| Title | Understanding Homophobia |
|---|---|
| Contributor | Mark J. Blechner (author) |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.21983/P3.0167.1.27 |
| Landing page | https://punctumbooks.com/titles/clinical-encounters-in-sexuality-psychoanalytic-practice-and-queer-theory/ |
| License | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ |
| Copyright | Blechner, Mark J. |
| Publisher | punctum books |
| Published on | 2017-03-07 |
| Long abstract | Psychoanalysts and queer theorists both know that the ques-tions we ask shape the kind of data we discover. Psychoanalysts since Sigmund Freud have asked often, “Why are some people homosexual? What causes this sexual attraction?” They have not asked so often, “Why do people hate and fear homosexuals? What causes this irrational emotional reaction? What causes the destructive and often delusional fear and hatred of gay men and lesbians?” This is odd, since homosexuality itself has harmed no one, whereas hatred and persecution of homosexuals has damaged many lives. It is also odd because the understand-ing of prejudice has been a fundamental aim of psychoanaly-sis throughout its history. The Interpretation of Dreams (Freud, 1900) was not only a landmark in the science of unconscious processes; it was also a relentless airing of and protest against the prejudice towards Jews in Freud’s time. Psychoanalysis is the science of the irrational, and hence it is the field most suited to address the irrational fear and hatred of homosexuality that we call homophobia. |
| Page range | pp. 411–417 |
| Print length | 7 pages |
| Language | English (Original) |