Gay bashing

Gay bashing, dyke bashing, bi-bashing, trans bashing, and queer bashing are pejorative terms used to describe verbal confrontation with, denigration of, or physical violence against gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered people, collectively LGBT or queer, because of their LGBT/Q status. Similar terms may be formed from other words describing these various sexual or gender minorities, like "lesbian bashing" or "bi-bashing". A "bashing" may be a specific incident, or one could also use the verb "to bash" e.g. "I was gay bashed". The term gay may be used to refer to gay men, homosexuals, homosexuals and bisexuals, or all LGBT people. Thus gay bashing may also refer to an incident involving any of these groups. Some find this offensive; many find it confusing.

Please see the article violence against gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and the transgendered for information on that topic.

A verbal gay bashing might take place on a rough street corner and use sexual slurs, explatives, intimidation, or threats of violence — or, it might take place in a political forum and include one or more common anti-gay slogans. Passionate invective fits more closely into the general idea of gay bashing than does a calm, intellectual justification for anti-LGBT attitudes or policies. However, some people would include (firmly or otherwise) any expression of anti-LGBT sentiment into one or another category of "bashing".

See also

• Hate crime