Wayne R. Dynes

The Homophobic Mind addresses a host of myths and fabrications that have functioned over the centuries to rationalize prejudice and discrimination affecting GLBT people. The history of homophobia does not disclose a monolithic entity; instead, it is an amalgam of disparate elements. This book examines more than forty separate tropes or motifs. These tropes have varied origins, stemming from the realms of religion, philosophy, medicine, psychology, and folklore. In each case the essence of the myth is briefly stated, followed by an analysis of its origins and development, and concluding with a response. Given the progress of human knowledge, one might have expected that such archaic thought-patterns would all have withered away by now. However, the myths show a zombie-like capacity to persist - and even to revive once again after their apparent demise. Accordingly, this book provides not simply a historical account, but is a lesson for our times.

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