DU Poll: Is there a commonality between homophobia and racism

[RKP5637]

in terms of hatred. In other words, is there a significant overlap, say 60% or so, of people that are both homophobic and racist.

28 votes, 0 passes | Time left: Unlimited
	Yes
	26 (93%)
	No
	1 (4%)
	Maybe
	1 (4%)
	Just don't know.
	0 (0%)
	0 DU members did not wish to select any of the options provided.
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[elleng]

1. Ignorance + fear.

[Raster]

33. ignorance + fear + those that would attempt to capitalize on both

[GoCubsGo]

69. Yep. An awful combination.

It also leads to misogyny, hatred of other religions (or lack of), hatred of people with a different philosophy/political persuasion... One will notice that when a person hates one of these groups, the almost always hate all of them. Anyone who is somehow different...

[elleng]

70. Yes, it's always US vs. Them,

part of the human condition, I'm afraid.

[valerief]

2. The leaders who tell them to hate people of color also tell them to hate people of gay.

And to hate people who don't hate people of color nor people of gay.

[RKP5637]

9. Yep, they have hatred pounded into their psyche over and over and over. And then

they look for confirmation and acceptance of their hatred. I often think if they did not have people of color and gay to hate, then they would find something else to hate.

[bunnies]

3. yep. Haters gonna hate. nt

[RKP5637]

7. I often think that, that some are born, bred and conditioned to hate and

they have to hate something. LGBT and race are easy targets.

[bunnies]

12. it must be a miserable life for those people...

to hate so much. But somehow they find a way to it more miserable for others. It pisses me off.

[Angry Dragon]

4. A narrow mind leaves no space for new ideas

[jberryhill]

5. A minor distinction

...is that gay haters will generally take the position that sexuality is a matter of choice, whereas race is not. This viewpoint allows them a degree of moral comfort in that they deny they are motivated by some immutable characteristic of the object of their hate.

[RKP5637]

6. Good point! n/t

[Spitfire of ATJ]

8. It all goes back to the White Christian's claims of persecution.

And their panic over their loss of power.

[RKP5637]

10. And that panic seems to be increasing and increasing, especially since

they hate the N in office.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

15. I wonder how many black people are in management at Chick-fil-A.

[RKP5637]

22. Interesting question!!! n/t

[Chorophyll]

11. I'm sure of it. nt

[IDemo]

13. Otherism

Fear and loathing of The Outsider - anyone who can be placed into a slot based upon differences real or imagined.

[yewberry]

25. Agreed.

Otherness is for real, and plays out across races, genders, sexualities...

[RKP5637]

44. Excellent word to describe it ... "Otherism." n/t

[Starry Messenger]

14. Also often misogynist.

It's all connected--anyone not deemed ubermensch is fair game. Gotta assert dominance.

[FreeState]

16. Was just going to say this!

Absolutely - anything that threatens the power structure is connected.

[lumberjack_jeff]

18. Sure. Because we all know that women can't be racist or homophobic.

[Starry Messenger]

20. They sure can!

Also misogynistic. I would never say otherwise.

[LadyHawkAZ]

21. Women can be misogynist as well as racist and homophobic

Exhibit A: Sarah Palin. Exhibit B: Michele Bachmann. Exhibit C: Ann Coulter. etc.

All homophobes, all racists, all misogynists. Religion is poison.

[Raster]

34. religion is myth and superstition repackaged for mass consumption.

[RKP5637]

39. And for a huge tax free profit! n/t

[RKP5637]

23. Yes, I certainly think so! I think there's a lot of crossover in all of this hatred. n/t

[Zorra]

49. +1

[lumberjack_jeff]

17. Somewhat.

I think most true homophobia is based on the shame of unacknowledged same sex attraction.

[RKP5637]

24. Yep, I think that's a root cause of a lot of it, I'm not gay, see how I

hate them. Some are probably not even aware of their attraction.

[LadyHawkAZ]

19. Insularity

Add misogyny in there too. Generally religious, because most religions teach "them vs. us" mindsets.

[RKP5637]

26. Yep, definitely misogyny too. I'm learning that more and more, the

"them vs. us" mindsets in religions. It gets a little mind boggling after awhile. All this supposed love they profess, but oops, that's only for us, not them over there. It's sooo divisional.

[Fresh_Start]

27. I've seen all combinations of homophobia, racism, sexism

I guess I'll look at our President, he doesn't appear to be racist or sexist but by his own admission he was bigoted against LGBTs

[RKP5637]

28. Yep, he was, wasn't he. I don't think Michelle was too keen on it either initially. n/t

[Freddie]

59. Homophobia in the black community

I think that's where the President's admitted past homophobia comes from and explains his previous reluctance to endorse marriage equality

[Aerows]

29. Those that say NO

Or we don't know, we know who you are, and God bless you, we love you anyway despite the fact that you are essentially telling us that we don't deserve human rights.

We love you anyway, because love is the only way to get over hatred. Darkness cannot over come darkness, only light can do that. Hatred cannot overcome hatred, only love can do that.

I have to add that only understanding and acceptance can overcome intolerance and rage. Intolerance and rage never built a single hospital, never raised a single crop in the field. It never made a work of beauty.

I felt the need to paraphrase MLK during this time of people hating on people like me, simply because I like girls. Hating on me, despising my sisters and brothers will not accomplish one single thing in this world. Standing beside us, wanting to make something, can create miracles.

[tf.gray]

30. The Authoritarians

Yes, according to research done by Dr Bob Altmeyer, which you can read here: www.theauthoritarians.com

[Fresh_Start]

38. thanks for the link

lot to read but its already making sense

Authoritarian followers usually support the established authorities in their
society, such as government officials and traditional religious leaders. Such people
have historically been the “proper” authorities in life, the time-honored, entitled,
customary leaders, and that means a lot to most authoritarians. Psychologically these
followers have personalities featuring:
1) a high degree of submission to the established, legitimate authorities in
their society;
2) high levels of aggression in the name of their authorities; and
3) a high level of conventionalism.

welcome to DU

[RKP5637]

40. Thanks for the link!!! n/t

[patrice]

31. All hate comes from the same place in a person. Just like all love.

[David Zephyr]

32. Yes. As with misogyny, xenophobia, ageism and anthropomorphism.

Yes. The commonality is marginalizing the "other"

[Aerows]

35. Er...

Anthropomorphism?

[pampango]

60. Good point. "Us" vs. "Them" based on how or where "they" were born. n/t

[Kalidurga]

36. I think there is a lot of overlap.

I think it is higher than 60%. However, I got to see a very ugly thing. Black pastors that said they marched for civil rights in the 60's saying they didn't do it so gay people could get married. They are adamantly opposed to gay marriage. So, I think they are homophobic. I don't know if they are racist or not. They are very likely misogynistic, but they didn't talk about their views toward women so I don't know for sure. What is certain is that the mechanism that allows a person to hate gay people is the same one that would allow a person to hate someone that is another race or to hate women having equality. There is also a connection to people larger amygdalas being more likely to become bigots and homophobic.

[RKP5637]

41. Yes, good point in your last sentence about a larger amygdalas. I think some

people are predestined toward hatred.

[Scootaloo]

37. "Maybe"

First off... let's not kid ourselves... everyone in this country is racist. To some degree or another, we've all been raised in a cultural stew of racism. Now, how we respond to this fact is telling. So are actively racists, others try to pretend they aren't, and then there are those who are actively anti-racist. Plenty of overlap between these groups.

Homophobia's roots are in sexism - every homophobe you meet is also going to be sexist, it's an absolute guarantee. After all, Homophobia is based on "proper" gender roles and behavior.

So is there major overlap between sexists / homophobes, and the openly / latently racist sorts of people? I really don't have data. But I WOULD make a guess that people who are okay with hating someone on basis of sex, orientation, or race probably isn't going to be squeamish about hating people from any of those groups.

[RKP5637]

42. Your first paragraph sure hit the nail on the head to me with respect to

"we've all been raised in a cultural stew of racism. Now, how we respond to this fact is telling." So did the rest of your reply.

[Bluenorthwest]

43. Of course. It's the ignorance and fear thing.

nt

[Initech]

45. My theory is that those who can't get laid take it out on those who can.

[RKP5637]

47. Yep! Well said! I bet a lot of that goes on. n/t

[Initech]

56. I also think that the people who are the most vocal are the ones who scored lowest on the TMI index.

[RKP5637]

61. Yep, that's the 'short' of it all !!! n/t

[mmonk]

46. Maybe but unfortunately, those that showed up for

a constitutional amendment in North Carolina against marriage equality weren't all white.

[RKP5637]

48. I always find that so disturbing when one minority group does not

support another's quest for civil rights and openly defies their quest for civil rights.

[mmonk]

67. The power of the pulpit.

Capable of both good and bad.

[nadinbrzezinski]

50. This one is not even close

impressed.

Ignorance + Hate = well you know.

[RKP5637]

52. Do you think some are simply born predestined to hate. More and more I

think some are, they've just got to hate. And then for many, I think it's conditioned behavior. Whatever, it all gets pretty disgusting and it seems significantly on the rise in America.

[nadinbrzezinski]

53. Ah the old question, nurture vs nature?

I really have no idea. I know some folks shock me... like a camp survivor, who really thought blacks were inferior... it was... kind of jarring. I mean, after being in a concentration camp and living through that horror it made little to no sense.

So perhaps there is some to nature. After all, we are animals (I know heads are exploding), and we need to look at the group for protection and might see those outside the group, the herd, as a threat to food and water. We also know chimps go to war, as in real full on war...

For the record, I would hope it is not in the genes, because then it could be overcome.

Sorry for a non white and black answer.

[begin_within]

51. They're both types of classism

Separating humankind into 2 groups based on one criterium.

[mzteris]

54. You forgot

Misogyny.

Thats how/why I began dealing with my " southern upbringing" scratch a racist, find a misogynist. Same goes for homophobic assh@les.

They're all tied together. The common root? White - supposedly heterosexual- male. The white capialist supremacist patriarchy is alive and well in amurhka. although to be fair, it's not just white males who are homophobic and misogynistic.

I could give you the whole dissertation on male/female, black/whie dynamics (and other minorities)' but bottom Line, the "alliances" that form ultimately support one dominant group.

Care to guess who they are?

[RKP5637]

55. Yep, I definitely did forget Misogyny. One dominant group to me is

probably 'the old boys club' I bet!

[mzteris]

64. got it in one.

That is THE dominant group. ('cept you left out white old boys . . .)

[RKP5637]

66. Yep, that added hits the nail right square on the head!!! n/t

[Behind the Aegis]

57. Yes. A few have id'ed the problems, fear, ignorance and 'otherness.'

It comes more from the human condition than anything, and is expanded upon by culture and mores. I have personally found that if a person is an actual bigot for one group, then they usually are bigoted against another group as well.

[Quantess]

58. Ugh! Just yesterday...

I was at a dinner party, and there was some homophobia and racism peppered into the conversation by a couple of people. The racism was not the worst I have ever heard, but the homophobic comments were some of the worst I have heard in years. But, neither racism or homophobia is okay at a dinner party!!!

So, now I am more inclined to say "yes" there is a connection. I answered "maybe" before I went to the dinner party but now I am seeing the connection.

[RKP5637]

62. Thanks for your update. My feeling is (very generalized) that when one

opens up one pocket (for lack of a better word) in their brain/personality to intense hatred, it seeps into other (pockets) target groups to display racism/bigotry, etc. toward.

[Quantess]

63. The odd part is, I am not even in the US.

I am in a very socially progressive european country. Gay marriage has been legal here for a while now.
I was kind of shocked.

And yeah, there must be something universal about hatred.

[RKP5637]

65. It's probably somewhat similar to all of the racist comments in the US. I thought

we had gotten beyond that starting in the 60's, but it's still with us. Bigotry and hatred seem to be often part of the human psyche for some. Since Obama became president, I've been shocked by all of the racism that has come back ... or had been covered up. It always amazes me how hateful and bigoted some people are ...

[gollygee]

68. I think hate in people generally shows up in a number of ways

I like that you put "60% or so" as it is obviously not 100%.

[coalition_unwilling]

71. The Marxist-Leninist perspective: 'race' and 'sexual orientation' are

each a non-essential characteristic. What is an 'essential' characteristic? One's relationship to the means of production, i.e., you are either an owner (bourgeois) or a worker (proletarian).

The ruling class uses fights over non-essential characteristics like race, gender and sexual orientation to keep the working class divided against itself, to keep the working class from transitioning from a class 'in itself' to a class 'for itself' (rough iteration of V.I. Lenin's formulation).

[RKP5637]

72. Yep, divide and conquer. Find all of the wedge issues and pound and pound on them. n/t