<\/p>\n
The style guide, which has been changed over the past few months, now reads that the suffix\u00a0\u201d-phobia,\u201d which it defines as \u201can irrational, uncontrollable fear, often a form of mental illness\u201d, should not be used\u00a0\u201din political or social contexts,\u201d reports Politico.<\/p>\n
The guide specifically lists \u201chomophobia\u201d as well as \u201cIslamophobia,\u201d as examples of the not-to-be-used terms, and instead it is likely that the term \u201canti-gay\u201d would be used in its place.<\/p>\n
George Weinberg, the psychologist who coined the term in the 1972 text, The Healthy Homosexual, disagreed with the decision to remove the word. He said:<\/p>\n
\u201c[The word] made all the difference to City Councils and other people I spoke to. It encapsulates a whole point of view and of feeling. It was a hard-won word, as you can imagine. It brought me some death threats. Is homophobia always based on fear? I thought so and still think so. Maybe envy in some cases. But that\u2019s a psychological question. Is every snarling dog afraid? Probably yes. But here it shouldn\u2019t matter.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have no other word for what we\u2019re talking about, and this one is well established. We use \u2018freelance\u2019 for writers who don\u2019t throw lances anymore, and who want to get paid for their work. Fowler even allows us to mix what he called dead metaphors. It seems curious that this word is getting such scrutiny while words like triskaidekaphobia (the fear of the number 13) hangs around.\u201d<\/p>\n
AP\u2019s Deputy Standards Editor, Dave Minthorn, commented on the changes, which also included the removal of the term \u201cethnic cleansing\u201d. He said\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEthnic cleansing is a euphemism for pretty violent activities, a\u00a0phobia is a psychiatric or medical term for a severe mental disorder. Those terms have been used quite a bit in the past, and we don\u2019t feel that\u2019s quite accurate.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to be precise and accurate and neutral in our phrasing,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n
The printed version of the Style Book, including these changes, will be available in\u00a02013. via Pink News<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
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