Homophobia : An Australian History

Homophobia is a prejudice with effects that extend far beyond the gay and lesbian community.? While its physical, emotional and social effects have been charted to some extent, the development of homophobia in Australia has yet to be fully explored. Homophobia: An Australian History is the first book to consider homophobia in a distinctively Australian context. In this collection, thirteen well-known scholars examine the embedded homophobic attitudes that Australian gay and lesbian activists have fought to change. The book traces the evolution of homophobia, from its expression in Australia's past as a colonial settler society, through to manifestations in present day society.The collected chapters in this book argue that homophobia developed in conjunction with the growth of a modern homosexual identity in the second half of the nineteenth century. To various extents, the legal and medical professions and other social institutions have perpetuated homophobic attitudes.?This important book?raises awareness of the devastating impact these attitudes can have on individuals and on society.

Paperback, 250 Pages, Published 2008

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