[78-L] Gay?

[Tom]

I'd have thought "homophobic", at least in the context in which it's used today, would mean something closer to "fear of being (sexually) attracted to men".
 
"Fear of men" it seems to me, would over-generalize the term since, for most of us, if we're at all normal, we're also close to our fathers, our brothers and at least one close male friend or two where there's no sexual attraction whatsoever.
 
Or you could think of the wording in the great poem by Walt Whitman:
 
----------------------------------------------------------
 
When lilacs last in the dooryard bloom'd,
And the great star early droop'd in the western sky in the night,
I mourn'd, and yet shall mourn with ever-returning spring.
 
Ever-returning spring, trinity sure to me you bring,
Lilac blooming perennial and drooping star in the west,
And thought of him I love.
 
Walt Whitman, "Memories of President Lincoln", 1865
 
----------------------------------------------------------
 
Just my $0.02 worth, as always.
 
Tom


--- On Sun, 1/25/09, DAVID BURNHAM <burnhamd at rogers.com> wrote:

From: DAVID BURNHAM <burnhamd at rogers.com>
Subject: [78-L] Gay?
To: 78-L at 78online.com
Date: Sunday, January 25, 2009, 12:55 PM

Earl wrote:  

(I'm not using 
"gay"--I'm gay, but not homosexual--an example of a word being
stolen)

In the old 78 recording of "My Old Kentucky Home", I'm sure
Foster wasn't implying that in summer the African-Americans are
homosexual.  (I always try to include a reference to a 78 in any posting.)

But talking about stolen words, doesn't "homophobic" really mean
a fear of men?  I'm really asking because I don't know - if it
doesn't, what does?

db
_______________________________________________
78-L mailing list
78-L at klickitat.78online.com
http://klickitat.78online.com/mailman/listinfo/78-l