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What Is Homophobia?

• Homophobia is the irrational hatred, intolerance, and fear of lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people.
• These negative feelings fuel the myths, stereotypes, and discrimination that can lead to violence against LGB people.
• LGB people brought up in a homophobic society can often internalise these negative stereotypes and develop varying degrees of low self-esteem and self-hatred, often described as 'internalised homophobia'.
• The word homophobia was constructed by the heterosexual psychologist George Weinberg in the late 1960s. He used homophobia to label heterosexuals’ dread of being in close quarters with homosexuals as well as homosexuals’ internalised oppression. The word first appeared in print in 1969.

What Is Transphobia?

• Transphobia (by analogy with homophobia) refers to various kinds of aversions towards transsexuality and transsexual or transgendered people.
• It often takes the form of refusal to accept a person's new gender expression.
• Whether intentional or not, transphobia can have severe consequences for the targeted person; also, many transpeople experience homophobia as well, from people who associate gender identity disorder as a form of homosexuality.
• Like other forms of discrimination such as homophobia, the discriminatory or intolerant behaviour can be direct (e.g. harassment, assault, or even murder) or indirect (e.g. refusing to take steps to ensure that transgender people are treated in the same way as cisgender (non-transgender) people.)
• Direct forms of transphobia can manifest themselves in ways that are not related to violence. One example of this is the case of Tyra Hunter. Ms. Hunter was involved in an automobile accident, and when rescue workers discovered she was transgender, they backed away and stopped administering treatment. She later died in hospital. Two other well-noted transsexual victims were Brandon Teena and Gwen Araujo.