Homophobia is the fear of and hatred toward homosexuality or gay, lesbian, or bisexual people. It affects the lives of queer people in many ways. It puts us at risk of discrimination, harassment, rejection, or violence in our everyday interactions with family, friends, and strangers and can affect our ability to accept who we are. Internalized homophobia occurs when we take on, often unconsciously, our society's prejudice and stereotypes regarding gay, lesbian, or bisexual people. Internalized homophobia may lead to self-hatred, denial of our identities, or attempts to live a heterosexual life.
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