(thing) by WolfDaddy Fri Nov 02 2001 at 3:51:23

Internalized homophobia is a syndrome whereby a homosexual, confronted with overwhelming apparent evidence that society is in and of itself inherently homophobic, develops a fear of his or her own homosexuality.

It's also a term that, in my experience has been used to excess within the so-called "gay community" itself, used to disparage someone who doesn't toe the line of what a homosexual is supposed to believe (as if we're all the same person, y'know what I'm sayin'?). I'm gay. I'm a Republican. In many gay social circles, this makes me persona non grata the minute I voice my disagreement with a stated opinion of a political nature. I often feel as if I'm being asked to "pass" as a liberal amongst fellow homosexuals just as homosexuals often feel forced to pass as heterosexuals.

This seemingly illogical treatment at the hands of my fellow homos has often made me question whether or not I am, indeed, an internalized homophobe. I just don't buy it ... not on the sole basis of my political party affiliation. Yet, time and time again, I am called a homosexual homophobe by other homosexuals, and shunned when I tell them I'm a member of the GOP. To me, this behavior makes them homophobic (or, to be more precise, prejudicial). Needless to say, this set of circumstances has made it very difficult to socialize within my own "community". Don't worry, gentle reader, I get by.

In order to create this node, I went out to try to find some information about internalized homophobia to present it here. Good old Google gave me the following proclamation written by a man who proudly states his websites are "zones of internalized homophobia". I found his statements so much to my liking that I have reproduced them here:

Resolution, January 27, 2001
Planet SOMA (www.planetsoma.com), David Gwynn
Posted with permission

That pretty much sums up my feelings on the matter. Discuss amongst yourselves.

Update

No matter what I do, I cannot escape the local gay and lesbian resource center. I gave them five dollars nearly 10 years ago, and ever since, despite my protestations that I didn't want the damn thing, they continue to send me their monthly newsletter. No matter how many times I move, they know where I live. The gubbmint should take pointers from them if they really want to find Osama bin Laden. I digress...

This month's editorial goes on and on and on and on about how gay people need to unite in the face of discrimination. The entire homosexual community of my hometown is under attack, sez the article, and their public funding is in jeopardy because of a brouhaha over the local Boy Scouts.

Number one, I don't receive any payouts from the resource center, so its not my public funding at risk (though it sure would be nice if I got free rent for being a minority...oh, wait, I'm digressing again). Number two, I happen to agree with the United States Supreme Court in their ruling that the Boy Scouts of America can be discriminating in whom they choose to employ or accept into their ranks. I also happen to think that the Scouts have been put at far more risk, and rightly so, due to the consequences of their own choice than any little resource center in a beach community in California.

The entire homosexual population, the article implies, of Santa Barbara will SUFFER if we do not help the resource center in its hour of need. We must UNITE! We will not FALTER! We are FAMILY! screams the article. It further tells me that homosexuals are found in every corner of the world and the editor illustrates the point by listing all the people of various groups she knows who are also gay. Black, white, male, female, Christian, Muslim, liberal, conserva..... Whoops, waitaminute, that last set wasn't included in her editorial. She seems to presume that it's not necessary to list political ideologies since that's the ONE area where there's no variation.

So, I dropped the editor an e-mail asking why she doesn't acknowledge the spectrum of political difference that exists in the homosexual community.

That was two weeks ago (this writeup has been stored in my e2 scratch pad for that time, waiting for permission from the author of the statements I listed above).

I have received no reply.

I've tried calling her, to ask her to clarify her position.

I have received no reply.

Hmmm. I guess I have, after all.

Update 2003
I'm no longer a member of the GOP. However, that fact doesn't mitigate my feelings on this topic.

I like it! 1 C!