ABSTRACT
The gay and lesbian community is at risk of injury by members of society that react out of fear and paranoia about “these people” in their midst. The term this chapter uses for an unreasoned fear of homosexuals is homophobia. Homophobia describes a reaction to gay men and women of fear and anger that is unreasoned and without a basis in direct experience. The reaction can take a variety of forms, from avoidance, flight, or violence depending on the predisposition of the person experiencing the anxiety from the knowledge about the physical presence of a homosexual.
