Among the varied reaction to the gay nightclub massacre in Orlando, an ongoing effort to shame heterosexuals into endorsement of homosexuality has gained steam. The implied definition of homophobia has become anything less than authentic celebration of homosexuality.
“Every time you share this photo, a homophobic person will unfriend you.”
So reads a post making its way around social media. The text overlays an image of two men kissing. It implies that, if you don’t want to gaze upon two men kissing each other, you are a homophobe. If that’s the definition, I guess I qualify.
But should that be the definition? Why would a heterosexual male want to see two men kiss each other? Flip it around. Why would a homosexual male want to see heterosexual displays of affection? If a homosexual avoids heterosexual displays, does that make him a heterophobe?
Since when did tolerance demand celebration? If you are inclined toward celebrating something, what’s to tolerate? The term “tolerance” only has a useful meaning in reference to things which people either disapprove of or remain indifferent toward. You don’t have to tolerate something that you like.
Beyond that, you don’t have to indulge in something to tolerate it. Your not wanting to see two men kiss has no effect on their ability to do so, or on the ability of others to watch if everyone involved consents. Even if you find gay acts between men utterly repulsive (which is a normal response for a heterosexual male), it cannot be truthfully said that your response is somehow intolerant.
The real intolerance manifests when insisting that other people mimic your reactions and share your tastes. In what sort of tyrannical hell must others like the same things that you do?
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