1. Homophobia within a Single Equality Framework

2. Outline: What is oppression? What is privilege? What is homophobia?
Where does it come from?
What are its effects?
Homosexuals
Heterosexuals

3. What is Oppression? Victimisation Power imbalance Bullying
Lack of Rights
Discrimination
Less eligibility
Disempowerment
Low self worth
Lack of respect
Alienation
Being kept down
Feeling of isolation
Internalised oppression
Being made to feel worthless and inferior
Social control disguised as being 'for the good of society'
Restrictions/barriers to freedom of behaviour, speech
Can be overt and covert attitudes and behaviour that stops others from being themselves
Brow-beaten into another's way of living
Abuse/misuse of power
Not being allowed to own views
Effect of socialisation

4. What is Privilege?
PRIVILEGE: The rights, advantages and immunities enjoyed by a small usually powerful group or class, especially to the disadvantage of others.

5. Unearned Privilege
Privileges or advantages one gets just because one belongs to a valued group in society, not because of individual efforts which ‘earned’ them, but simply because of involuntary membership in a privileged group
‘Being born with a silver spoon in your mouth’
Example: left-handed people

6. Table Exercise: Heterosexual Privilege
Heterosexual privilege questionnaire in pack
Read through individually
Discuss your responses with colleagues on table

7. Who is Oppressed? Privileged?
Lower Class
Women
BME Groups
Disabled Groups
Old People
Young People
Some religious groups
LGBTs
Poor
Learning Difficulties
Size
Travellers
Mental Health
Drug users
HIV + People
Unemployed

10. Pair Exercise External + Internal frameworks in pack
Identify which oppressed and privileged groups belong to
Share an example of oppression and an example of privilege you have experience
2.5 minutes each

11. What is homophobia?

12. Putting it another way…
Similar definitions for racism, sexism, disablism, ageism, classism….
Two sides to coin: oppression/privilege
Works in similar way against all oppressed groups (although there are some important differences)

13. Where does homophobia come from?

14. Creation & Perpetuation of Homophobia
Similar lists for all oppressed groups
We are not born with these ideas
Apart from language, what are the six main institutions that create and perpetuate homophobia (sexism, racism, disablism, etc)

15. RELIGION: It’s a Sin
Anglicanism: ‘homosexual genital acts fall short of the ideal’ (gay priests)
Catholicism: ‘homosexuality is an aberrant deviation’ (pope)
Judaism: Late Lord Jakobovits – abortion of foetus if homosexual
Islam: Late Dr Siddique: elimination of gays – gays assassinated in some countries

16. Medicine: It’s a Sickness
Homosexuality classed as sickness in Britain until 1993 – put into mental institutions
Causes: arrested development, a phase, immature, parent’s fault: too distant, too close
We can help you change – electro shock; lobotomy; Christian therapy
Recent research: combination including genetic & environmental with a genetic predisposition
Little acknowledgement of effects on mental wellbeing = lack of services

17. LAW: Significant Changes
Until recently
Age of Consent: illegal for gay men under 18/21 (lesbians invisible) until 2001
Section 28: no ‘promotion’ of homosexuality repealed 2003
Employment (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003
Civil partnership 2005
Goods & Services 2007
Criminal Justice & Immigration 2008 (incitement to hatred based on sexual orientation)
Still hierarchy of oppression – even with Single Equality Bill – Duty to challenge homophobia
Allows religious homophobia

18. MEDIA: It’s Entertainment
Used to be invisible or negative images – perverts, pansies, predatory – still stereotypes
Sensationalise – lipstick lesbians (or pornography), camp gay men
Allow homophobes to spread hatred & ignorance ‘in the interest of balance’
Powerful editors

19. EDUCATION: It’s Invisible
No/few visible role models
Homophobic bullying goes unchallenged
Few books, little information
Limited content in curricula
Creating homophobes
Powerful head teachers

20. FAMILY: It’s Heterosexual
Brought up to be heterosexual
Brought up with parents (often negative) views
Parents usually ignorant of effects of homophobia on child
Some disown or don’t want to know
Initially often preoccupied with their own responses to be able to support child

21. What are the effects on LGBT Youth?
Isolation from family, friends, society, peers
Pressure to conform, family rejection, homelessness
School: Isolation, bullying, truancy, drop-out, poor exam results
Verbal, physical, mental harassment

22. Internalising Stigmatised Identity
Like all minority groups, LGBT young people internalise negative messages
Some minority groups have the support and understanding of their families and friends to challenge internalised messages
Others might not, for example, Black and Minority Ethnic Adoptees, as video extract from Adult Adoptees shows.

23. What are the effects on heterosexuals?

24. PSYCHOLOGICAL
Do not internalise stigmatised (inferior/bad) sexual identity – internalise superior/good sexual identity resulting in higher self esteem (but classism, racism, disableism, sexism)
Not dealing with demons of homophobia during adolescence, not question ‘who am I?’ in relation to sexual orientation –get on with‘being straight’ - developing social skills, relationship skills, communication skills, get on with education/exams
Affects attitudes and behaviour

25. ATTITUDES
1983: 50% of adults surveyed believed sexual relationships between people of same-sex always wrong
1985: 59% (AIDS)
1989: 58%
1992:
41% between two men
37% between two women
23% between stable gay/lesbian couple

26. Mori Poll (2001) 1,693 adults 15+
95% acknowledged existence of prejudice against minority groups
36% said they held no prejudice against any minority
64% prejudiced against at least one group
Of these, 16% hard core – antipathy towards 3 or more minority group
Strong correlation between holding homophobic and racist views

27. Table Exercise: Personal Homophobia
Hand out in pack
Complete individually
Discuss findings with colleagues on table

28. BELIEFS = BEHAVIOUR = One extreme: Less Powerful People
HHC is prevalent all over the UK (remember, so is hate crime based on race, gender, disability…)
Approximate levels experienced:
All HHC
35-75%
55%
Verbal
30-70%
45%
Harassment
10-35%
17%
Vandalism
10-30%
19%
Physical
5-25%
12%
Homophobic related crime/hate crime, is defined as any incident which appears to the victim to be motivated by the offender’s prejudice toward gay men or lesbians.
The following table provides an overview of the level of homophobic abuse across the UK.
This information has been summarised from previous research, although they are only a very rough guide since it is difficult to summarise many studies, which do not necessarily use the same summary statistics.
Brighton is an area which have tried many ideas, and made mistakes but clearly stands out from the rest of the UK. They actually have 2 workers employed to address homophobic hate crime the same as they have for racism.
Jan, do you want to add to that?

29. BELIEFS = BEHAVIOUR = A second extreme Powerful People: Stopping Support
Dec 1987: L.A. Tory leader, after watching film on safer sex said: “The film said how to avoid AIDS, but it did not say specifically stop being queer. It’s disgusting and diabolical. As a cure I would put 90% of them in the ruddy gas chamber. Are we going to keep letting these queers trade their filth up and down the country?” 2004: Tory councillor tries to stop grant to GALYIC.
1994: Dr Colin Newman, executive secretary of British Psychological Society said “By accepting a Section devoted to the study of lesbianism, the Society will be giving a public signal that it endorses behaviour which, by the biblical standards they personally seek to follow, is incompatible with their own standards of morality.” Took another 4 years to set up LGB section.
2009: Who doesn’t want a duty placed on tackling homophobia?

30. Shire Professional (2009) Feed ID High Elevated Mid Low SO Gay 122 7%
Feed ID
High
Elevated
Mid
Low
SO Gay
122 7% 8%
20%
65%
SO Lesbian
123 3% 4%
34%
59%
EO Asian
106 2% 5%
21%
72%
EO SE Asian
108 1%
12%
82%
EO Black
107
75%
Disability
149
15%
80%
Age
118
11%
84%
Gender
137
95%