A male squirrel can go and hump the crap out of another male squirrel with next to no consequences. Why dont squirrels hate homosexual squirrels as much as humans do?
How does it benefit us to be gay haters? I can see racism existing but not homophobia.
One word: Religion.
Sure, the reaction to homosexuality for most might be one of disgust, but it is only religion that justifies this disgust by claiming it’s because God hates fags.
I know plenty of atheist/people who dont value religion at all who hate gays with a passion.
I can’t really see how either benefits us, but I imagine it may have at one point in our evolutionary past. Of course, it may be that it doesn’t. A trait can be positive, negative or neutral to survival. And the effect will take some time to assert itself. Even if prejudice is an evolutionary negative, it could take many generations to show it. Interestingly, our social systems evolve a lot faster than our physiology does, and it may be that what was once beneficial can almost instantly become a hinderance. Of course it would take time for biology to catch up.
Homophobia is probably a social phobia for the most part.
And how do they justify it?
I have no idea. I was hoping we had a gay hater in our midst to explain. I just think it had to benefit someone at some time in human history.
I know we have several homophobes at ILP. Relax, they’ll be along shortly.
Exactly. If there are gay hating atheists, what reason do they have to hate, other than they think it’s icky? They can’t say it’s unnatural, because it occurs in nature. There is really no concrete reason to hate homosexuality, unless you’re religious.
Two threads that were started with a poll, one on an atheist forum, and one here, confirmed thus far that it seems most atheists on the forums don’t have a problem with homosexuality, while a majority of the religious responders do. Hrmmmmm…
I have a massive problem with Clay Aiken, Lance Bass, Colin Powell, and this guy…
even the straight squirrels love nuts
-Imp
because gay men are revolting
I lol’d.
…I don’t agree with homosexuality, but I do not hate it, per se, as there is no reason for me to - just because a good-looking guy is gay it doesn’t stop me from flirting with them, but a friend of mine got furious one day and said that it was a waste of her time to flirt with them because they didn’t want her, they wanted men - I thought that was pretty funny.
What dont you agree with about homosexuality?
It’s a strong emotional response to latency, which is no doubt exacerbated by relgious/social stigma (I lump them together because even if a non-religious person hates gays, he’s vulnerable to the cues of a culture heavily influenced by an anti-homosexual religion). It affects men a lot more than women, I think, for several reasons, none of which are all that pertinent now. The thing is, sexuality runs along a continuum and relatively few are at the very end on either side. The ones who actually feel ‘hate’ toward gays are probably displacing their extreme discomfort and insecurity and fear of their feelings of attraction, they push the feelings down, sublimate, because it’s more acceptable in our culture for a male to be violent than to be gay. The worst of this lot can be pretty dangerous if they act out their stuff. Most gay men know that.
…it seems to have no purpose beyond that of the sexual, and who would know how to pleasure a person better than someone of the same gender? well that’s what my lesbian neighbour told me the other day.
I regard other things more important than sexual pleasure, so I see no use for other females beyond that of friendship, and even that becomes strained when they start to annoy me 
I don’t think it’s as simple as a religious/social thing, though…
Urm, if I’m reading this correctly, I’m inferring from this that you think that gayness is a choice for purely sexual benefits. This isn’t true, people are gay, there is no choice involved.
Please correct me if I’m reading this wrong
P.S. Just in case my avatar is misleading (it’s purely there to annoy Americans 
) I’m not actually gay
Does it have to be one or the other? If it’s just a question of hard-wiring (arf!) doesn’t that give grist to the mill of those who would categorise it as a “deviant” lifestyle?
No one here cares if your gay or not. Be proud of your sexuality and lifestyle.