“Homophobia” or homosexual bias reconsidered

Recent investigation into negative reactions to homosexuals has yielded a new concept, homophobia. This concept has been used to describe cultural, attitudinal, and personal biases against homosexuals. Such a broad usage of the concept threatens to restrict understanding of negative reactions to homosexuals, and to restrict more useful investigations into the possible sources of homosexual bias. It is suggested that the concept of homophobia be abandoned in favor of another concept such as homosexual bias, except in rare cases where anxiety arousal leads to overt phobic avoidance. It is hoped that this clarification will open up new areas of investigation and lead to a deeper understanding of negative reactions to homosexuals on social and personal levels.