Liberal homophobia is the acceptance of homosexuality as long as it remains hidden. [1] [2] [3] It is a type of homophobia in which, despite acceptance of sexual diversity, prejudices and stereotypes that marginalize or underestimate LGBTQ people are perpetuated. [4]
Liberal homophobia is a practice that is based on understanding relationships and sexuality as private issues and, therefore, accepting individual freedom over them as long as they do not emerge in the public sphere. [5] [6] However, members of the LGBT movement maintain that sexual orientation is an inherently public issue because heterosexuals are not constrained to hide their relationships in public as gay people are. [6]
Liberal homophobia is expressed in many areas where homosexuality is made public, such as the LGBT pride parades, awareness campaigns in schools, at work, being out of the closet, or having gender non-conforming mannerisms or dress, without taking into account the discrimination that LGBT people face. [6]
Authors such as Alberto Mira and Daniel Borrillo consider that this is a type of homophobia that is characterized by the "yes, but...". Homosexuality is tolerated, provided it is silenced and heterocentric normality is accepted. Any transgression of that norm is rejected as victimist, ghettoed, activist or proselytizer. [1] [2] [7] In the words of Mira:
— Alberto Mira, De Sodoma a Chueca [2]
Societal attitudes toward homosexuality vary greatly across different cultures and historical periods, as do attitudes toward sexual desire, activity and relationships in general. All cultures have their own values regarding appropriate and inappropriate sexuality; some sanction same-sex love and sexuality, while others may disapprove of such activities in part. As with heterosexual behaviour, different sets of prescriptions and proscriptions may be given to individuals according to their gender, age, social status or social class.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in Mali face legal and societal challenges not experienced by non-LGBTQ residents. Although same-sex sexual activity is not illegal in Mali, LGBTQ people face widespread discrimination among the broader population. According to the 2007 Pew Global Attitudes Project, 98 percent of Malian adults believed that homosexuality is considered something society should not accept, which was the highest rate of non-acceptance in the 45 countries surveyed. The Constitution of Mali, having been influenced by the policies on LGBTQ people of its new ally Russia, has outlawed same-sex marriage since 2023, and the Malian government proposed a bill banning homosexual relations in 2024.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) rights in Spain rank among the highest in the world, having undergone significant advancements within recent decades. Among ancient Romans in Spain, sexual interaction between men was viewed as commonplace, but a law against homosexuality was promulgated by Christian emperors Constantius II and Constans, and Roman moral norms underwent significant changes leading up to the 4th century. Laws against sodomy were later established during the legislative period. They were first repealed from the Spanish Code in 1822, but changed again along with societal attitudes towards homosexuality during the Spanish Civil War and Francisco Franco's regime.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) rights in Cuba have significantly varied throughout modern history. Cuba is now considered generally progressive, with vast improvements in the 21st century for such rights. Following the 2022 Cuban Family Code referendum, there is legal recognition of the right to marriage, unions between people of the same sex, same-sex adoption and non-commercial surrogacy as part of one of the most progressive Family Codes in Latin America. Until the 1990s, the LGBT community was marginalized on the basis of heteronormativity, traditional gender roles, politics and strict criteria for moralism. It was not until the 21st century that the attitudes and acceptance towards LGBT people changed to be more tolerant.
Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who identify or are perceived as being lesbian, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, hatred, or antipathy, may be based on irrational fear and may sometimes be attributed to religious beliefs. Homophobia is observable in critical and hostile behavior such as discrimination and violence on the basis of sexual orientations that are non-heterosexual.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) rights in Andorra have advanced significantly in the 21st century, and are now considered generally progressive. Civil unions, which grant all the benefits of marriage, have been recognized since 2014, and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is constitutionally banned. The General Council passed a bill on 21 July 2022 that would legalize same-sex marriage in 2023, and convert all civil unions into civil marriage. In September 2023, Xavier Espot Zamora, the Prime Minister of Andorra, officially came out as homosexual.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Nicaragua face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBTQ residents. Both male and female types of same-sex sexual activity are legal in Nicaragua. Discrimination based on sexual orientation is banned in certain areas, including in employment and access to health services.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, non-binary and otherwise queer, non-cisgender, non-heterosexual citizens of El Salvador face considerable legal and social challenges not experienced by fellow heterosexual, cisgender Salvadorans. While same-sex sexual activity between all genders is legal in the country, same-sex marriage is not recognized; thus, same-sex couples—and households headed by same-sex couples—are not eligible for the same legal benefits provided to heterosexual married couples.
Laws governing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) rights are complex and diverse in the Americas, and acceptance of LGBTQ persons varies widely.
LGBTQ people in the Dominican Republic do not possess the same legal protections as non-LGBTQ residents, and face social challenges that are not experienced by other people. While the Dominican Criminal Code does not expressly prohibit same-sex sexual relations or cross-dressing, it also does not address discrimination or harassment on the account of sexual orientation or gender identity, nor does it recognize same-sex unions in any form, whether it be marriage or partnerships. Households headed by same-sex couples are also not eligible for any of the same rights given to opposite-sex married couples, as same-sex marriage is constitutionally banned in the country.
The LGBTQ community in Mexico has seen significant advancements in the early 21st century, marked by the passage of key legislation and the establishment of institutions aimed at preventing discrimination. On April 29, 2003, the Federal Law to Prevent and Eliminate Discrimination was enacted, leading to the creation of the National Council to Prevent Discrimination (CONAPRED). This law, although criticized for its limitations, strives to protect citizens from discrimination based on various factors, including sexual preferences and gender identity.
Discrimination against gay men, sometimes called gayphobia, is a form of homophobic prejudice, hatred, or bias specifically directed toward gay men, male homosexuality, or men who are perceived to be gay. This discrimination is closely related to femmephobia, which is the dislike of, or hostility toward, individuals who present as feminine, including gay and effeminate men.
Rainbow capitalism is the involvement of capitalism, corporate capitalism, and consumerism in appropriating and profiting from the LGBT movement. It developed in the 20th and 21st centuries as the LGBT community became more accepted in society and developed sufficient purchasing power, known as pink money. Early rainbow capitalism was limited to gay bars and gay bathhouses, though it expanded to most industries by the early-21st century.
Benigno Alberto Cardín Garay was a Spanish essayist and anthropologist, and one of the most important gay Spanish activists of the Spanish transition to democracy. He was also a prominent author of gay Spanish literature.
Critical pride is the name of several annual protest demonstrations of LGBT people held in Madrid and several other Spanish cities. The organizers of critical pride demonstrations present them as an alternative to the original pride parades and festivals, which they consider depoliticized and institutionalized.
The Aucayacu massacre was a selective massacre that occurred on 6 August 1986 in the Peruvian city of Aucayacu (Huánuco). The attack was directed at gay men and sex workers. Those responsible for the attack were members of the Shining Path, a terrorist group, during the internal conflict in Peru.
LGBT literature in Spain, that is, literature that deals explicitly and primarily with characters and issues within the LGBT+ spectrum, is linked to the progressive social acceptance of sexual diversity in Spain. A great surge of authors, publications, awards, bookstores, and publishing houses—such as Egales, the "first openly homosexual publishing house in Spain"—burst into the scene in the 1990s. In 1995, the Círculo de Bellas Artes itself in Madrid organized a series of 22 literary gatherings on this subject, which evidenced the flourishing of this type of literature.