{"id":83388,"date":"2020-03-07T12:12:18","date_gmt":"2020-03-07T19:12:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/danpeterson\/?p=83388"},"modified":"2020-03-07T22:30:52","modified_gmt":"2020-03-08T05:30:52","slug":"why-i-object-to-the-word-homophobia-introduction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/danpeterson\/2020\/03\/why-i-object-to-the-word-homophobia-introduction.html","title":{"rendered":"Why I object to the word “homophobia” (introduction)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Cloud<\/a>
A cloud, with sunlight. A soothing image for an often contentious subject. (Wikimedia Commons public domain photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Responding to one of my recent posts on the general issue of BYU and homosexuals, a critic used the word homophobia<\/em> to characterize those of us who don\u2019t share his views.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

I replied that homophobia<\/em> is \u201ca nonsense word.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Now, why would I say such a thing?<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

I knew when I said it that I would need to explain myself.\u00a0 So here goes:<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

First of all, anybody curious about my comment should probably understand that I am, as the title of a wonderful biography of James Murray and his Oxford English Dictionary<\/em> puts it, \u201ccaught in the web of words.\u201d\u00a0 For decades, I\u2019ve been caught up in the study and teaching and analysis of languages and texts.\u00a0 I read books about lexicography for fun.\u00a0 I care about words.\u00a0 I pay unusual attention to them.\u00a0 I have strong opinions about them.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Thus, for example, I\u2019m bothered by sentences like A person should follow their own path<\/em>.\u00a0 (I constantly read them in student papers and elsewhere.)\u00a0 No, A person should follow his<\/u> own path<\/em>.\u00a0 Or, perhaps better these days, A person should follow her own path<\/em>.\u00a0 A person<\/em> is singular; their<\/em> is plural.\u00a0 Perhaps the safest option is People should follow their own paths<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t like the common confusion of infer<\/em> and imply<\/em>, and the recently frequent use of a new verb to advocate for<\/em> when to advocate<\/em> would suffice perfectly well without the for<\/em>.\u00a0 I object to using beg the question<\/em> for raise the question<\/em>.\u00a0 I heartily dislike seeing the word literally<\/em> used \u2013 as it very often is \u2014 in situations where it just can\u2019t be taken literally:<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

I was literally starving to death.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

He was literally twelve feet tall.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

I could literally eat a horse.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

I was literally dying.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

She\u2019s literally a witch.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

And I\u2019ve been on a crusade for many years now against the term helpmeet<\/em>, which is itself a \u201cnonsense word\u201d:<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.deseret.com\/2013\/8\/22\/20524340\/how-was-eve-an-help-meet-for-adam<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

I like precision.\u00a0 Accuracy.\u00a0 Proper use.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Words matter.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

So, yes, of course<\/em> I have a problem with the word homophobia<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Etymologically, for one thing, it\u2019s a bit ambiguous.\u00a0 Given the elements from which it\u2019s made, it should probably mean something like \u201cfear of the same,\u201d \u201cafraid of sameness.\u201d\u00a0 \u00a0And yet, very obviously, that\u2019s not how it\u2019s typically (if ever) used today.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

But that\u2019s scarcely my principal objection.\u00a0 In fact, it\u2019s not really on my list of objections.\u00a0 It\u2019s simply an observation for the sake of completeness.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

To be concluded.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0 \u00a0 Responding to one of my recent posts on the general issue of BYU and homosexuals, a critic used the word homophobia to characterize those of us who don\u2019t share his views. \u00a0 I replied that homophobia is \u201ca nonsense word.\u201d \u00a0 Now, why would I say such a thing? \u00a0 I knew when […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1019,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[4276,2752,8999,3811,2740,9002],"class_list":["post-83388","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-bigotry","tag-gay","tag-homophobia","tag-homosexual","tag-homosexuality","tag-prejudice"],"yoast_head":"\nWhy I object to the word "homophobia" (introduction)<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"    Responding to one of my recent posts on the general issue of BYU and homosexuals, a critic used the word 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