Today, May 17, 2016: International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia

[BmorePat87]

(05-18-2016, 12:10 PM)PhilHos Wrote: 2 things:

1) Can we stop using "phobia" to describe people that are bigoted or discriminate or outright hate others? While some may irrationally be afraid of (the definition of "phobia") homosexuals or trans people, I would not describe MOST of them as fearing them irrationally or not.  Do we call members of the KKK race-ophobes? Or blackophobes or whatever the equivalent term would be? No, we don't.

2) Why is it okay to belittle and denounce people with certain mental illnesses but not others? If it's okay to be critical of and demand change for homophobes, then why is it not okay to be critical and demand change for trans people or homosexuals?

The term homophobia has changed beyond the root meaning of "phobia". Even Websters defines it as including discrimination or hate.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/homophobia

As for point 2, I would not say that either has a mental illness. However, why is it ok to denounce hatred over denouncing being gay or being trans? The same reason why it's ok to denounce racism or hatred/discrimination against religions. It's behavior that most decent people would find unacceptable in society. We should work to accept others. Sure, that's just my view, but it's one I'll defend as morally superior to advocating for the denial of civil liberties to others.