When you hear it among co-workers at work, or overhear it on the subway for instance, or perhaps encounter it with the same people you call friends, do you confront it?
I'm not out yet to anyone, so I must suck it up and sometimes pretend to laugh when it goes on . Plus even if I was out, I wouldn't feel comfortable outing myself in a factory setting (where you're find some of the worst scum on earth trying to earn a buck)
You're hanging out with the wrong people. I never hear any homophobia. Must be where you live. Minnesota is pro-gay. Everyone is A-Ok with gay people here, even if they don't fully understand/agree with it.
I luckily rarely have this problem. I'm out and everyone knows so they know to shut it.
Whenever I do encounter homophobia it's never violent, it's always ignorant and dumb. I always ask them to explain themselves to me and they start to hesitate when I poke holes in their reasoning.
When you hear it among co-workers at work, or overhear it on the subway for instance, or perhaps encounter it with the same people you call friends, do you confront it?
I'm not out yet to anyone, so I must suck it up and sometimes pretend to laugh when it goes on . Plus even if I was out, I wouldn't feel comfortable outing myself in a factory setting (where you're find some of the worst scum on earth trying to earn a buck)
I don't experience it tbh, the most "homophobia" I encounter is people voicing their distaste for homosexuality if it's on TV or something, which is rarely.
I've never experienced any homophobia directed at me in my 26 years on earth....
EDIT: I lost my last job because I hit my boss in the face and stomach after he said "What would you do without this job? Selling your body at central station?"
He was pretty homophobic and you could tell he didn't mean It in a funny/mocking way. I lost It.
It's obviously never my intention though. But not laughing when everyone else is would probably practically out yourself though. And being out in a factory setting where most people are either immigrants from anti-gay countries or high school dropouts isn't quite the best idea.
Otherwise if it were a group of random friends, I would have cancelled them a long time ago.
I generally rub it in their face. If I encounter homophobia I counter it with super camp behaviour while reminding them I love dick and I'm very happy about it, I also adopt a "your problem, not mine so I don't really care" attitude in various ways. It generally (from experience) begins to generate a different kind of thinking and conversation that I'm more than happy to engage in, and you would be surprised how people change a little once they realise that it is in fact, their problem, not ours.
When I've encountered extreme homophobia (i.e. we should all burn in hell, 'X' natural disaster happened because of gay marriage etc.) from religious family and people in general I do not engage with those conversations. Ever. Their thinking is normally shaped by generations of hate, ignorance and stupidity and I feel like it would make me stupid to even begin addressing it.
I've never encountered it (although I'm not out) but I do hear people say stuff like "that's so (f*****g) gay" or "Are you gay?" amongst conversations. I think it's kind of unnecessary IMO as it's not being used in a positive way and it's also common amongst the London yutes.
I don't really put much thought into it. I just act nice to everyone, be respectful, and the moment they know about my sexuality they just don't care/have a different perspective about gays (since I'm straight passing/relatively masc) so... don't worry too much about it. Just remember to always be respectful. Unless the person is being violent. If they're just verbal, don't let it get into you. Stay awesome I'd say.
If it's coming from my family I just shut up and pretend I'm not paying attention. My family is pretty conservative and I'm only out to a cousin and my brother.
Aside from my family's casual homophobia I've faced it just once fortunately, and karma bit that fugly guy in his fat ass, so it's all cool. I guess talent does always win in the end.
. Plus even if I was out, I wouldn't feel comfortable outing myself in a factory setting (where you're find some of the worst scum on earth trying to earn a buck)