Me too. I don’t think homophobes are necessarily evil. “Maybe” probably would have been my answer if I’d actually read the question. It depends on why they are homophobic, and if and how it’s expressed. I would have answered the same way for racism, actually. Both are bad things, and I would avoid interacting with those sorts of people as much as possible, but if they’re not actively hurting people, they’re not evil, just jerks.
While I’d say someone who dwells on thoughts of how disgusting s/he finds gay sex probably has issues, I see no reason to doubt that there are straight people who feel that gay sex is icky only in the “I am really, really not into that” sense. Trinopus’s example was a guy “whose aesthetic is straight-only”, which I read as a person who finds only heterosexual behavior to be attractive or arousing. Well, that’s his right. None of us have much control over what turns us on. I mean, I believe straight people when they tell me it’s not a choice! 
This hypothetical straight guy isn’t required to think it’s hot when two guys kiss in order to avoid being considered homophobic.
Do you seriously not see the difference between “that doesn’t turn me on” and “that’s gross”?
Because uh, one is neutral and the other is not.
I put maybe because a lot of people here and elsewhere define homophobia not merely those who hate/attack/are illogically afraid of homosexuals but anyone who has moral reservations about homosexual activities.
Is there any possible legit excuse for not being “pro-gay on everything”?
I am also wondering about whether you would think that homophobic men (that is, men who have sex with men but refuse to acknowledge any homosexual identity, as you may have read in the news) deserve sympathy or shame. Should they be cured and accept for who they are rather than live a life of self-loathing? Why do you think they behave so hypocritically (i.e. anti-gay politician or important public figure caught in a gay sex scandal)? Are these people really “gay” or just acting “gay”?
look up “internalized homophobia”
“Look, I sympathize with your politics. But using all male connectors for electrical & plumbing installation simply does not work! It leaks. A lot.”
Why doesn’t it mean “fearing gays”?
Sure, the same legit excuses for not 100% pro-anything else.
I mean, there’s a limit for everything.
That linguistic ship has sailed. My real beef is that any discussion with th word “homophobia” already sets one side as evil. It’s like asking “are you a nigger-lover?”. You may actually be married to a black person son the answer is technically yes, but the phrase nigger-lover means more than that.
So what? I see the difference between being neutral about something and actually disliking it, but I don’t share your opinion that it’s bigoted to be turned off by sexual behavior that is not to one’s personal tastes. Everyone’s turned off by something. You brought up the food comparison earlier and claimed that being grossed out by certain sexual behavior is different from being grossed out by certain foods, but I see no reason to believe this is universally the case.
Sure, someone might consider gay sex to be gross because they’ve been brought up to believe that gay people themselves are disgusting and abnormal, but I am willing to believe that a straight person might consider gay sex to be gross in basically the same way that I consider olives to be gross. I am not merely neutral on the subject of olives, I think they taste nasty. But I have no problem with other people eating olives, I do not consider the eating of olives to be immoral, I do not wish to see olive-eating banned, and I would object to being characterized as a hater or oppressor of olive eaters just because I personally dislike eating olives. Everyone is entitled to their own personal preferences, the important thing is not being a jerk about it.
Ditto.
That’s not an answer. In which respects are you anti-gay and why would anyone sane overlook them?
I am very grateful to Lamia for the defense, but, alas, I think I agree with you. Being turned off – being grossed out – finding gay love icky and squicky – is, in my mind, a kind of homophobia. But so long as it isn’t acted upon – other than to the degree of looking the other way – so what? It isn’t evil if it doesn’t get expressed at the ballot box.
So, yes, I am homophobic (and am direly ashamed of it) but I’m not evil, because my aesthetics are involved, not my morals. My morals are gay-friendly; my voting record easily earns the approval of any GLBT political action committee.
And now…I agree with you again! I do think the word “homophobia” is appropriate to someone like me. I have that kind of “gross out” reaction. But I don’t act on it…
I have known people who were racist in the same way. My papa was one! He never felt comfortable around blacks, but, by God, he fought as hard as he could never to let it show. It was just how his papa had raised him. He voted for Congressman and Senators who supported the Civil Rights movement, and he did his best to teach me the ideals of racial equality.
I am homophobic… But I think that I am not a “bigot.” Bigotry entails acting out those feelings. In the same way, my father had racist feelings, but wasn’t a bigot.
This is why my answer on the poll was conflicted. I think one can be homophobic, without being evil.
(But, golly, I really love olives! If you don’t want 'em, can I have yours?) 
I hate to say “Me too” on the Dope.
But me too.
It’s a poorly written question.
Yeah, uh-huh. When olive eaters face systematic prejudice that leaves a baseline cutlural assumption that not eating olives is the norm, and eating olives is somehow less then you’ll have a point. As I said, maybe it’s possible that a person has a visceral negative reaction to gay sex in the same way one does to a food. But this is not happening in a vaccuum. That person is in a culture that defines gay sex as less. That is slowly changing, thankfully, but it’s not there yet. You cannot divorce people’s attitudes from the cultural context they live in.
Beating this drum, at the most generous, you are being willfully obtuse.
Additionally, Lamia, when you decide to stop being obtuse you’ll note in my original post that I said that there was a difference between being homophobic and being outright bigoted.
Well if homophobic people are evil, then obviously we need a solution for dealing with them in order to protect society. Perhaps we could round them all up into some type of… camps, yes, camps, and then we could sew badges onto their clothes so they can be clearly identified in public. I think we’re finally on to something!
loaded question indead.
Am I Pro-Gay - No… Does that make me Homophobic? No…
Am I anti Gay - No… Does that make me Pro Gay? No…
Do I care - No… As long as it does not interfear with me why should I…
I have been asked out by a guy and said no - its not my thing. But, I have also said no to a few women and they are my thing but not at the time.
So what does that make me?