Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


              Gay Rights Activist Slams AP for Nixing 'Homophobia'

   by Kate Woodsome

   The psychologist who coined the term "homophobia" is lashing out at the
   Associated Press for discouraging its use in the latest Stylebook,
   saying the decision reverses progress that has been made in changing
   the public's view of gays.
   George Weinberg said since he introduced the word "homophobia" in his
   1972 book Society and the Healthy Homosexual, it has been immensely
   effective in showing that the people who are prejudiced against gays
   have a psychological problem, not the gays themselves.
   "Its power was that it showed this is an emotional aversion to people
   who live differently, who are totally harmless. It comes from the gut
   and it resulted in violence and robbing people of privileges, and it
   obviously wasn't simply being anti-gay," Weinberg said in an interview
   Tuesday.
   Neutrality first
   AP's [1]Ask the Editor column suggests the global news agency would
   rather use precise, neutral phrasing rather than try to pathologize
   bigotry.
   "Phobia means irrational, uncontrollable fear, often a form of mental
   illness. In terms like homophobia, it's often speculation. The reasons
   for anti-gay feelings or actions may not be apparent. Specifics are
   better than vague characterizations of a person's general feelings
   about something," according to the column run by AP Deputy Standards
   Editor David Minthorn.
   Like "homophobia," AP's latest stylebook also advises against using
   "Islamophobia" in political or social contexts and discourages the use
   of "ethnic cleansing" because it is a "euphemism for pretty violent
   activities," Minthorn told [2]POLITICO.
   The AP declined VOA's requests for an interview. Paul Colford, director
   of media relations, said in an email that the entry in question is
   among dozens that are added or amended during the year.
   Pathologizing bigotry
   Weinberg, whose advocacy helped get "homosexuality" removed as a
   diagnostic category from the [3]Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of
   Mental Disorders (DSM), said not only should "homophobia" be in the AP
   Stylebook, it should be added to the DSM.
   "If I am a landlord and I can't stand the fact that there are two gay
   women living on the fourth floor and I can't sleep at night and I try
   to get legislation to get them out, or hit my head against the wall,
   that's a pathology," he said.
   Weinberg, who is not gay, spent years in the 1960s and 1970s trying to
   convince police officers, city councilors and other psychologists in
   New York to take violence and discrimination against gays seriously. He
   said giving a name to the people perpetrating the offenses gives the
   persecuted a greater sense of wellbeing.
   "If I know that you have a problem, then when you discriminate against
   me, it gives me a little more of a chance to have dignity and a life,"
   Weinberg said. "I can enjoy being who I am, whether it's gay or being
   black or being a woman, if I know that the other guy has the problem
   and not me."
   Power of language
   He warned the AP against stripping the English language too much of its
   meaning.

   "Once we start looking at the nicety of words and pretending that we're
   dispassionate and scientific and don't see what's really going on, we
   begin a totalitarian state. Words really do matter," he said.

   The AP Stylebook is the self-proclaimed "[4]Journalist's bible." The
   guide sets the standard for use of the English language in newsrooms
   around the world and, as a result, has the potential to shape the
   worldview of millions of readers.
   "Words shape culture and words reflect culture," said linguist [5]Ben
   Zimmer, a language columnist for The Boston Globe newspaper. "The fact
   that a word like `homophobia' was coined in the 1960s in the first
   place was a way to reflect certain social trends and phenomena."
   But words are always available for reconsideration and rethought, he
   said, adding that he's not so sure the AP made the right decision to
   drop the word "homophobia."
   "Words ending in `phobia' are commonly used outside of clinical
   contexts. You can think about the word `xenophobia,' which has been
   around for more than a century to refer to hatred of foreigners. That's
   not a clinical condition in the same way that `homophobia' isn't a
   clinical diagnosis," Zimmer said.
   As revered as the AP Stylebook is, Zimmer said every news organization
   is free to make its own decisions and, even if "homophobia" is wiped
   from the AP's texts, the meaning won't disappear so easily.
     __________________________________________________________________

   [6]http://www.voanews.com/content/ap-stylebook-homophobia/1554225.html

References

   1. http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.apstylebook.com%2F%3Fdo%3Dask_editor&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNFBqPljxiC2HqdMx_Yz-TQ2x6GhwQ
   2. http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.politico.com%2Fblogs%2Fmedia%2F2012%2F11%2Fap-nixes-homophobia-ethnic-cleansing-150315.html%23.ULPO6O67MaY.twitter&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNEDWiTTctUHSbjhssiUqJhWXN49tA
   3. http://www.dsm5.org/Pages/Default.aspx
   4. http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.apstylebook.com%2F&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNGMC3BvvcxjrkgZng98tIdIo4VBQA
   5. http://benzimmer.com/
   6. http://www.voanews.com/content/ap-stylebook-homophobia/1554225.html