gay bashing

Gay bashing, dyke bashing, bi-bashing, trans bashing, queer bashing, etc, are pejorative terms used to describe verbal confrontation with, denigration of, or physical violence against allegedly gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered people, collectively LGBT or queer, because of their apparent sexuality. Similar terms may be formed from other words describing these various sexual or gender minorities, like "lesbian bashing". A "bashing" may be a specific incident, or one could also use the verb "to bash" e.g. "I was gay bashed". The term gay may be used to refer to homosexuals of either sex and bisexuals, or all LGBT people. Thus gay bashing may also refer to an incident involving any of these groups. Some find this offensive; many find it confusing. The expression queer bashing is therefore suggested to replace it.

As detection methods are often sloppy, people are likely to fall victims even if they are not LGBT at all. Likewise, gay-bashing is strictly acts directed at people and must not be extended to mean bashing conducts or thoughts that suggest someone is LGBT. Taken this way, most religious authorities oppose gay-bashing.

A verbal gay bashing might take place on any street corner and use sexual slurs, expletives, intimidation, or threats of violence — or, it might take place in a political forum and include one or more common anti-gay slogans. Passionate invective fits more closely into the general idea of gay bashing than does a calm, intellectual justification for anti-LGBT attitudes or policies. However, some people would include (firmly or otherwise) any expression of anti-LGBT sentiment into one or another category of "bashing".

This article is based on a GNU FDL LGBT Wikia article: bashing Gay bashing

LGBT