The Roots of Homophobia

As I mentioned in my last posting, I would like to continue to share a few more insights from Bishop Robinson's book that were especially striking to me. For today I'd like to offer the following quote:

“Much of the chaos in our society and in the church are the early stages of the end of male dominance, male superiority, and male privilege. And because of the link between homophobia and misogyny, this battle over homosexuality is as much about the end of patriarchy as anything else” (40).

Although Bishop Robinson elaborates more extensively on this point throughout his book, I believe this short excerpt sums up quite well an essential point he's trying to make: namely, that much of the resistance to LGBT equality in our places of worship and society stems from a deeper, longstanding misogyny or hatred toward women. Many cultures throughout the world and certainly the major Abrahamic religions are historically based on a patriarchal model of society - men are the leaders and authority figures and women traditionally have been marginalized to a kind of second-class citizen status. Now that this is changing, both as women gain a voice within the church and society and men who don't conform to traditional masculine roles also become empowered, those in traditional roles of dominance feel threatened and are responding accordingly.

However, despite these challenges to equality, voices like Bishop Robinson's continue to arise to give us the courage and hope we need to keep on fighting for what's right. It's not an easy fight but in the end it's one that will ultimately liberate both the oppressed and their oppressors from a system that, by its staid inflexibility, is obscuring the message our world so needs to hear - the good news of God's radically inclusive and embracing love for all.

Peace,

Padre Chuck