Homophobia, homoprejudice or homoscepticism?
Andrzej Margasiński

The survey is devoted to analysis of homophobia, homoprejudice and homonegativism. The homophobia term in accordance with the semantic word source as well as the contemporary classification of psychological diseases and disorders ICD‑10 and DSM‑IV should be used to describe this psychological disorder from the phobias group. It has been observed that the homophobia term is improperly redefined in a comprehensive social discourse, mostly stereotypically to describe all attitudes that are unfriendly or even hostile towards homosexuality. As a result the homophobia term is used to describe many different types of modality, which is an adverse phenomenon. Meanwhile there is some information which illustrates real examples of clinical homophobia. On the basis of worldwide literature, the author proposes to use the homophobia term exclusively in relation to a clinical unit of the phobia group. In relation to discrimination attitudes, marked with hostility and aggression towards sexual minorities, it is legitimate to use the homoprejudice term. According to some studies, The studies show that the emotional basis of such attitudes is connected with such emotions as hostility and aggression. There is no fear present or it is present only in trace amount among people who are unfriendly towards homosexuals. This term correlates well with psychological knowledge about prejudices. The third type of attitudes towards homosexuality is exhibited by individuals who do not accept homosexual behaviour but in personal and social relations they are tolerant and show no hostile, discriminatory behaviour towards gays and lesbians. Such critical attitudes were defined in the text as homoscepticism as opposed to homonegativism, the term which had already been used in literature in opposite meanings. The author is of the opinion that the presented proposal of organizing the terminology which is used to describe the attitudes towards homosexuality will satisfy specialists and will reduce the temperature of social arguments.