Each of us has experienced homophobia. We know its sting and we know how it hurts. Homophobia is insidious, creeping into our lives from a flip comment, the constant reinforcing in this culture that somehow being homosexual is “less than” being heterosexual, or even blatant discrimination and hatred towards us because we happen to be a gay man, a bisexual, a lesbian, or transsexual.
Fondation Émergence, a Quebec-based organization, began the Canadian National Day Against Homophobia (NDAH) four years ago, picking up from the May 17th American observance. Over the years, various organizations ranging from Egale Canada to the National Bank of Canada have come on board as supporters or partners. Currently, other major partners include: Justice Quebec, the Department of Justice Canada, Canadian Heritage, the Canadian Rainbow Health Coalition, the City of Montreal, the World Outgames, The Montreal Police Service, and others.
This year’s theme addresses homophobia—and by extension lesbophobia, bi-phobia and transphobia—in the workplace with the slogan “Hiding Its Face: Homophobia Becoming More Subtle.” It recognizes that with all the legal advances of recent years it is rarely socially or politically acceptable to be blatantly homophobic. Rather, the discrimination and prejudice faced by homosexuals, bisexuals, and transsexuals is less obvious but no less insidious for rolling in under the radar.
“Discrimination based on sexual orientation is nothing new,” states this year’s literature. “What is new, however, is that now it’s got a name of its own - homophobia. On a top-ten list of types of discrimination, homophobia ranks high. At the same time that gays and lesbians are coming out of the closet, anti-gay bigots are stepping inside to avoid looks of disapproval and to become invisible.” The literature goes on to make the point “Outbursts of laughter have been replaced with smirks while insults are swapped for insinuations.”
This of course is exactly what makes homophobia, and the attendant phobias, so difficult to combat. As mentioned elsewhere in this magazine (“Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones, But Names Can Affect My Career Path,” pg. XXX), nicknaming someone even suspected of being queer is often seen as just “having fun”, and to complain about it leaves one alienated within the worksite environment. Suddenly, the victim of this sort of harassment is further victimized by having the perpetuators take on the mantle of victimhood themselves, and bemoan the fact their free expression is under attack.
The campaign has come under some criticism for not including lesbo-bi-and-transphobia in the name, or otherwise being more inclusive. In fact, the Trans Issues Committee of Egale, an advisory committee within Egale that deals with transgendered/transsexual issues, specifically requested Egale’s Board make a formal request to Émergence to do so.
Émergence politely refused, stating it was its belief lesbians, bisexuals and transsexuals were, in fact, included in the broader term of “homophobia.” Émergence further stated the day was specifically concerned with homophobia itself, just as the Trans Day of Remembrance was specifically concerned about transsexuals, pointing out that observance did not include remembrances of those gay men killed due to hatred. However, local observances of NDAH are free to frame the observances and public statements around the day in any fashion they believe to be appropriate. The website, however, does address the “variants of homophobia” in considerable detail (www.homophobiaday.org).
The site also discusses the term “homophobia.” Critics of the term, often conservative and Right Wing types, often complain their aversion to homosexuality is not a “fear of” at all. They simply see it as morally reprehensible to be homosexual (or at least actively so) and feel quite justified in speaking out about such a moral lapse, only to complain when such bigotry is labelled homophobic.
American psychologist George Weinberg first popularized the term in 1969. He used it again in his 1972 book “Society and The Healthy Homosexual.” Weinberg defined homophobia as “The fear expressed by heterosexuals of being in the presence of homosexuals, and the loathing that homosexual persons have for themselves.” Some have suggested the term “heterosexism” is a more accurate term, but “homophobia” has caught on to a greater degree. The term “heterosexism,” a more academic term to begin with, describes the belief that heterosexuality is inherently superior to all other forms of sexual expression. The term also describes the culture of entitlement that often accompanies the belief.
The campaign consists of an organized a day of awareness-raising and educational activities that focus on the fight against prejudice, and on how human rights for all must be respected. The specific goal is to target discrimination based on sexual orientation. At the same time, the campaign stresses the importance of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (www.pch.gc.ca/progs/pdp-hrp/docs/cesc_e.cfm), along with the rights listed in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (http://laws.justice.gc.ca/cgi-bin/notice.pl?redirect=/en/H-6/index.html) and the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms (www.cdpdj.qc.ca/en/commun/docs/charter.pdf).
For more information on the National Day Against Homophobia (May 17th), log on to www.homophobiaday.org.
