Part 4: Language in the Culture War—Homophobic

This is the last post in this series.

Here is the Intro to this series on Language in the Culture War about Tolerance.

Here is Part 2 on Reconciliation.

Here is Part 3 on Affirming.

Homophobic:

The word ‘homophobic’ has become one of those ugly, politically charged words that bring on a new (and incorrect) cultural understanding of the word’s original intent in definition and usage.

The culture war definition of Homophobic: Any person who does not completely agree with a fully affirming social and theological position regarding the GLBT community.

That is not what homophobic means!

My bridge building definition of Homophobic: A physically violent, bull-horn shouting, sign waving, slur (name calling such as fag and homo) propagating person against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.

I’ll be very clear on this: A homophobic person is not someone who disagrees (on any level) within the culture war. People are allowed to disagree—and that goes for GLBT disagreeing with conservatives, as well as conservatives disagreeing with GLBT people. It’s normal. I actually believe it can be a constructive way to end the culture war: People from both communities finally learn how to handle themselves immersed in each other’s lives without fighting or name calling; and without knowing the ending. What a thought?

In fact, the reason this culture war continues to be a culture war instead of a peaceful and productive dialogue is two simple reasons:

1. Most Christians keep throwing sexual behavior in the face of GLBT people as their only worthwhile characteristic,

and

2. Most GLBT people keep calling anyone who doesn’t 100% agree with them “homophobic.”

Neither one of those are even remotely close to being how to rightly handle this disconnect. In all of these posts, if there is one thing that is the underlying commonality in each of the words it is that:

All of the conclusions are the same: Believe what I believe otherwise you’re wrong, need to change, and you’re _____________ (insert derogatory term, which is funny to me because each community chastises the other for doing the same thing on a variety of levels; specifically name calling).

It’s disastrous that these extremes on both ends have set the par for the course in this dialogue (definitely the reason it’s a culture war and not a dialogue). Though I know how it happened:

Because they are both the loudest!

But I’m tired of being out-shouted.

We (as in all of us—gay and straight, liberal and conservative, women and men) need to start not out-shouting each other, but keep the Movement sprinting forward toward reclaiming love, language and true God-centered reconciliation in their proper role and definition! Unfortunately we have lost each of those things to a culture war that is dictating our path.

“No More” I say.

Reclamation starts now—and so does correcting everyone you know who falls into these old, worn out culture war traditions! So many people keep persisting in their old ways because they either don’t know anything else, or no one has the guts to tell them to stop perpetuating the newly adopted definitions of the culture war language.

It’s time to bring that something else. It’s time to end the back-and-forth once and for all.

Much love.

www.themarinfoundation.org