MikeBGene@aol.com writes
in message <11.1a4fb90.25f66f3f@aol.com>:
<snip>
> Perhaps what we need is more research to determine the extent
> to which homophobia is genetically based. Maybe one day we can
> combat this problem by educating young boys that nature made
> most of them into homophobes. This, of course, would follow
> their education about how natural selection worked so that most
> are also potential rapists.
>
> Just trying to make this topic fit on a evolution board,
> Mike
Although this is obviously a parody, the point begin attempted
seems to be severely undermined as soon as one realizes that
homophobia is very likely a subcategory of a larger human tendency
- xenophobia - which, despite probable genetic basis, is still
successfully treated by educational approaches. Homosexuality,
on the other hand, is not so easily "fixed" and programs to
"convert" homosexuals often fail spectacularly. Thus, the parody
fails on a key difference.
(Another key difference that should not be overlooked is in the
comparison of the hateful and hurtful effects of homophobia to
the quite benign effects of homosexuality.)
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Tue Mar 07 2000 - 16:07:20 EST