AP Stylebook eliminates use of ‘homophobia’
The Associated Press will make a positive change to its stylebook next year. It will eliminate use of the word "homophobia."
AP Deputy Standards Editor Dave Minthorn told Politico that "Homophobia especially — it’s just off the mark. It’s ascribing a mental disability to someone, and suggests a knowledge that we don’t have. It seems inaccurate. Instead, we would use something more neutral: anti-gay, or some such, if we had reason to believe that was the case."
Of course, liberals who like their hate-speech terms are not happy about the change. But it is a good change. The gay agenda is one that can and should be discussed without slurs like "homophobia." Because one disagrees with, say, gay marriage does not make them homophobic. But that is what liberals want to label the other side. It is fundamentally not true. The AP does a service in making the change.
(This of course goes for the both sides. Let’s stop making judgments and discuss these issues responsibly.)