Homophobic discrimination is a serious issue in every single country on this planet, no matter how big or small. Some countries are more advanced in GLBTQ rights, while in some countries the penalty for being a GLBTQ person is death. All over the world, GLBTQ people are shunned by society, beat up, tortured, raped, and stripped of human rights in various ways. What makes people believe that they have the right to strip someone of their human rights is beyond us.
The Hop Against Homophobia is an attempt by over 250 m/m authors, reviewers and publishers to stand together and create awareness of homophobia. Each participating blog will feature a message on homophobic discrimination in its various forms. The date, May 17th, was chosen in honor of the International Day Against Homophobia and we’re hoping to get people more involved with this day by inviting them to our blogs, where the visitors have a chance to win prizes.
To the side of this blog are links to various organizations and foundations that fights homophobic discrimination. We encourage you to visit these sites and see what they’re all about. Also, if you have more links you’d like to see on that list, please do share 
So please, stop by the blogs, read the messages and leave comments Please also stay tuned for our after-hop message next week.
Raven Lea’s Message:
When I first approached AJ about my desire to write a blog for the Hop Against Homophobia, I had no idea how timely a post this would be for me. You see, I live in the mountains of Western North Carolina near Asheville, which is an open and loving community of diversity, and I had forgotten how homophobic the world outside my bubble actually is.. I worked hard on the campaign to expand the definition of marriage, and never really believed it would be voted down. After the ballots were counted, I was saddened, embarrassed to be a North Carolinian transplant, and angry at the manipulation of the elderly religious people of this state. I called my closest friend, author Claire Thompson, and cried. After a few moments of “Oh, poor baby,” her words to me were to mop up the tears, pull up my big girl panties, place my fingers on my keyboard and fight back! So here I am fighting back in an arena of homophobia that came as a surprise to me.
Since this is a site dedicated to e-books, I would like to address an issue in our publishing world that I believe supports and maybe even encourages homophobia. Recently, I have noticed very pointed notes at the end of book descriptions, printed in italics so as to stand out clearly. One reads like this: There is no sexual relationship or touching for titillation between or among the men.
Certainly all readers have specific reading preferences and it is appropriate that readers have some way of knowing what to expect in terms of genre and sexuality in a book. My understanding was that we had that covered with the category designations of M/M for male, male; M/F for male, female; and F/F for female, female. In ménage books, the designation M/F/M means each man has sex with the female and the men do not have sex with one another, while M/M/F means the men are involved with one another as well as the female.
I don’t know the original intention, but presented more as an apparent warning label than a category designation, the words, “There is no sexual relationship or touching for titillation between or among the men,” clearly panders to the homophobic. To single out homosexuality or male/male touch in such a forward blatant manner gives the impression that this is something the reader needs to be warned about rather than a natural form of sexual expression the reader might choose to read about, or not. If that was not the case there would also be words in italics making the reader aware of paranormal elements, ménage, oral sex, anal sex or BDSM scenes, but there are not. Only male sexuality receives this pointed attention.
All writers, readers and students of history know that words have immense power. The hatred that led to the witch hunts in Europe and America began with words spoken from pulpits and by politicians. The Civil Rights Movement in the US was severely hampered by words spoken in fear and ignorance. History offers clear warnings regarding words and their power to negatively influence extended communities.
It is my firm belief that the community of e-book authors and readers should be willing to use their power to stand staunchly in favor of love and against fear, hate and censorship in all its forms.
BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE OTHER SITES
Sherry S.
May 17
7:10 am
It really makes me angry how the government and some people try to take away the rights of others. I think GLBTQ people should be able to get married if they want. I also think they should have all of the same rights as all of their straight counterparts. If they have to pay taxes and everything then way don’t they have the same rights as I do. I’m not very good at putting into words what I’m thinking.
S
Lea
May 17
10:25 am
Hi Sherry,
I think you expressed it beautifully! And now,the next step is to keep saying it out loud and to write those words to your local newspapers and to the legislators and politicians on both the state and federal level.
I know it sounds odd in a country based on the ideal of freedom and equality, but legislators need to be able to have proof that their constituents demand equal treatment for all citizens!
Hugs,
Lea
S
DC Juris
May 17
10:42 am
Wow. Yeah, I’m with you – that’s definitely a smack in the face. It’s veiled stuff like that which I find the most disgusting. Things like this, where it’s meant as a “warning” like someone is doing us a favor, or inclusionary (is that even a word? LOL) bigotry, like saying m/m romance is okay but not *transgender* m/m. I don’t understand why so many people feel they have to police the world, and why folks can’t just be allowed to live and be left alone. There are *tons* of people out there doing things I don’t agree with, but I’m not trying to make their lives hell. Why should they get the chance to do that to me? I always think to myself, with the whole Gay Marriage issue – when I get to vote on heterosexual marriages, then you get to vote on mine.
::hugs:: Great post, hon!
S
Andrea
May 17
3:12 pm
I have noticed the warnings and I don’t like them.
S
Yvette
May 17
4:14 pm
Unfortunately hatred is a powerful emotion and spreads quicker than love. We have to teach our young people in schools that hate and discrimination is wrong, because it has to start somewhere.
Yvette
[email protected]
S
Lea
May 17
7:12 pm
Thanks to all who read this post as well as my words on homophobia at the Dark Diva site today. If anything has been learned from the result of the ballot in North Carolina, it’s that we have to be proactive rather than reactive. If I can take a stand,
then everyone can.
A special hug to AJ for allowing me voice my opinions here.
Sincerely,
Lea (Donna)
S
cathy m
May 18
6:01 pm
John Lennon says it perfectly.
S
StacieD
May 18
9:23 pm
Brier’s Bargain by Carol Lynne was the first m/m romance I ever read. I have been hooked on m/m romance ever since.
I love that quote by John Lennon. It sums up my thoughts perfectly.
S
Debi Anne
May 19
10:56 am
We need to teach our children compassion and empathy or we won’t embrace the concept of freedom ever. I say concept because I don’t think we’ve fully realized our potential ourselves as a “free” country.
S
L.M. Brown
May 19
2:29 pm
Great post and wonderfully expressed.
Sorry, can’t do the raffle thing. This site unfortunately is and always has been too graphic intense for my old laptop. It constantly crashes my browser every time I visit. It has taken a ridiculous amount of time to just stabilise the page long enough to comment.
Still wanted to express my support for another hopper though.
S
Foretta
May 19
3:16 pm
I hope that one day a blog hop is not needed because equality is finally for everyone. I am a firm believer that to make change then everyone needs to SPEAK UP!!!!
thanks
[email protected]
S
SheriV
May 19
3:57 pm
I wholeheartedly agree. I don’t understand why those italics are there but do know I started seeing them right around that whole paypal debacle happened. I really hope that they get rid of those words because erotic romance should be one of the last places homophobia lives in my opinion.
S
Mel Bourn
May 19
7:24 pm
I am of the opinion that the government should be involved in anything that is not in the US Constitution. There is absolutely nothing within the Constitution that gives the government power to impose any rules/laws on any person regarding relationships, either heterosexual or homosexual. Why is the government involved to begin with?
Mel
S
NJ Nielsen
May 19
9:58 pm
Thank you for participating – I hope one day we will all be participating in a hop symbolising the end of Homophobia.
S
Erica Pike
May 20
9:02 am
Homophobic discrimination is wrong in any form. It sickens me.
Thanks for taking part.
S
Rosemary
May 20
12:13 pm
I can see how my books are going to be commented on…
Oh, well. I’m still gonna write what I want! And read what I want. And I’m gonna make damn sure the writers get my money, too.
Asshats.
Thanks for an eye opening post!
R
S
Layladawna
May 20
3:04 pm
You’re right the message should be that there is no sex in the book which would be a handy message for people who are not interested in sex scenes. It should not be so specific, it’s weird that it is.
S
JoAnna B
May 20
3:11 pm
That was a great quote. Thanks for participating in the blog hop.
S
Ashley E
May 20
8:38 pm
Wow, I have never seen that kind of warning on a book before. It does seem a bit excessive as just about any erotic romance book will have a genre listed, such as m/m, m/f, or f/f or be blatantly obvious by the blurb.
S