homophobia

/ˈhoʊməˌfoʊbiə/

/həʊməˈfʌʊbiə/

Homophobia is a hatred of or prejudice against gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender people.

Homophobia takes wildly different forms, from the state-sanctioned homophobia of countries that punish homosexuality with the death penalty, to playground teasing of a child who is labeled "gay" by his peers. The word homophobia literally means "fear of homosexual people," from the Greek roots homos, "one and the same," and phobia, "irrational fear of," and its original use was closer to "fear by heterosexuals of being thought to be gay."

Definitions of homophobia

1. noun

   prejudice against (fear or dislike of) homosexual people and homosexuality
   type of:

   bias, preconception, prejudice

   a partiality that prevents objective consideration of an issue or situation