Homophobia: A History (Hardcover)

~ Byrne Fone (Author) "Nearly every age reinvents Greece in its own image..." (more)
Key Phrases: last acceptable prejudice, homoerotic literature, sodomitical acts, New York, Don Leon, Old Testament (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"Antipathy, condemnation, loathing, fear and proscription of homosexual behavior" have taken many forms over the centuries. In this lucid history, Fone (The Columbia Encyclopedia of Gay Literature) charts the ways in which homophobia has induced legal, medical, social and ecclesiastical authorities to punishAand killAgay men. Drawing upon accepted classics of gay studiesAJohn Boswell's Christianity, Social Tolerance and Homosexuality, David F. Greenberg's Construction of Homosexuality and Jonathan Ned Katz's Gay/Lesbian Almanac, as well as other books and articlesAFone's compendium of social intolerance argues that, despite social progress, hating homosexuals is "the last acceptable prejudice." The litany of horrorsAbiblical condemnation, slander, whipping, imprisonment, drowning, garroting and castrationAis chilling, yet even more disturbing is the author's contention that violence against homosexuals has been central to Western culture. Nonetheless, several flaws keep the book from becoming more than a well-written primer. For one, Fone contributes little original research, instead relying on traditional lesbian and gay scholarship, yet he ignores some of the newest, most challenging work in the field (such as Carolyn Dinshaw's Getting Medieval). Most provocatively, while he addresses the differences between essentialist and social constructionist theories of gay identity, he declares that homophobia has a clear, unchanging, social and political character. Also problematic is the book's failure to address the violence perpetuated against lesbians. Still, at a time when the word "homophobia" is dismissed by many as politically correct rhetoric, Fone's work remains a powerful introduction to the undeniable historical impact of the attitudes it describes. (Aug.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Recognizing that homophobia manifests itself in many forms over time, Fone (emeritus, CUNY), compiler of the definitive Columbia Anthology of Gay Literature and author of the highly acclaimed novel American Studies, suggests that a better term for the phenomena he seeks to explicate is the plural, homophobias, to indicate the variety of expressions of feeling: fear, contempt, disgust, hatred, and prejudice. His historical survey focuses on prejudice against male homosexuality in the West. Each section consists of several essays on particular eras (e.g., Antiquity, Enlightenment, Victorian) and aspects (legal, religious, psychological) of the topic in Western culture. Breathtaking in scope, Fone's work shines with his ability to synthesize vast amounts of material coherently and accessibly. This is not simply a chronology, since his interpretations are thorough and well documented. Recommended for all academic libraries and larger public libraries.DD.S. Azzolina, Univ. of Pennsylvania Libs., Philadelphia
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 480 pages
• Publisher: Metropolitan Books; 1st edition (August 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805045597
• ISBN-13: 978-0805045598
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,209,324 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wake-up call..., September 4, 2007

By	Relnereth DuFaun - See all my reviews

This review is from: Homophobia: A History (Paperback)

As a young gay man trying to understand his place in the world and how he fits into it all, this book was shocking and occasionally disturbing as it chronicled the tormented history of homosexuals in Europe and America.

Being the first non-fiction book I read concerning homosexuality, I winced as I read about the grisly executions performed in the name of God and/or the law, or how homosexuals where rooted and hunted out as in the witch hunts in early Europe. Atrocities towards fellow human beings are perpetrated with such righteous fervor that you wish they would look in the mirror and see what monsters they've become. It chills me to think that had I been born during that dismal period, I could be drowned, stoned, or burned at the stake for consummating my love with another man.

As a Christian, it shames me to learn from reading this that because of one account in the Bible, twisted or misunderstood by interpreters, Christian authorities have employed it as a reason to deliver their brutal judgement against the "sin of Sodom". Worse, as Christianity spread throughout the world, it carried with it the plague of homophobia. Read with horror upon the settlers' arrival in the New World, what they did to the Native Americans. It still confounds me to why people who believe in a god who is the epitomy of love and forgiveness, would embrace hatred and prejudice against their fellow men, as different as they may be.

Reading this has really made me thankful to be living in this day, where even if homosexuality might be frowned upon by some, it has become more understood and more tolerated, if not accepted. The book has made me grieve for those who never got the privilege to be who they are, salute the heroes who fought against the homophobic colossus of that age, and to be sobered out of complacency by knowing that it took a lot of sweat and spilt blood to be able to allow us to have the relative freedom we have.

Finally, taking it further, the book to me is also call to protect, defend, and also to fight. I am aware that there are still countries with homophobic governments who live under constant threat of death. I am aware that we still don't enjoy the full benefits of our existence in society. I am made aware after reading the book that things don't change because you sit there and take it.

I guess the only downside that I found is that it focuses mainly on Europe and America so the generic title would probably do with a little appending.

All-in-all, extremely rousing and informative! Thank you Byrne Fone!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A brilliant study with contemporary implications, January 22, 2009

By	Wesley Lake - See all my reviews

This review is from: Homophobia: A History (Paperback)

This book must have taken years to write and is worth eveery moment expended in its creation. Although another reviewer said it wasn't a page turner I found it to be one of the most fascinating academic studies I have ever encountered and after putting it down couldn't wait to get back to it. A historical guide that at the same time manages to be right up to date and sadly and frighteningly appropriate to our culture of the moment, one of its most painful implications is that human nature will seemingly never change. Will the attacks on our fellow man and woman over nothing ever stop? Read this book and form your own opinion. The book won't disappoint you; but it's message, brilliant but hardly uplifting, will certainly frighten you.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting (Though Often Horrific) Survey, April 22, 2001

By	Ricky Hunter (New York City, NY United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Byrne Fone, in Homophobia A History, looks at exactly what the title states. It is the perfect book for those interested in a first look at the subject of homosexuality through the ages in European and American culture. It is neither particulary scholary or exhaustive and while each of the specific topics (such as literature) or eras (such as medieval) is covered more thouroughly elsewhere, this book provides a fascinating glimpse at the horrendous forces at play through homophobia, whether religious, civil or personal, as they have shaped society from ancient Greece to Stonewall. There are certain gaps, such as the absence of a discussion of Europe during the twentienth century. It is a horrifying glimpse into the history of a destructive mindset and the author handles the subject matter in an illuminating and interesting fashion.