Homophobia refers to the prejudice against homosexual or queer individuals. It has grown in popularity recently due to it's use at a political tool in many areas.

  It's important to note that this year (2023) we have seen our first ever State of Emergency for LGBTQIA+ people here in the USA (Human Rights Campaign). So when we discuss why people are afraid of queerness, its important to first learn about who and what it means to be LGBTQIA+ or an Ally. 

Knowing that you get to choose who you love in this life, is the best part of having friends, growing up, and learning about who you might be into and how you want to start these relationships. Loving one another is a huge part baout what makes all of us human, and a community. If you are a cisgender or transgender individual it doesn't matter, all of us should feel and be loved by our family and friends. Of course we know this is not alwasy the outcome, but we want everyone to know that if you aren't receiving proper care at home for your identity that those feelings are valid. There is still time and ways for us to grow up without the same hatred that our peers or parents have for these idenitities. This is how we try and avoid Internalized Homophobia. Our brains often will adopt the feelings that the people around us have, and so when we know something is okay, and others think it isn't, we can start to have some big emotions. Whether a friend of yours is LGBTQIA+ or you are, there are ways to remain loving to those people in the community without adopting the social discrimination that others have.