Magic Words: Phobia
Accusing Others of Irrational Fear to Shut Down Discussion
Previously, we looked at the notion of “Magic Words:” words which have been imbued with a magical-type power to change the course of conversations and even thinking. The postmodern movement argued that words have no intrinsic meaning and are just masks for power. It should not surprise us that those who thought in this way would then start to use words as a means of power and control over thought. I have dubbed the words they use to form discourse to be “Magic Words.” The first Magic Word I looked at was “Gay,” then I looked at “Progress,” and “Change.”
Now, we turn our attention to what is technically not a word but a suffix that has been appended onto multiple words. The suffix “phobia” has been added to several words as a means to change the discussion regarding certain lifestyles.
From Mental Disorder to Normal
Psychologist Sigmund Freud was the first to treat those who had non-traditional sexual preferences as having a mental disorder. Prior to this, the focus was not on the individual or the lifestyle, but the acts that one did. In the ancient world, it was expected that one would marry and have children for the sake of passing on an inheritance as well as for the good of society. However, beyond that, those who were wealthy or otherwise had the power could use whoever else for their personal pleasure. This was not seen as wrong, and those who did this were not condemned except by those who resented being used or otherwise cheated.
The rise of Christianity changed this, as sexuality was understood as a gift from God to be exercised only within a monogamous marriage. At this point, other acts, such as sodomy, were considered to be sinful acts. However, those who performed these acts were considered guilty of sin but were not considered to be of a different lifestyle.
This all changed with Sigmund Freud. Freud considered one’s sexual identity to be core to one’s identity. Those who then participated in homosexual acts were considered to be suffering from a mental illness.[1] From this point on, psychology treated those who engaged in homosexual behaviors as having a mental illness. This continued through most of the 20th Century, with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) listing homosexuality as a mental disorder until 1973.[2] As recently as DSM-V (2013), Gender Dysphoria was listed as a mental illness.[3]
Turning the Tables: Phobia
During the sexual revolution, the same time that homosexuality was becoming accepted as a lifestyle and not a mental illness, a word started to appear with a new meaning. “Homophobia” was first used in Screw magazine in 1969 to refer to someone fearing that they will be thought to be a homosexual.[4] In the 1970s, the gay rights movement latched on to this term, using it to accuse those who believe homosexual behavior to be wrong of acting out of a latent fear, or phobia, that they themselves are in fact homosexual. From here, the term has been more generalized for anyone who does not support the gay rights movement.
Naturally, this has been picked up by others, most notably the advocates for transgenderism who now label those who are opposed to any aspect of the transgender movement at “transphobic.”
This marked a complete turn-around regarding who has a mental illness. A phobia, after all, is an irrational fear of something. Therefore, labeling someone as “homophobic” essentially tags the person as having an irrational fear. Thus, between the DSM removing homosexuality as a mental disorder and the labeling of people as homophobic, there has been a total reversal regarding who has the mental illness.
The Power of “Phobia”
Today, calling someone a “phobic” has the power of a magic word that labels the person and effectively ends the conversation. If you label your opponent as “phobic,” then they are, by definition, irrational, and so there is no longer need to discuss the issue. Just as someone who is claustrophobic has an irrational fear of close spaces, and they can’t be reasoned out of it, the implication is that someone who is homophobic is irrational and can’t be reasoned with.
Smuggled into the idea of homophobia, transphobia, or any other phobia is the assumption that the referred to activity, be it homosexuality or transgenderism, is a normal and acceptable behavior. These terms assert that you must be irrational to disagree with whatever part of the agenda that is being referred to. So, today, someone who accepts adult transgenderism but questions the transitioning of children is labeled as transphobic in an attempt to shut down the conversation by implying that you must be irrational to disagree.
One of the most powerful aspects of the use of “phobia” is how it causes people to self-censor. Most normal, kind people do not want to be hateful, fearful, or even to be thought of as bad. As a result, the very fear of being called “phobic” causes people to silence themselves. Many avoid speaking their minds for fear or being tarred with being “phobic.”
These magic words are also used to shut down discussion and sway those who are undecided on a topic. Consider a discussion between two people, who we will call A and B, with C as an undecided observer. If A tars B with being phobic, and therefore irrational, not only is it likely that the discussion will end, but C will not want to support B for fear of likewise being considered hateful and rude.
Rather than “speaking the truth in love” as Ephesians 5:15 urges us, the accusation that others are phobic makes us hesitant to speak the truth or even try to explore the truth. It is truly amazing how powerfully the epithet “phobic” silences discussion and prevents any position but the preferred one to be spoken.
[1] Jerome Neu, “Freud, Sigmund,” in The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy, ed. Robert Audi, Second. (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1999), 332.
[2] Neel Burton, “When Homosexuality Stopped Being a Mental Disorder | Psychology Today,” Psychology Today, 24 June 2024, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/hide-and-seek/201509/when-homosexuality-stopped-being-a-mental-disorder.
[3] Marc-Antoine Crocq, “How Gender Dysphoria and Incongruence Became Medical Diagnoses – a Historical Review,” Dialogues Clin. Neurosci. 23.1 (n.d.): 44–51, https://doi.org/10.1080/19585969.2022.2042166.
[4] Oliver Tearle, “The Meaning (and Curious Origin) of the Word ‘Homophobia,’” Interesting Literature, 28 September 2023, https://interestingliterature.com/2023/09/homophobia-word-meaning-origin/.