I have had discussions with several of my friends about the homophobic attacks in New York this month. Many of them were completely unaware of the occurrence of these attacks, and some of them even commented that homophobia seems like a "hidden problem". In response to that, I simply wrote the following:
Homophobia is so pervasive, yet people believing that it is no longer a problem are definitely making things worse. There is no excuse for this type of ignorance either, as anti-gay actions live in all parts of society. Homophobia is a problem not only every time someone is beaten or killed, but every time someone equates gay with a negative (eg. "That's so gay"). Addressing homophobic language, actions, or belief as acceptable is perpetuating this severe social problem, not to mention probably offending people within ear/eyeshot. Using anti-gay language (or saying "gay" in a negative way), even in reference to trivial things, has a clear impact of linguistically targeting an entire group of already oppressed people based on their identity. Also note that most of the violent attacks detailed in recent news often began with people yelling "gay slurs." It's important to remember that homophobia exists on all levels - from unequal laws, to murders, to offensive language - and if you are truly on the right side of history and society, you will seek to eradicate all instances of homophobia that are within your reach, starting with the language and actions that you display and that you witness others displaying.
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