The term “homophobia” derives from Greek homos meaning “same” and phobos – “fear” (Mosby’s Medical Dictionary, 2009) and is used to name “an irrationally negative attitude toward those with homosexual orientation, or towards becoming homosexual” (Dictionary of Modern Medicine, 2002). In free democratic society, homophobia is equated to other violations of human rights and should be eradicated. In 1998, this idea was shaped by Coretta Scott King who stated: “Homophobia is like racism and anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry in that it seeks to dehumanize a large group of people, to deny their humanity, their dignity and personhood” (Chicago Defender, 1998).
The negative effects of homophobia are numerous, but most of them boil down to the fact that it “restricts communication with a significant portion of the population” and “diverts energy from more constructive endeavours” (Blumenfled, 1992). Understanding the causes of this irrational and negative feeling is a pivot step to introduction of efficient solutions aimed to eradicate it. The causes of homophobia are often divided into primary and secondary. The first implies that human sexuality is “a fluid continuum all the way from completely-homosexual to completely-heterosexual” ( HYPERLINK "http://curehomophobia.org" http://curehomophobia.org ). This means that at some periods of his life, an individual may experience same-sex longing which he cannot bring to life because of particular constraints existing in society. These contradictions result in what Freud named “compensation behaviour” and can be formulated the following: “People tend to dislike what they secretly want, but feel they should not have” (in HYPERLINK "http://curehomophobia.org" http://curehomophobia.org ).
The secondary causes of homophobia are also closely connected with a social environment of an individual. Often, religious beliefs and public censure inculcate negative attitude to people with homosexual orientation, which is not supported by any reasonable justification, but is very efficient at creating “us versus them” (http://curehomophobia.org) attitude.
Treatment of homophobia implies understanding of its causes and readiness of a particular individual to changes his life and worldview. The primary cause of homophobia requires an individual to come to the terms with his position on the sexual continuum ( HYPERLINK "http://curehomophobia.org" http://curehomophobia.org ). Apart from titanic inner work, this type of homophobia treatment also requires positive changes in society aimed to reduce moral pressure on an individual. The last is a complicated multi-stage process demanding the development of open and honest dialogue between the “opponents”. Understanding an individual who is on the other side is always the most efficient way to overcome the destructive feeling of homophobia. Most often, the reduction of irrational fear and commitment to fair dialogue requires the presence of a specialist who guides the process.
Currently, the list of the most wide spread approaches to treating homophobia includes cognitive-behavioural therapy, psychotherapy, exposure therapy, relaxation techniques, and medication (RD, 2012). The positive effect of the last and utilization features require further studies and experiments.
Overcoming the feeling of homophobia is a significant step towards living free and full-fledged life filled with the joy of communication and new insights; …