Screenshot of Nohomophobes.
It seems that homophobia is the last “ism” that just doesn’t want to die. Not only that, it is even seen as cool in certain circles. Starting in the hop hop and R&B scene, the phrase “Nohomo” has spread into mainstream use.
A primer video explaining the history can be seen here.
It’s tacked on to the end of phrases that might be misconstrued as “gay-sounding.” It serves as a defense mechanism whereby the speaker blurts it out, before anyone can accuse him or her of being gay.
A website called Nohomophobes reveals just how much casual homophobia is used on a daily basis. It is astonishing. The site counts in real time every instance of “nohomo” used in the Twittersphere, as well as its older cousin, “so gay,” and more traditional epithets “faggot” and “dyke.”
As we’ve seen with the It Gets Better Campaign, the internet has done amazing things to highlight awareness and acceptance. But the online world also makes it easy to hurl this language at others with ease. Nohomophobes highlights just how often it does so. As one user commented, “I used to be one of these idiots. I think many don’t realize they’re using hateful language.”
Tags: Hip Hop, homophobia, It Gets Better, Twitter
This post is categorized in: Social Media
