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10 Current Issues Crim. Just. 125 (1998-1999)
Understanding and Documenting Anti-Homosexual Sentiment

handle is hein.journals/cicj10 and id is 129 raw text is: Understanding and Documenting Anti-Homosexual Sentiment Adrian Cherney* Introduction Anti-homosexual sentiment can encompass a range of individual, cultural, and institutional behaviours, practices and opinions that indicate a bias or prejudice against, and intolerance of homosexuality. An increasing amount of social research, legal commentary and grass roots activism has drawn attention to the manifestation of anti-homosexual sentiment with- in public spaces (Comstock 1991; GLAD 1994; Mason 1997a), work place environments (Chapman 1995; GLAD 1994; Kendall 1996; McNaught 1993) and legislative and judicial pronouncements (Chapman 1997; Fajer 1992; Henderson 1996; Johnston 1996). The com- mon thread of this work is the recognition that there exists a general social, cultural, political and legal disapproval of homosexual desire, and animosity towards gay and lesbi- an identity, politics and lifestyle (Tomsen & Mason 1997). The present commentary argues that anti-homosexual sentiment is a structural problem - rather than an individual one - relating to the heterosexist nature of our society. However such general abstraction has to recognise the reality that lesbian and gay experiences of anti- homosexual sentiment are diverse on a specific level. Correspondingly this understanding should be based upon a method of investigation that best accommodates the particularities of anti-homosexual sentiment, uncovering its manifestation and effects. This article is divided into three disparate, but interrelated lines of discussion. First, an examination of the origin of anti-homosexual sentiment is presented; second, while anti-ho- mosexual sentiment may have a universal causal source, it is experienced in a non-universal manner by lesbians and gay men; and third, an analysis of anti-homosexual sentiment is best achieved through qualitative research. The Foundational Origin of Anti-Homosexual Sentiment Due to the variability of anti-homosexual sentiment a number of definitions and concepts have been used to characterise the range of discrimination, violence, ambivalence and ine- quality directed towards, and experienced by, lesbians and gay men. These terms include homophobia (Blumenfeld 1992; MacDonald 1976; Weinburg 1972), heterosexism (Herek 1992a/b; Mason 1997a/b; Morin & Garfinkle 1978; Neisen 1990), homo-hatred (Ames 1996), homonegative (Hudson & Ricketts 1980; Ross 1996), antihomosexualism (Hacker 1971), homosexual bias (Fyfe 1983) and homo-prejudice (Logan 1996). * Masters student in Criminology, University of Melbourne. I wish to thank two anonymous reviewers who read earlier drafts of this paper.

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