Homophobia is a term that refers to irrational or persistent fear of, or failure to acknowledge or accept, homosexual people. Homophobia can be lead to direct or indirect discrimination or harassment. It is sometimes confused with heterosexism. Heterosexism encompasses a broad set of beliefs that assert people are or should be heterosexual and that homosexuality and bisexuality are inferior to heterosexuality. Heterosexism includes homophobia and biphobia, fears of alternative sexualities, and transphobia, a fear of alternative gender identities.⁵

"Gay, lesbian and bisexual adolescents follow a developmental path that is both similar to and quite different from that followed by heterosexual adolescents. All teenagers face certain developmental challenges, such as developing social skills, thinking about career choices, and fitting into a peer group. Gay, lesbian and bisexual youth must also cope with prejudiced, discriminatory, and violent behaviour and messages in their families, schools, and communities".⁶

Discrimination or harassment based on homophobia, biphobia or heterosexism can be manifested in any number of ways. While all circumstances are different, and homosexual peoples' experiences are as diverse as non-homosexual people, many gay, lesbian or bisexual people can be:

• perceived as deviant and denied choices and opportunities in an attempt to keep them in their 'proper' place
• stigmatised as gay or lesbian regardless of their actual sexual orientation
• consumed with feelings of shame, fear and self-hatred
• deprived of opportunities for observing positive role models due to a prevailing cultural bias that makes gay, lesbian and bisexual people largely invisible and labelled as 'unhealthy' or deviant
• fearful of rejection by others
• fearful of close relationships with others
• restricted by external or self-imposed limitations on their personal expression or aspirations
• unable to engage in everyday activities for fear of bias, discrimination or harassment
• denied access to social services including education in the school of their choice, despite such discrimination being illegal in Tasmania
• at risk of compromised educational outcomes including limits on subject choice and performance and early school leaving⁷
• fearful of speaking out either privately or in public
• susceptible to unemployment or underemployment
• more likely to experience hate crimes including violence
• more likely to attempt suicide or engage in self-harm, including increased drug use
• at an increased risk of behaviour resulting in sexually-transmitted infections and hepatitis
• exposed to unwanted and unnecessary psychological intervention including 'reparative' or 'conversion therapy' or 'transformational ministry' to redress their sexual orientation.

As with many fears, homophobia is based on ignorance and irrationality. The discrimination and harassment that follows can be accidental or deliberate, subtle or obvious.

As with many forms of discrimination and harassment, homophobia can hurt the targets of prejudice as well as the perpetrators and members of the dominant group. Homophobia can:

• lock all people into rigid gender roles that inhibit creativity and self-expression
• limit all peoples' ability to communicate positively with others and form close relationships
• prevent some lesbian, gay or bisexual people from developing an honest self-identity, and add to the pressure to conform to heterosexual roles
• pressure all young people – of all sexual identities and orientations – into premature heterosexual sexual activity to prove they are 'normal'
• lead to important facts, concepts and personal stories being hidden from the curriculum
• lead to the inhibition of other types of diversity by promoting a message that there is only one way to be.^{8, 9}

Homosexual and bisexual people seek, and are entitled to, the same degree of safety, security and life opportunities as all citizens.

5. (Australian Medical Association Position Statement on Sexual Diversity and gender Identity, 2002)
6. (Just the Facts, p. 3)
7. Plummer, D. One of the Boys: Masculinity, Homophobia, and Modern Manhood, (1999)
8. (Adapted from Blumenfeld, Warren J (ed.) Homophobia: How we all pay the price in GLSEN Safe Space Resources for Ally Training, 2006, p. 24)
9. http://masseynews.massey.ac.nz/2007/Massey_News/issue-04/stories/08-04-07.html [No longer available.]

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