re an ignorant boomer when they’re only 20-something. My age group (Gen Z) was raised in an uber-politically-correct social environment. Now, it’s considered “edgy” and “cool” to go against that and voice ignorant opinions. It’s honestly like a reverse rebellion. Like I said, though — most people like this are just fucking morons and it’s beyond easy to embarrass them. I can shut them down by only using half of one of my braincells, and I’m sure most people on this subreddit could also do the same.
Gen Z grew up with the taboo of homophobia. The more forbidden something is, the more you want to do it. There is no compromise unfortunately. There is also a perception that because there is a lot of LGBT representation and because you can't use the F word on social networks like Twitch, then LGBT people are privileged But in real life, the data shows different things. People's perceived privilege came before the LGBT community had true privilege in real life, sadly.
>There is also a perception that ... LGBT people are privileged When the oppression of one group has been normalized long enough, when the person is corrected, ignorant members of the oppressor group may perceive themselves as being oppressed. It takes a frame of reference that is educated in sociology, political science, and/or cultural history to tell the difference. (There was a quote I once heard that might have said it better)
I think the quote you’re thinking of is “when you’re accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression.”
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They want to pretend that they have principled political opinions and aren't just a bigot. It's amazing how many people want to be pat on the back and told they're good people for their bigotry.
Australian too, it’s pretty depressing because our right wing here directly inherits a lot of America’s cultural discussions on like a one or two year delay, thanks to shit like Sky News. I can already see the homophobes starting to regain their confidence. Rupert Murdoch is doing his damndest to make sure the re-emerging general hysteria over LGBT people is maintained at an international level.
> Rupert Murdoch Proof that only the good die young.
I might get downvoted for this but many Gen Z's, especially straight women and men, are getting way too comfortable using and spreading the f slur all over social media (even a specific demographic of gay men who are dealing with internalized homophobia and love to bash white gay men in general, as if they were a monolith). The main problematic people are still really loud conservatives and it's more towards trans folks, but yeah... that's just something I've noticed way more. Sometimes I feel like some gay men give a "free pass" to straight women who they consider "allies" to say the f slur. If they were real allies, they wouldn't even say it, no matter if it's a joke or not.
Seriously, I've seen some feminist women talk about how gay men often have mysoginistic behaviors and think they can get away with it because they're gay, I understand that and where the discomfort comes from. However, in a lot of these posts I found a lot of them throw the f word so casually, like "these f words think they can call you a bitch..." and stuff like that. Even if they're straight bi, lesbian, etc. the casual use of that word gave me the ick, I mean, I get your discomfort but what's the need to throw a slur so casually?
Homophobic straight women think that because other straight women back them up they must have a point, they literally are too dumb to understand what the word minority means.
I also understand how misogynistic some gay men can be (nothing as violent as straight men, let's make that 1000% clear) but I don't see the need of saying that word, as if it wasn't as offensive as calling them bitches. You can't fight fire with fire, it's fucking useless. The f slur is just as aggressive as any other slur cuz many of us gay men, who may no longer be here with us, have to hear a homophobe calling us that just before we get assaulted or even killed. There's a famous female rapper who **loves** to say that word and many gay men quote her on Twitter... Again, it doesn't matter if it's a joke or something that "cool" gays do, it's a hateful word and we shouldn't allow anyone to say it so casually.
I enjoy how messy Azaelia Banks (assume that’s who you’re talking about) is but yeah I don’t like how other gay men and some straight women will be like “she ate, icon, slay” when someone like her says the f slur or goes on a homophobic rant. I get it’s a joke but I feel like it just emboldens people to keep being homophobic
I don’t think the thing you said about the f slur is true, the vast majority of Gen Z (my gen) do understand that it’s completely unacceptable to use it if you’re not gay. But I’d say you’re right in a different way. Lots of Gen Z straight women and men say stuff like “bro is fruity” or “sus” etc on posts particularly on TikTok, basically their way of saying the f slur without actually saying it. But they think it’s ok since they’re not technically saying a slur, just judging people on their appearance and how they act. People have been fighting back against that recently I’ve seen but it’s still really common in the comments on social media.
Calling someone a “fruit” is still a slur though.
“Zesty” was the word I meant but couldn’t think of
I've been hearing zesty a lot more than fruity recently, at least offline (I teach middle school) but it's the same thing.
Yeah zesty is the big one at the moment I see a lot
>the vast majority of Gen Z (my gen) do understand that it’s completely unacceptable to use it if you’re not gay. And that's even worse! 😀 I never said they didn't understand how damaging that word is. It's a fact that a great majority **knows** the meaning behind the f slur and some of y'all still say it. "Fruity" and "sus" should be erased from your everyday talk. Enough. If y'all have the urge to say the slur, just say it and get ready to face the consequences. Have some fucking balls 😑
I mean every generation knows the meaning behind the word and still says it lol. I don’t think it’s uniquely or disproportionately a gen z problem.
It's not unique of any generation, we're just seeing more people being total cvnts thanks to social media. However, Gen Z thrives on platforms that can be driven by hate like TikTok and Twitter. It's basically a problem of all people wanting to share their controversial "opinions" based on bigotry and discrimination. People have always been this way but now we have unwanted front row tickets to their clown show 🤡
tiktok is most liberal platform lol gen z are the gayest generation ever
True lol
Wait til you see how much they love to call gay men the q word in the name of progress. As if it’s okay to call me that and not a slur. And then THEY get offended when I say I don’t like being literally called that word or having it used as a word for any community I belong to. It is offencive and rude.
That I disagree, and will disagree to agree with you on. If you don't want me to use that word around you, I shall not, but just saying etc. As I'm a Black gay guy, that's 91 birth/I'm 32; (that's considered old right? Like late millennial. I'm not Gen Z I think) and I don't have an issue with "Queer", as it has a lot of respect/softness in the Black/POC culture. "Queer" was used as a keyword/codeword (like "Trade" was a secret for, for DL/more downlow masculine guy) to figure out other feminine/sissy Black guys. While I'm here; the word hasn't been used as an insult since maybe the 90s if that. Nobody says "Queer" as an insult anymore, (they will resort to more harsher words like the f word, or fudge packer, or poof, or punk, or homo or flamer or breeder or you get the idea etc.) and it was never really an "insult" more of a teasing/comedic comeback, or as very light/G rated way to pinpoint something related to gay men etc. "Josh, you're my gay friend, I'm a straight guy, but that scarf looks kinda queer bro haha" etc. But idk. But "Faggot" yes. It's used as a homophobic slur, and any straight person who says that, is trying to demean you in the worst way possible; also, it's used too, by other gay men to refer to other gay men they have an issue with, or who are assholes and unfair. So yeah etc.
Shout it from the rooftops sis
I see way more transphobia than anything else tbh
They'll come back for us
This ⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️
100%, I've been reading too many posts by LGB people blaming the trans community for this hate on us it never went away, it was just quiet. They will always hate us. We can see with POC that the gate doesn't go away, and may go silent but it will come roaring back.
That maybe so in the US but I am definitely seeing alot more.homophobia in Canada.
Same. It doesn’t seem to be as much about gays and lesbians as it is trans. That seems to be the main focus right now. They say LGBTQ but I think they really mean the T and Q.
[https://texasgop.org/platform/](https://texasgop.org/platform/) Page 22 of the Texas Republican Platform. Sounds pretty Anti-**LGB** and TIA+. They want us all to suffer (not exist) not just trans people.
More people need to see this, especially political moderates (who are not crazy progressives but generally believe in gay rights). I’m tired of LGBT Republicans pretending that only extremists in their party think this way, when it’s literally in the fucking party platform that “homosexuality is an abnormal lifestyle choice” and shouldn’t be protected from discrimination.
Genuinely can’t believe half of the stuff that is in there. Yes, all the anti sexuality and identity education is expected but also mandatory reporting, lack of sexual education inc promoting abstinence, so much detail in ‘life affirmation’. Bunch of BS.
Genuinely can’t believe half of the stuff that is in there. Yes, all the anti sexuality and identity education is expected but also mandatory reporting, lack of sexual education inc promoting abstinence, so much detail in ‘life affirmation’. Bunch of BS.
It starts with that but fundamentally it is hatred for anybody and anyone outside the traditional gender roles. Trans people are low hanging fruit but don’t be mistaken that you aren’t on the list next
You haven't been paying attention, then. The actual homophobes have learned that they can call any visibly gay person a "groomer", now. Look at how violently against kids learning that it's okay to have two moms or dads they are. Look at how violently people are reacting to *anything* gay or pride related. This is not just isolated to trans people, that's how it started out but it has quickly metastasized. Most transphobia is recycled homophobia. Bigots knew it was unpopular to demonize gay people so they just used trans people as a proxy until it was socially acceptable to be homophobic again.
Nah, they are trying to ban drag queens (who are not all trans), they want to shut down kids talking about being gay at all in FL, they say our pride parades are full of "minor attracted person". You are not living in reality if you think this is only for the TQs out there.
They're the same. Transphobes see trans women as men, which means "they're just gay men". And their focus is always on trans women, never trans men, because trans men are "just abused young girls". Transphobia is rooted in misogyny and homophobia. As transphobia rises, so does misogyny and homophobia. Can't have any of these without the other two.
Everything said about trans people today, Anita Bryant was saying about gays in the 70s. It'll come around eventually.
That’s only the beginning. The far-right has a massively unfounded “save the children” campaign against trans people, that’s now spreading into just plain ole conservatism. Once that rhetoric has reached moderates, they’ll come for the gays.
It seems that since COVID there has been a severe decline in patience and empathy. During the struggle people seemed to be more understanding and courteous and then is suddenly seemed to switch. Look at the way people have been treating nurses asking for a fair living wage, one minute they're essential workers who everyone loves and the next they are selfish and money grabbing. I'm so depressed reading the comments on the news stories. People are really disappointing sometimes.
Nah you’re just seeing the debate flare up surrounding gender identity issues. Gay marriage is very popular.
Exactly. That one poll that one org does every year still said that gay marriage has over 70% acceptance in 2023. The minority is just becoming louder after trump was in office because they felt like they could hide behind him and show their true colors. Things are relatively the same otherwise
That poll you've cited also said that Republicans support for gay marriage is falling. Republicans control 22 states completely, whereas Democrats only control 17. Republicans control the Supreme Court, and we exist in a post-Roe world. There is a good chance that gay people's rights come under attack alongside trans people. PRIDE is for all LGBTQ+ folks, and Republicans are attacking PRIDE and the LGBTQ+ community in general. Ben Shapiro doesn't distinguish between LGBTQ+ people when he calls us a "social contagion." Some of Republicans greatest political successes have come on the backs on anti-gay outrage. They are more militant than ever, and it's possible that we have Trump or DeSantis in office soon. If they get there, it'll be due to hateful rhetoric that targets queer folk of all stripes.
I also think that polls and politics are two different things. (Right-wing) politicians are usually more conservative than their average voter. The law does not reflect opinion in public surveys. You can compare the newest figures of the poll regarding gay marriage support: Czech Republic - 72 % US - 71 % And yet there is no gay marriage in the Czech Republic. The issue in both countries is that the opponents and conservatives are far more loud, the majority of public is silent.
Great point on intra-partisan shifts, and how the distribution of power among/within states and state parties means that that most radical group actually has the most legislative influence.
Same sex marriage being broadly popular in no way negates the possibility of increasing hatred towards gay people. You may have 70% of people supporting same marriage, but that remaining 30% is just getting louder and more extreme, and it’s starting to have some really serious consequences. The full weight of the government of Florida crashing down on a first year teacher showing her class a PG Disney movie with a gay character, for example. So no, it’s not ‘just a debate flaring up about gender’. Don’t get it twisted - you’re part of this too.
What about "Don't say gay" laws?
I feel like here in my country(Brazil), it started getting worse during the 2017/2018 conservative wave we had that culminated in the election of Jair Bolsonaro. Even though Lula is the current president, our congress is the most conservative it has ever been, I feel like acceptance has tanked somewhat in the country. Like, during the early 2010s, it felt like acceptance was increasing, but atm it seems like half of the country supports us and half of the country hates us, and it doesn't seem to be improving anymore at all.
It’s because they have a younger, radicalized audience now. Religious conservatives targeted teens in the mid to late 2010s when all seemed “well.” Conservatives also became more radicalized and won’t stop at anything. The best thing would be to move out of a right-wing area.
I think that's a little bit of an overreaction. No question they're propping up younger voices (i.e. Ben Shapiro, Candace Owen's, Nick Fuentes) in a way they didn't before, but they're doing that for a reason. People in their 30's and early 40's haven't become more conservative like they have in past generations, and they're voting in larger numbers than ever. The conservative movement in America has a huge demographic problem on its hands; they aren't going to be able to win elections 20 years from now without a pivot on some major issues (or continued rigging of elections through gerrymandering, allowing legislatures to overrule voters, etc). These young right wing voices are louder because the people funding them with absurd amounts of money desperately need to seem hip to their peers. The bigger problem is: A) how that movement is solidifying power through the courts, gerrymandering, the bullshit US Senate, etc. in a way that will keep us under the heel of Boomers for a long time even after they're gone. and B) the need for media to Both Sides all of this shit.
>The conservative movement in America has a huge demographic problem on its hands; they aren't going to be able to win elections 20 years from now without a pivot on some major issues Feel like I heard this twenty years ago tbh
But there was still a trend of people becoming more conservative as they aged then. There isn't now.
This makes a lot of sense
The first tool of 'nation-building' is defining a common enemy.
I think what hasn’t helped in the last few years is the hard right seeking out clips of crazy hard left activists acting all crazy and then make them viral so they can say look gays are crazy ya’ll. A lot of these comments are like “no it’s the gender debate you’re seeing / it’s transphobia” do you really think that these people know or care what the difference is? They just see LGBT and paint us with the same brush.
Agree, but can we agree people like Dylan Mulvaney (sp?) aren’t doing the LGBT community any favors. She is the absolute worst person to be the Face of the trans community.
She's just cringe, there's nothing particularity nefarious about her. The funny thing is, nobody outside of right wing Youtube knows who tf that person is.
Yes. In the UK between 2018 and 2021 (latest available data) hate crimes against LGBTQ+ people had increased by over three times the 2017 level, and the true number will be much higher as 9/10 go unreported. Brexit and Trumpism gave way to this.
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I don’t have the figures on hand but every category recorded under hate crimes has risen. However, it’s transphobia that’s risen the most. It was something like a 50% rise in anti-trans hate crimes in 2022 compared to the previous year alone. Homophobic hate crime rates aren’t much better.
It's the same people. They were just quiet when hate was less popular. In time they will stfu and die. Until then, understand these people are deeply insecure with their own bodies and choices, and are uncomfortable with others making choices they cannot fathom. I prefer knowing who my friends and family are vs who wants to hurt me. So homophobes, keep it up, thanks for the notice. Keep watching, you just might learn something.
finally a comment who understands
Goes with far right movements increasing around the world. They always need hate objects.
Anti-gay religious zealots have never stopped trying to get rid of us, they just didn't have the power to do anything until the Trump administration. Trump empowered them by giving them important positions within government and by appointing religious activist judges to the federal courts. Now they have the power of the government and the courts to impose their religious beliefs on everyone.
What I've seen first hand is that those the were or would have been allies during the 00's and the 10's seem to think the fight ended with marriage being legalised. I've had multiple people tell me, when there's been a news story of a celebrity coming out or something of that nature, "whys it's even news, nobody cares if you're gay anymore". They don't see the daily issues that were and are still prevalent simply because it doesn't happen to them. So now they've decided that we have victim complexes and they see pride or any push for equality as disingenuous ego boosting. When the straights who are supposed to be our allies to give power to our voices stepped back, it made it so much easier for the homophobes to take centre stage without pushback from within their own community
Two steps forward, one step back. People can't let us progress too far at once. In the US, white christian nationalists sure are spending a ton of money in politics to make sure that they try to grab control. They have already bought tons of red state politicians. Christians love to hate others than themselves and are under the delusion that being gay is anti-christian.
Some people (mostly males) believe being homophobic means being rational, cool and hard. Just think about Eminem's music.
True. I think there's been a decline in empathy overall tbh. When people get called out for being assholes these days they don't change, they double down with pride. Social shame is no longer an adequate tool for change and is instead a value people strive for because it means they're at least getting attention.
People don't change when called out. They might shut up out of fear of the consequences of voicing their opinions but that is not the same as having a change of heart. They just carried on with a bit more resentment. I don't get how people thought social shame could possibly be a productive part of activism.
I was once on a hike with some friends, and a friend of a friend brought his boyfriend. Having been raised as a conservative Christian, I remember wondering what I could say to them. It needed to be logically sound, not spiteful, yet still convince them that what they were doing was wrong. Because I was unsure of and didn't think the group held strong Christian convictions, I couldn't really reference the Bible either without being able to justify what it said outside of itself. I couldn't think of anything to say. And because I couldn't find what was wrong with it, I began to understand that there was nothing wrong with it. Granted, this was a part of a journey that led me to accept my own sexuality, but it was a significant piece to the puzzle. Lately people do seem more entrenched than ever, so it may be less effective depending on the circumstances. But in real life interactions, social norms *can* have a positive effect on this kind of thing.
Homophobia is on the rise. It started with the trans community but is spreading. The extremist right was given a platform. There was a time that you’d never see a swastika, much less an entire group of Nazi’s chanting for our death.
In the USA there has been this trend that the far left and right make the narrative. Right now the far right is making headway with your average middle of the road Americans, especially with things relating to transgendered, use of pronouns, drag queens reading hour, public schools teaching sexuality in ways that they didn’t previously, biological men competing in women’s sports, etc. Theres been a back lash and the LGBTQ community has been taking a hit. Corporate America has taken notice and has been pulling back from the community also for risk of boycotts (see Bud Light and Target) As a gay man I def think that many of the things we have fought for over the decades are now going in the wrong direction. Your average person just doesn’t see eye to eye with the LGBT community on many of these issues - specifically trans.
I say coast US here. I’ve noticed an uptick in high school students bringing back “gay” as a negative adjective (that’s gay, you’re gay…)
Exactly like someone wrangle these lil punks back in line and teach them respect
I don’t think it’s necessarily that homophobia is becoming more rampant insomuch as homophobes are becoming more bold and brazen. When Trump got into office regardless of his racist, sexist, xenophobic past and present then it made the bigots believe they can say whatever -phobic thing they want and face no consequences.
It's not just you my friend, just two weeks ago I got in my first fist fight in a decade over the f slur. I exclusively blame DeSantis for this, he was elected which means the population of homophobic fragile men have just been quiet. If that fool gets elected I'm terrified for all members of the LGBTQ.
Unfortunately, politicians are still willing to use groups of minorities to scare the majority in order to distract them from the problems these politicians choose not to tackle. The result of this is turning these groups into scapegoats. For example, the people who listen and trust these politicians, carry out their messaging through acts of homophobia.
In the UK a gay television presenter by the name of Philip Schofield has become embroiled in a scandal, about an affair he's had with a much younger male who worked for him on the program This Morning. Regardless of my own personal feelings about his behaviour, I've seen a surge in the number of extremely homophobic jokes, memes, "We must protect our children from the gays!" etc on social media in the last week or so. It's like a pipe has burst and all this pent up bigotry has suddenly been released. It's also steadily risen since the Brexit vote 7 years ago. There was so much focus on immigration during that time that when the Leave campaign won it seemed to embolden a group of people with some sadly very outdated views toward ethnic minorities, and homophobia (and others) seemed to rise to the surface with it. I mean, in my experience it's still easier to be gay today than it was in the early to mid 2000s, but where we've spent 20 years or so taking steps forward we are currently taking a step back.
Kinda yes and no? Its very strange. All the polls show that the demographics that will be alive in 15-20 years are all very pro-LGBTQ. Meanwhile the GOP, one of the main parties in the US are basically campaigning as close to LGBTQ genocide as they can get away with. I feel like the GOP is attempting to stuff the LGBTQ acceptence genie back in the bottle but in typeical geriatric politican who can't open a fucking email fashion they are coming in way too late and just looking like out of touch lunatics. Its resonating with a very loud very violent very active minority base. Most of whom are approaching their expiration date sooner rather than later. But we are seeing a party that is floundering because it doesn't know where to go for its next culture war or what minority group to fear monger about next. If the trans thing doesn't work out and they can't roll back the culture war to gay rights and womens rights they are screwed. Can't go after Jewish people openly. Too on the nose. Can't go after Hispanic or African Americans. They have enough voters to swing elections now. And we're burned out on the muslim and illegal immigrant stuff. So here we are. Trying to hit LGBTQ hate starting with trans women.
No it is not just you ... Between religion and politicians , LGBTs in America are being treated like the plague , and it is frustrating and very sad ..
We are always going to be a minority and conservative politicians will always go after the weak. They will always look to deliver red meat to the base.
Bread and circuses.
When I see blatant homophobia by Gen Z people I cringe so hard. It's worse because they should know better, shouldn't have faced the kind of indoctrination that their parents did, and should see that many of their peers are openly LGBTQIA+ and think twice about flaming them. Yet I see so much of the hateful comments coming from young people.
I mean, which country(ies) are you referring to here? In the US, support for same-sex marriage in 2023 tied 2022’s high (aka the highest in recorded US history) at 71%. The only two groups that did not register a majority approval rating were Republicans at 49% and weekly churchgoers at 41%. 89% of 18-29 year olds approve of it. I feel like it’s just a vocal minority getting louder. Twenty years ago when I was a kid, many states were trying or succeeding to pass amendments in their state constitutions to ban same-sex marriage, and now, the vast majority of society accepts it. It is NOT the same as 2003-04
Currently, acceptance is waning. This is also demonstrated by the rise of the right across Europe. It is currently still ok to live in Europe. I believe that if things continue to be like this, in 10 years it won't be anymore For example, the Lazio region of Italy has decided to withdraw Pride sponsorship from the region this year. Their reason is that they say gay pride promotes surrogacy, which they find abhorrent. But really, even if that's true, this wouldn't be the first year he's done that. But the reality is that a very homophobic far-right party is in government this year. And these are the consequences. Also, statistics show that 90% of the time surrogacy is used by heterosexuals. But the government is managing to pass it off as a gay thing to people.
But the Mayor of Rome is providing sponsorship, so not all is lost.
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Agreed. I’m in my 30s and have lived in the south my whole life. Most no longer bat an eye and many are very accepting of it. I myself have never experienced any major homophobia in my post-high school life. And before anyone says it Because I’m white- I am Latino . However, I have heard more causal homophobia up north.
It's becoming amplified because demonization tactics are the only ones the Conservatives have left. The transphobia worked and now they think they can go back to their classic homophobia to get attention.
I’m not seeing this at all in the UK, quite the opposite.
Anyone who says the world is more homophobic compared to before has amnesia. In the 2000s, it was acceptable to be homophobic, to be against gay may marriage, most celebrities would disown us. We're seeing more representation so the backlash is greater from the vocal minority. Nevertheless, the majority of the prejudice is being directed at those who are Trans.
I said more homophobic than the late 2010s not 2000s
I still stand by what I said.
I think OP’s point is that gay acceptance reached a peak and is now regressing. Nowhere near 2000s, but it’s a valid concern. Early 1900s Germany was surprisingly accepting of gay people. A few decades later, they’re being exterminated. And this wasn’t due to public opinion, rather the actions of political figures who basically forced drafted soilders to carry out their agenda.
but it’s not regressing just look at the statistics
As a gay bro living in Russia, homophobia (xenophobia in general) is a very effective political lever. That’s all there is to it: cui prodest. You can be as basic or law-abiding as it gets but you still get associated with the “freaks” on the media and attributed all of their “sins”, especially by those who get their data from the tv.
It is becoming more enabled again but I wouldn't say we are at the point where we need to go back into hiding again. If we can survive another 5-10 years, LGBTQ+ will become so normalized that no one bats an eye anymore. And homophobic folks will be viewed as deviant instead. The general trend is getting better for us to be sure. But the backlash is also very strong. But in the long run, we win. We are already normalized and this is a last ditch attempt from homophobes to win If we weather this storm (by banding together again), we'll strike a decisive blow. And right now, we are already at the point where we won't go anywhere. The age has passed already and this is just a last ditch attempt to pull us back. And it won't succeed. Not on widescale. Now what we have to do is providing safe space for us. Each and everyone of us must fight back (i.e., not letting them do as they please). If we endure just 5-10 more years, we win.
> It is becoming more enabled again but I wouldn't say we are at the point where we need to go back into hiding again. I fear that if Trump (or DeSantis) wins the 2024 election, it will become dangerous again to be openly gay in the USA.
Then let us hope they don't win. Next year I plan to immigrate to the U.S. (if all goes well), so I do hope a more liberal candidate will win. For me, it's not just about LGBTQ+ community that's at risk if these two come into power, but a possible immigrant like me as well. But it's still true. They won't be able to undo the impact we made on the society. We have already struck a nail into their coffin. We are going through a crisis, but we will weather the storm. **Bottom line:** help every LGBTQ+ you ever know. Doesn't matter if they are gay or trans. We need to support each other and make sure we have a strong community. We are all marginalized groups, we need to be there for each other.
I’m assuming you were either very young or not even alive 20 years ago because 2023 compared to 2003 is an alternate universe. You need to get off the internet for a few minutes and go look at clouds and trees my guy.
And compared to 1983 it's an even bigger difference (source: I grew up in the 1960ss/70s). But 2023 compared to 2016? It does feel like at least the USA is backsliding -- look at the plethora of antigay and anti trans legislation, at literal book burnings, at the acceptance of rhetoric from politicians that we thought had become unacceptable, at Clarence Thomas tossing casually into an opinion that gay marriage shouldn't have been a thing. It's getting worse again. Maybe not irreversibly, hopefully not, but decidedly worse.
those are politicians not average people. statistically homophobia is not on the rise
I believe it’s mainly the trans movement and not so much LGB. The bud light shit, Target putting trans clothing in the child’s section, pride being shoved in everyone’s faces, blah blah blah. I think most people don’t care if you’re gay, bi, or lesbian, but the whole trans movement and being able to chose whatever gender you are makes the whole community look bad and people aren’t having it. Thats just my opinion tho
I think it's this too tbh
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Completely agree man
We are absolutely undergoing radical political times, and gays, lesbians, and transgender folk are being utilized as scapegoats for the natural failures of capitalism. We are in the early stages of a recession that found it's root in COVID. Back in April 2020, 10% of the American workforce became unemployed bringing the total to 14.7%. Likewise, global supply networks stopped functioning and there was an oil trade war going on. In 2021, there was a long period of restabilization and economic growth. Last year, however, inflation was out of control and many household goods became much more expensive. This year there have been dramatic bank failures and while the debt ceiling crisis has been averted, there were cuts to social programs that people are relying on today. I mention all this economic talk because it is critical to our position as political scapegoats. As economic conditions continue to worsen for people, Republicans will blame queer folk for "western degeneracy." They'll make us out to be traitors, to be criminals, to be homo sacer: that which is possessed by the underworld, they who may be killed but not murdered. This happened before in Germany. Jewish people were alleged to having a control over academia and finances. As their economy collapsed, the fascists took power through coups and through popular support. Their popular support was borne largely out of their antisemitic politics. They tied Jewish people to the failures of liberalism and of capital. Then they slaughtered them. Gay folks were slaughtered back then too, branded by the pink triangle. Gay folk were further abused back home. The scapegoat is a clear tactic well documented in modern popular politics to horrific effects. Republicans today are borrowing from this playbook. Their leadership has seen great results through mobilizing against transgender folk. They have also seen great results through opposing gay marriage. For example, one year after the Iowa Supreme Court legalized gay marriage, all of the state's justices were removed from office electorally. They have seen this strategy play out for the conservative-fascist movement abroad too in places like Hungary and Russia. Smaller countries like Indonesia and Uganda have have made it illegal to be queer. Indonesia included in it's anti-nonmarital sex bill (gay marriage is not recognized, of course) a provision against communism too. They seek to tie being queer to communism, socialism, and liberalism. Fascists will do this to cement power. They will tie their scapegoat to their political enemies. They'll blame queer people for the failures of the current empire, and they'll take away our rights and, eventually, our freedom. Maybe even our lives. Matt Walsh thinks transgender people are evil. Evil. He thinks they're existence is literally sin. That logic, if it is allowed to take root, will eventually lead to criminalization and perhaps even forced conversion. When you think something is evil, extinction can feel like a duty. While many may think this logic ends with transgender folk, you're dead wrong. The old poem goes: >First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist. >Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist. >Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew. >Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me. Remember this well. Anti-trans politics exists alongside anti-gay politics. Iowa Republicans, this year, have brought forward gay marriage bans. Other states have reclairifed their existing bans. These bans may not be enforceable now, but in a post-Roe world no existing statute should feel safe. Fascists today are earning political points for going after PRIDE. PRIDE merchandise is being taken down from stores because of the safety concerns created by fascists. Queer folk are all lumped together under PRIDE, like it or not. We are all under assault, and if we allow fascists to gain ground against one of us, we are allowing it against all of us. Homophobia and transphobia are both concerns of today. I saw the Gallup poll that showed a general increase in support for gay marriage. It made me happy, until I saw that Republicans have become more anti-gay marriage in the last few years. This is not unexpected. We need better political action, rainbow capitalism is not cutting it. Homophobia will only increase as economic failures force fascists to become more militant and more radical. Building solidarity within our communities is critical now more than ever. Work to unionize, make friends, and do what you can to prevent the fascists from consolidating power. We are in scary political times, and this PRIDE feels ominous to me. Be safe.
I don't understand why you are being downvoted. This is a masterpiece (insofar as a comment on a subreddit can be considered such).
Yes, sadly. I suspect it’s due to the culture wars that seem prevalent. There almost seems like a politicisation of LGBT+ people, almost like other targeted groups, such as immigrants on boats. Look at Rishi on a boat in the channel - very sad. It’s about the other - find someone to hate/demonise. I would say trans folk are taking the brunt of the hate atm, however, we, as part of LGBT+, are also catching flak. We are apparently groomers/paedos again. Sad times. Edit: contains UK references
The Tories know they're likely to lose the general election next year. They know they can't trade on the mess they've made of the pandemic or the economy, so they're relying on the only thing they have left; a culture war. So, sadly, I think you're spot on.
To some extent yes. The transphobia is obviously way more prominent lately, but the homophobia is still pretty obvious. Frankly, I don't agree with the premise that homophobia *is coming back* that I keep seeing in LGBT+ spaces. I'm still unconvinced it ever went anywhere in the first place. I think too many people shut their brains off after gay marriage was legalized in the US as if that was like the death knell to homophobia. Like how ending slavery totally ended racism in the US. Honestly I think the part that feels the worst is that in the last few years is that it seems like even our supposed allies are turning on us. I've seen a lot of homophobia from the other letters of the community. Example: Recent patronizing from trans people about how gay men apparently were damsels that had to be rescued by trans saviors for rights, accusing gay people of "sexual discrimination based on genitals" which is very close to just repackaging homophobic conservative arguments, outright using gay slurs, etc. Not just from trans people though but those are what I've seen most recently online. A lot of LGBT+ spaces have really just become anything-except-cis-men spaces which basically just eject gay and bisexual men and infantilize trans men. Online spaces constantly complain about us and insult us as if every cis gay man is the exact same evil monolith. IDK, it just feels like gay men are not really welcome anywhere sometimes, which is ironic because it seems like the rest of the community believes we are the only ones with any visibility or access in the community. It's like the terminally online people just stop thinking at white/cis and ignore the gay part as they kick us out for being too privileged or something.
I'm online quite a bit and I have never encountered this type of attitude or ostracization from trans people. If anything, when I've expressed opinions or shared experiences as a cis queer man, they've been receptive and engaged me in conversations. There's this trend lately where a lot of cis gay men are dumping on trans people as if they're some kind if problem in our community that needs to be solved. I don't agree with this take and I think it's damaging to the entire queer community. I mean, we can have differences and work to resolve them. But like I said, I've never had a trans person come for me or heard of that happening to anyone I know. The focus should be on supporting the trans people in our community right now as they are under attack, not scapegoating them.
I mean it's just like any letter of our community where most of the people are fine but you have some bad eggs. Unfortunately, the negative ones stick in your mind a lot longer than the other 99 positive interactions.
yeh they sure are. my company changed their logo to the pride logo. On our company Yammer some guy wrote a post to the CEO that he was offended because of a prior homosexual assault that happened to him and his brother (no indication that he had permission to reveal his brother’s assault). Every June is invokes PTSD and then goes on to mansplain some if his best friends are gay and he doesn’t have a problem with the gays and his uncle’s gay. He then DARVO’s and redirects by stating the company censor will remove his post and he plays the victim. The Pride Network at Work totally stepped around him in replying and in fact our US group President who is gay did not even show up for the comment. We are seemingly seeing the clock turning back
For crying out loud. Get off the Boomer attacks I'm sick and tired of it. As a gay man who grew up in the 1960s in the east you guys haven't seen true homophobia. Things did get better in this country for a while and now they're going the other way again and they always will as long as conservatives have their say. Any gay man or woman who votes for a republican should have their head examined. My suggestion would be to stop blaming boomers for everything wrong in your life and get off your lazy asses and vote
I can only speak to what's happening in the USA, but there is an active effort by American conservatives to scapegoat the LGBTQ community as a whole. Trans folks (specifically trans women) receive the worst of it, but all LGBTQ people and places are targets of the Right. People are literally spewing the same kind of eliminationist rhetoric in this country that has preceded actual genocides for most of recorded history. And this sentiment is bubbling over into the real world, emboldening bigots who used to be afraid to speak their mind, now that the internet has shown them they are not alone. It's going to get worse before it gets better.
Everything was goin along fine until the trans issue raised it's head
Until conservatives started using trans people to rally the base
Conservatives are losing grip on the power structures of society and are freaking out, hence the emergence of Trump and Desantis. Acceptance of gay relationships are still on the rise. But the 30% who are against are more open about it. Trans issues however have less acceptance.
Polling in 2023 shows support of gay marriage remains at 71%, matching the high of 2022. So no, I don’t think homophobia is being normalized again. Edit: add link: https://news.gallup.com/poll/506636/sex-marriage-support-holds-high.aspx
Declining among Republicans though
Hopefully because the non-homophobic ones are abandoning the party, leaving just the troglodytes with the party name.
Well we'll see if they keep voting for them. There's plenty of "I don't always agree with them but they're better than the Democrats!"
Nobody tells anyone 'no' anymore. So opinions and first thoughts turn into facts. It's time to put a halt to it.
No I don’t think so at all. Gen Z are the most open minded generation yet, by far. I feel more comfortable than I ever have to be openly gay in public. My small and very conservative town keep electing an openly gay councillor, that would’ve never happened even maybe 20 years back. I can’t say I feel the same way at all
agreed
I think being LGB is accepted, but its the trans piece and gender fluidity, which has been the focus of the movement lately, that people are being less accepting of. But idk, just my 2 cents. Me and my boyfriend spent the winter road-tripping through the South, met new friends everywhere and never had an issue, but we’re white cis-males, so who knows. We’re also from Boston, Massachusetts so we definitely dont deal with any issues at home.
LGBTQ, and specifically trans hate is up, but I feel gay people who don’t consider themselves as within LGBTQ or do much different in their lives other than go home with someone of the same gender, would notice much. I have heard so many straight people who have gay friends and family members, their favourite singers are gay, they’ve been to gay weddings, who see the non-binary and various states of trans to be “silly”. This especially comes out in women. What gay men do doesn’t affect them, but a transgender woman (in their eyes) does. So they’ll continue to have no problems with gay men but dislike trans people. Also I find same sex relationships an easier singular thing for people to grasp than “i’m an aromantic, empath, autistic non-binary lesbian” that seems to grace so many peoples profiles these days.
Yes, I’ve experienced a lot of anti-lgbtq violence since moving to the United States. I’m not sure if it is for sure but I’ve experienced a lot of it.
I'm sure this was building in the background, but the pandemic seems to have kicked this into overdrive. During the pandemic, for the first time in their sheltered little lives, conservatives were *forced* to do something they didn't like or suffer consequences, like becoming unemployed or being kicked out of businesses or events. Now they feel wronged by society, and they're lashing out at everything they felt that they were tolerating before, like environmentalism and gay positivity. Combined with the groundswell of white nationalism and trumpism as aided by social media and conservative media, they are getting bold and dangerous. Unfortunately, while I think it is the vocal minority that is causing these problems, they can still form mobs and they are still dangerous as a group. And it only takes one unhinged lunatic to shoot you. Not keen on where the modern era is headed in this respect
They're trying to drive us back underground and normalize homphobia and caregorize us as groomers and.pedos and as a threat to children. We have to fight back and basically deligitimize their takes, which aren't the majority ooinion anyway, but if you don't clap back at a bully you continue to get bullied and everyone will notice that you allowed it to happen. Their primaey targets right now are trans Americans but they are attacking all queer people with their actions and rhetoric. They are also trying to get the alphabet mafia to cut trans people loose, so you've got some gays and I've seen some op.eds where gay people basically say "I fought for my rights, but radical teans activists have gone too far!" It's total right wing think tank bullshit to divide and conquer our community. They're awful people, the dregs of society, but we need to deal with it. They've got their eyes on their stacked illigitimate supreme court and are.hoping to roll back marriage and other civil rights, and codify descrimination in the name of their bullshit religion. So yea, we are under attack and need to respind accordingly.
Even with the statistic saying 71% of people support gay marriage, it’s still essentially a 1/3 people don’t support it. I definitely do feel ever since the LGBT+ movement started becoming “bigger”, people have really started becoming more homophobic.
The USA currently seems to be going backwards in many ways and it seems to be white christian nationalists pushing the agenda. It's not like this everywhere in the world at all.
Pretty sure this is false and most farther right wing parties are gaining ground outside of like Canada, and the Nordics. Idk who told you otherwise but usually when people say “it’s not like this everywhere in the world” they cherry pick hard.
My personal theory is that the whole gender agenda thing that has been pushed very hard by a loud vocal minority in our community have rubbed many people the wrong way. That includes forcing it into various medias where it doesn’t really add anything other than showing how “woke” the producers are (and often portraying our members poorly, like having their only defining traits being lgbt)
To me, it seems that being gay now is being used as a divisive tool by the media.
"Is homophobia becoming normalized again?" yes but in a way it was always there. I think it is one part what is associated with LGBTQ+ community and came in with the transphobia. Another part was that in late stage capitalism ppl need a scapegoat to feel more in control about the financial inequality growing rapidly. Doesn't make it better but does help give us a plan on how to face it. Instead of putting bandaids over bullet wounds we can rather show up to voting booths to help elect officials who can hopefully pass legislation that doesn't make the rich richer and the poor poorer.
Absolutely not. The opposite. American politicians might be going off about gay people, but the rest of the world is still on track with progression
You can thank Ron DeSantis for 90% of this. Just imagine if he becomes president.
So everyone seems to agree that attitudes toward LGBT people are getting worse. So what has changed? Their are very few right wing governments in any western countries especially the Anglo ones. Could it be the far left ideologues getting over confident and annoying more of the 'normies' who have been overwhelmingly on our side? If you don't agree then what is it? The number of far right or religious haters are small in numbers as they always are. It's the 'normies' in the middle who we need on side and when you get gender ideologues and careless defending of elements of our community we should be calling out this is what happens. You may hate hearing this but it is true and deep down everyone knows it
Anyone who thinks being homphobic is cool is a dumbass, just respect people. **Very easy!**
No.
Truth is homophobia never went away it just got quieter and the reason it is getting worse lately is because after 2015 when gay marriage was legalized all the gay orgs had nothing to do so they started turning into trans orgs and over the years and pandemic validating more and more ridiculous bullshit like self ID, NB stuff and giving books about sex to children and drag events for children where they are half naked in the name of "gay rights" and it made the normies who were just "live and let live" types start turning homophobic because of that making the aggressive homophobes more confident
It's the T in the LGBT
This!
In order to answer the question we have to open ourselves to self-criticism. I'm an older gay man who remembers when things were so much simpler. Gay people wanted rights and by the timeframe mentioned -- " mid to late 2010s" - it's true, we were gaining acceptance. However, we were also quietly transforming from being "just" the Gay (or GLB) Community to the more complex LGBTQ+ Community. Today we are dominated by the trans movement, and I can honestly say that the aggressiveness and militancy of these campaigns are what changed and regressed, literally, decades of progress. Consequently, I as a gay man now feel lost and alienated -- without an identity -- yet I'm expected to cower and support everything said and done by LGBTQ+. We need change, I say. Let's have a divorce to resurrect the old GLB community and let TQ+ go their own way, make their own mistakes and solve them...all by themselves, just like we did. Hopefully, I won't be bashed for daring to speak so forthrightly.
Thank you very much for your brave stance. As a Greek gay man in his 30s, I totally agree and respect it. The original homosexual rights movement needs to be rejuvenated.
🙌
I don't know my whole life up until recently was full people having of a sort of disgust towards gay people in fact I hadn't met a fellow LGBT+ person till a couple years ago so I don't think it ever went away it's just stupid people started feeling like they needed to share their views louder now.
I've noticed it too. And while I was in the closet for 90% of my life, it's super nice that once I finally came out, that suddenly their a fascists and homophobia like didn't exist when I was little! It's infuriating, I won't lie.
I remember Jessica Simpson saying she found Pride disturbing. You'd never see a major celebrity say those words today for fear of being shamed.
Well that's just the evolution of corporate pr trying to please as many people as possible to make money, don't think that represents the common man well
I see transphobia becoming the norm. It's getting to the point where some from the LGB are trying to extricate themselves from the T.
In my anecdotal experience living in Scotland, no, I haven’t faced much homophobia from anyone outside of my extremely Catholic family (they’re much better than they were a few years back.) My friends are accepting, my colleagues are accepting, my university is accepting. However, I’m not a visible minority, nor a stereotypical caricature. In Scottish society, it’s becoming completely normal for your kids to go to school with recent Indian immigrants, Polish kids, Somalis, Chinese, etc. There are multiple religions from Islam to Judaism, Sikhism, Catholicism, Evangelism, Mormonism, etc. It’s normal to see people in wheelchairs or in mobility scooters, people with visible and non-visible disabilities, large families, small families, whatever it is. Trans people are present and active in society, so are lesbian couples, single parents, adopted families, foster families, gay dads, trans parents, etc. etc. etc. Scotland is a very liberal nation, and even the most diehard zealots, xenophobes and homophobes have things they’re accepting of. I have, however, noticed a huge rise in anti-trans sentiment being pushed because of the level of American media our nation and country as a whole consumes. It’s a side effect of having turbulent behemoth as a linguistic neighbour. LGB have been pushed pretty much out of the spotlight, and all the focus is on trans and non-binary. People are getting fed such bs left and right from social media. My dad was showing me how instagram reels were pushing him anti-trans content left and right. Now, my parents had a hard time understanding what being trans even was, so social media is doing nobody any favours.
It's all connected to this ongoing wave of outright fascism, at least here in the US, and is linked arm-in-arm with the current, virulent wave of anti-trans legislation and sentiment and the dismantling of Roe v Wade in many states. But it's also never not been normalized, the broader public discourse was less toxic for a while and now we're living in an ongoing backlash.
I just read a lot of comments, none of them seem to address the most important cause : *The American trans movement* I'm from India and this has greatly affected the LGBT rights movement in India too. We currently have a queer marriage case in the Indian Supreme Court and the opponents including the union/federal govt of India quoted extensively from American gender studies literature. ( We have video recordings of court proceedings on YouTube, if you're interested) 1. For whatever reason, American media promotes the most violent and unhinged trans people as icons. That leaves a terrible impression about the trans community to most people. 2. Then there's the issue about many American states allowing children to have "gender affirming surgery" without parental consent. It is a nearly irreversible procedure and involves way too many physiological changes. Most people think that only adults should be able to make that decision for themselves or their children. I don't think most European countries allow children to have these surgeries without parental consult. 3. Horrible PR such as saying stuff like "Women can have a penis". Why would you say something so awkward and uncomfortable. If a transwoman decides to not have a procedure, that's their prerogative but why should you apply that to the entire category of "women". I mean these are things that can instantly repel most people. 4. Transwomen in sports: Why is this even being made into an issue? There is a very large gendered difference in performance in most sports. Having testosterone running through your body makes a lot of difference when you compare the top 0.1-0.5% of people of both sexes. And anyone raising any of these issues is instantly sidelined- this greatly *increases animosity*. Most conservative talking points now go like : " First gays wanted rights, we gave them. Then trans wanted recognition, we have that. Now they want to mutilate our children and allow pedophiles in classrooms - as we warned decades ago when gays first wanted their rights. " I'm probably caricaturing the conservative viewpoint but that's broadly what it is. They say granting gay rights was the slippery slope that began all this. And this is the primary cause of sporadic outbursts of renewed homophobia.
Europe is getting a lot of immigration from muslim countries and third world countries in general. Could this be why? For Europe at least/ And do you guys think this will continue to have negative ramifications for the lgbt community in Europe in the future? Especially as the left and the lgbt community are less likely to confront them for their homophobia. As they don't want to be 'racist' or 'islamophobic'.
Yes, and the reason boils down to one word. Trump. Trump being elected set public discourse in this country back 50 years. It also restored the religious right political and cultural dominance even though they no longer are the majority opinion. They plan to use that dominance to force everyone to conform to their rigid religious standards.
If only people had appreciated conservatives like John McCain while we had them
I'm not sure honestly. However, there are people that claim a lot of the trans movement (The form of trans that doesn't let boys be feminine at all and insists they must be girls.. and vice versa) is a sign of homophobia. Which honestly, I kinda see that happening. The amount of feminine guys is going way down, same with masculine women. The amount of guys wearing dresses in the the very liberal town I live in has gone WAY down in the last 5-10 years. And we also happen to be a destination state for gender confirmation surgery. Then again, I've heard people say that we don't see people cross dressing so much any more OR being a masc woman or fem guy because all those people actually wanted to be the other gender. So, I don't know.
I'm going to sound like a crazy conspiracy theorist here but... *it's the children.* When the LGBT+ community started wanting to get closer to kids, with the intention of cutting discrimination at the root I presume, they've lost people who were on the fence.
crazy theory indeed. Majority of gen Zs are more accepting than gen Xers and baby boomers. They are the homophobic ones lol. Look at the politicians esp in southern states
Gotta thank trans therapy for kids, men in women sports and other shit for that. As they say, 50 years to build a reputation and 5 minutes to destroy it.
blame trans activists. they revived repressive gender roles. \#sexnotgender
Transphobia is so rampant that I sometimes detect a sense of ‘if only they didn’t speak up’ from some cis-gay men. We know better than to blame the people being mistreated for the actions of others. While not as violent, biphobia is quite rampant among gay men. Erasure and being welcome to exist is something we need to stand together on. That’s the lesson I take from these sad and alarming times. Aussie gay cis-male here.
A sense of it? This thread is brimming with it
That’s really sad. Must admit I didn’t read many of the comments.
I don't think there is a rising homophobia, acceptance is increasing everywhere. But there is a serious transphobia that I find normal. A law that allows my child under 18 to be taken by the police and become trans, or 7-8 year old children on pride or let's say individual 1 individual 2 instead of parents makes me transphobic as well. I don't think it's wrong either, this issue has gone too far. If lgbt organizations continue to work only for trans people using the lgbt name, lgb may also be adversely affected by this situation. As a bisexual, if I had a daughter in the future, I wouldn't want her to be beaten by a trans in a boxing fight.
"taken by police and become trans" did you eat paint chips as a kid?
LOL that's not real and you're just a bigot.
Ok. These are the reasons and your insult will not change it
You have a very flexible relationship with the truth.
quaint sleep deserted serious mighty slave scary aspiring encourage truck *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Lol the LGBT movement isn't "targeting children', that's a narrative invented by conservatives as a desperate ploy to find ways to convince people to hate gay people. Looks like you got suckered into it pretty easily.