In linguistic terms, JAZ is completely right--language drifts, and the meaning of words can drift so far that they can end up meaning almost the opposite of where they started out. When you say something was "awfully good," there was in fact nothing awful about it--quite the opposite. Nothing can be done to stop the drift, really, and it's hardly liberals' fault that this paricular word--homophobia--drifted.
BUT, I think I can understand the concern of conservatives who dislike the term "homophobia" being used in its now common sense of homopprobrium (a neologism I really like, Abbey Normal). Originally, I believe it referred to a pathological fear of gay people. It has now drifted to mean any general disapproval of gay people. The problem, from the homopprobe's point of view, is that the element "phobia" is pejorative, since a phobia is a mental illness, and suggests a judgement of the homophobe.
This is indeed perhaps unfair to homopprobes, and I can see why they would argue to restrict the word to its original meaning.
Mariner.
BUT, I think I can understand the concern of conservatives who dislike the term "homophobia" being used in its now common sense of homopprobrium (a neologism I really like, Abbey Normal). Originally, I believe it referred to a pathological fear of gay people. It has now drifted to mean any general disapproval of gay people. The problem, from the homopprobe's point of view, is that the element "phobia" is pejorative, since a phobia is a mental illness, and suggests a judgement of the homophobe.
This is indeed perhaps unfair to homopprobes, and I can see why they would argue to restrict the word to its original meaning.
Mariner.