Meaning of liberal homophobia | Babel Free

Definitions

The acceptance of homosexuality as long as it remains a private issue.

uncountable

Equivalents

Examples

“The intellectual Daniel Borrillo refers to liberal homophobia as that which accepts homosexuality so long as it is not discussed. This type of homophobia is represented in phrases like, 'I don't care what anyone does in private so long as they don't tell me about it'. In the professional world, this is crystallized in the recently abolished slogan of the US army: 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'.”

“After the deadly shooting attack at Barnoar, liberal homophobia surfaced along with support for the community. It took the form of a debate over coming out of the closet and "outing". Many people said that a person's sexual orientation was his own private business, and spoke out against the expectation that well-known people would come out of the closet. The debate ignored the fact that society considers only one sexual orientation a private matter. Heterosexuality is always public, and may always be talked about.”

“To fully understand “liberal homophobia”, we must consider the centrality of the private/public distinction in liberalism along with the correlation of homosexuality/heterosexuality to this divide.”

“Another type of men’s group, or trend in critical thought on men, is often forgotten in our typologies: the “gay groups” along with their commercial and association networks. Their omission highlights the heterocentrism on the part of men studies, which can only deconstruct masculinity in its heterosexual expression. A common current form of liberal homophobia is demonstrated in accepting this sphere, even mentioning the GLBT movement, but eventually not granting gays the status of men that would enable us to include them in our deconstruction of hegemonic masculinity.”

CEFR level