Heterosexism: A New Phrase For An Old Problem

By Brian Webber

It's been a LONG ass time since I've written any essay of any kind, so please bear with me if this sucks.

Homophobes. They're everywhere. But they aren't who you think. You may think their the idiot down the street with the God Hates Fags sign that you just wanna beat up soemtimes, or the Zealots of various Internet discussion sites that decry their existence and deny them jobs, even in the military, the one every unemployable American knows he can go for a plate of beans and a dental plan. They aren't the shmucks that try to claim what two consenting males or females do in their own bedroom 'harms society.'

No, they're the ones who refused to believe in Lesser Evilism and voted their consicence (often with repercussions from friends, loved ones, and even employers) in 2000. They were people like JFK and MLK who shook up the status quo. They are our forefathers; men and women who refused to continue living under unjust British law. They are people like me, who can't bear the thought of doing the same thing every day. They are the envelope pushing TV producers who give us shows like OZ and 24 and Babylon 5.

Let me explain. Any word-geek (the kind of guy who reads a Thesaurus on his lunch break) will tell you that the word homophobia actually comes from an ancient Greek phrase that means, fear of sameness. Fear of sameness. Not wanting things to be the same. Sound sto me like, in that context, homophobia really isn't such a bad thing.

So, this means we need a new phrase for bigots like Phelps, Falwell, Robertson, and Ashcroft. What word can we use? Well, discrimantaion based on gender is called sexism. So why not use a phrase I've heard before, but generally only in progressive liberal circles; heterosexism?

Yes, yes, I think heterosexism works. As a phrase I mean. :-) So why not start refrring to people who would so willingly hate someone based on a harmless sexual proclivity (you'll NEVER convince me or any other smart person that two consenting adults of the same gender are even remotely comparable to pedophiles), with that word? Hopefully, it'll really piss them off.

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