Is Britain still institutionally homophobic?

[The Dark Lord]

In light of today's relevations regarding the Foreign Secretary William Hague's private life, IS BRITAIN STILL A HOMOPHOBIC COUNTRY?

[Patchy]

Depends tbh, most of my mates know I'm bi and couldn't care less.

Some groups of people are more homophobic however you get that everywhere in the world.

I think that the majority of the population of UK is accepting homosexuals.

[steve1234]

Britain is definatly much more accepting to gay communities now. I don't think we have ever been so accepting. Like Patchy says, there is homophobia all over the world. And there probably always will be.

There is sometimes still quite a 'taboo' I suppose about being gay. I did used to be a little homophobic in my young teens, but gradually I've realised it really doesn't matter what sexuality someone is. Anyone who hates gays are either so far in the closet they have reached Narnia or are completly stupid.

In the past (i'm thinking of the 70s and 80s), gay people used to be beaten up in the street just because they are gay. Although this still happens (and probably will always happen), I don't think its as common as it used to be.

I don't know what its like to be gay, so I don't think I can say for sure that homophobia is less common than it used to.

[Giles]

In general I don't think the Uk is as homophobic as it used to be.
There are probably still elements where gays aren't treated as fairly as others.

[OMGitsDAVE]

To an extent it still is greatly, as some families live by very strong morals. But I would say its getting to be a norm now, where its being accepted much more than in earlier years. People have the right to their own opinions though, so its just how they feel these days.

[MadManWithaBox]

Judging by the number of people who still use the words gay, homo, faggot, and queer as insults, yes.

[Giles]

Judging by the number of people who still use the words gay, homo, faggot, and queer as insults, yes.

Well I know that my friends don't actually mean to use those words to insult someone by suggesting they're gay. Most often they just use those words to put someone down, just as much as they do with other words.

It's just a shame that words like that are used in such a way.

[The Dark Lord]

Judging by the number of people who still use the words gay, homo, faggot, and queer as insults, yes.

The word "gay" now has a new meaning within schools. It is not used as a homophobic insult, but used to mean anything from annoying to immature.

[MadManWithaBox]

But I'm saying its wrong to use it in that context, since most kids from ages 11 know its meaning.

[DarkHorses]

I don't think it's respectful to say "that's so gay," but at the same time I don't think that it means the person saying it is homophobic. I think a lot of people who say it don't really think about its really meaning, so therefore they don't find it offensive. I think a lot of people say it just because everyone else does, but it doesn't mean that they have anything against gay people.

[thepieman]

People don't realise what they're saying when they say "gay", they don't normally mean it in a homophobic way.

As for the William Hague thing, I think the only reason it has become big news is because he is a married man. It's not the question of if he is gay that is the problem, it is whether or not he had an affair - which is bad be it with a man or woman.

[The Dark Lord]

But I'm saying its wrong to use it in that context, since most kids from ages 11 know its meaning.

The word "gay" originally meant happy, in the 1950s it came to mean homosexual and in the 21st Century it has become a meaningless insult used routinely and without intention of homophobia


People don't realise what they're saying when they say "gay", they don't normally mean it in a homophobic way.

As for the William Hague thing, I think the only reason it has become big news is because he is a married man. It's not the question of if he is gay that is the problem, it is whether or not he had an affair - which is bad be it with a man or woman.

The reason the Hague thing has become so big has been his handling of the issue: the naivety of a millionaire to share a room with an aide, the statement regarding his wife's miscarriages and his history of similarly poor judgements (Ashcroft, Archer, baseball cap etc)