8. ARTICLE: HOMPPHOBIA AND DISCRIMINATION BASED ON SEXUAL ORIENTATION

HOMOPHOBIA AND DISCRIMINATION

BASED ON SEXUAL ORIENTATION

Homophobia is a fear or hatred of homosexuality

and of people who are, or appear to be, gay, lesbian,

or bisexual. Homophobia can exist as part of an

individual’s beliefs or more broadly as part of society’s

values, refl ected in its practices and institutions.

Homophobia is harmful because it hurts and isolates

people and divides communities.

Sexual orientation discrimination occurs when

someone actually does something based on their

homophobic beliefs. Sexual orientation discrimination

is often homophobia put into action by treating

some people diff erently and poorly because they are

homosexual or bisexual. (However, sexual orientation

discrimination can also mean treating someone

diff erently and poorly because they are heterosexual.)

Although laws alone cannot change homophobic

attitudes, human rights law can deal with individual

acts of sexual orientation discrimination. In B.C., the

Code makes it illegal to harass or insult someone, or

to treat someone diff erently and poorly, because of

their sexual orientation.

Sexual orientation discrimination can occur in verbal abuse or threats;

 unwelcome remarks, insulting jokes, or name calling; denial of a service;

 not hiring or promoting someone; and publications or displays that criticize

people based  on their sexual orientation.

Examples of sexual orientation discrimination:

 A woman and her same-sex partner go to see an

apartment for rent. When they arrive to view the

apartment, the landlord realizes they are lesbian

and tells them he doesn’t want “their type of people

living here because this is a building where we have

only normal people (heterosexuals)

.