Reading Response

After reading "How Homophobia Hurts Everyone" I have learned how homophobia can hurt one at any age. The author used a first or second grader as an example and I can not believe the words they would call him. They were calling him words like "sissy, queer, and fag". These are the terms we discussed the other day in class and I really understand now how someone can take a hit. I felt like it was important to know a few of the important types of homophobia to help understand this section better. The first one is personal homophobia which is like a negative type of impression (applies usually to heterosexuals). Another is interpersonal homophobia which could best be described by the author as transforming prejudice into its active component, an example would be name calling (Blumenfeld 269). Next is institutional homophobia this is when governments, schools, and businesses discriminate on sexual orientation or one's identity (Blumenfled 269). What I don't seem to understand is why people to continue to tell people who they are or how they are defined as ex:heterosexual, homosexual, transgender, etc. The next thing you know you are being harassed upon because they told what they are. Why don't they think before they speak?