2009-07-20, 12:33 AM
Just something to note, as I see this quite a bit here - a phobia is an extreme and unfounded fear of something, not a dislike or tendency to avoid. Please stop referring to people that dislike or hate gays as homophobes, as they are not. They will not collapse in fright, break down into hysteria, or become otherwise experience extreme distress as the sight of a gay person. Prejudice and hatred are not the same thing as phobia. The meaning still gets across, but please make note of that. It bugs me. It's highly improper use of the word - you wouldn't say someone who dislikes or even abhors the taste of beans has a phobia, or someone who absolutely hates Democrats is afraid of them. Fear and hatred are entirely different states of mind, and confusing them as such is...inexcusable.