To: GovernmentShrinker
Whether it is "real" or not is a political decision. The term "homophobia" was coined not long after a small committee of the American Psychological Association -- a committee dominated by homosexuals -- took a vote and declared homosexuality "normal." The word "homophobia" was then coined to convey the message that the rest of us are sick.
To: lady lawyer
When applied to someone who disagrees on the point of normality, it is obviously inappropriate. Disagreement does not constitute a phobia of any kind. Many of my boarders disagree with my choice to leave harmless spiders in the house instead of killing or otherwise removing them; but over the 12 years I've been renting rooms to college students, only one has been actually arachnophobic. Poor child was really terrified, and also quite unable to kill or remove the spider herself due to her irrational fear. Her irrational fear rendered her unable to respond constructively to the situation, the way someone who simply didn't like having spiders in the house would have responded.
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