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From: Norman Roberts <nroberts@hawaii.edu>
Subject: Re: the word homophobia
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References:  <50@monteith.win-uk.net>
Date: Mon, 10 Jun 1996 16:48:05 GMT
Lines: 42

Someone is missing the point here.  Whoever coined the term 'homophobia"
obviously thought that "homo" meant "gay."  The people who have picked up and use the term
obviously think so, too.  Now that the term has gained some currency, 
it's very unlikely than anyone is going effect a change or introduce
a new term that will catch on.
> >>Females who love males are not homosexual; females who love females are.
> >>Likewise, homophobic females are not afraid of homosexual males, but of
> >>females approaching them sexually.
> >
> snip
> >
> Surely the word which should be used in this is "heterophobia"?
> 
> This implies a fear of that which is different, thus satisfying
> both the linguists and the homosexual community in one go. 
> 
> What is important here is that words and language are actually the
> main means by which human beings exercise power. The moment that a
> group is allowed to *hijack* a part of the language and impose its
> own meaning upon words and upon the rest of the population using
> that language, they acquire a certain extra lever which they did not
> formerly have. All successful political minority groups throughout
> history have understood this - viz. the current connotations of
> *racist* as a term applicable only to white people - and the
> honosexual lobby is only treading a well-worn path. 
> 
> --
> David Monteith-Hodge
>  Veni    translation -> : I came, 
>  Vidi                   : I saw,
>  Validi                 : I validated, corrected, fixed, 
>                         : fudged, bodged, kludged, made work etc.
> Programmers Motto (c)1994 David Monteith-Hodge and Mike Wilding. 
> 
> --
> David Monteith-Hodge
>  Veni    translation -> : I came, 
>  Vidi                   : I saw,
>  Validi                 : I validated, corrected, fixed, 
>                         : fudged, bodged, kludged, made work etc.
> Programmers Motto (c)1994 David Monteith-Hodge and Mike Wilding. 

