Misuse of words, or Did she really out him?

[karmyn75.livejournal.com]

As we all know, LKH has a strange way with words and misusing them in amusing ways. There's the infamous lose/loose, the new air/err, and my new favorite, the overuse and abuse of 'homophobe'.
I'm the first to admit I have no sort of gaydar at all. I mean, even after I saw a photo of a friend in a newspaper story about the university glbt club I still wasn't sure he was gay. Now he's in the middle of a sex change.
Anyway, it seems to me that LKH is misusing the word homophobe. When Richard is uncomfortable at seeing JC naked, Anita says he's homophobic. Maybe he just doesn't like seeing other men naked all the time. Nothing homophobic about that. The use of the word homophobe heavily implies that JC is totally and completely gay. Of course the readers know he and the other men are, but LKH has been denying this all along. Now she outs him.

Comments

[slayra.livejournal.com]

"Homophobia" is often used to apply to just anyone uncomfortable with same-sex sexual tension.

Strangely enough that would make Anita Blake a homophobe. After all, she is unconfortable with the notion that Asher and Jean-Claude are "doing it" behind her back. From what I read it's not only a question of jealousy, but it gives the idea that the fact that Asher is male also plays a big part in Anita 'not liking the idea'. Of course, I always thought AB read like a homophobe. A veiled one, but one nonetheless.

As for Richard, we all know about his 'experience' with Gabriel. Since he is (for the moment) a straight character who was sort of abused in a way (at least that's what I gathered) by another man, I don't see why he shouldn't feel unconfortable in the presence of other naked men. The fact that Anita, the homophobe is classifying Richard as one, is actually hilarious.

[frabjously.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, I'd forgotten that thing with Gabriel. Good point. If Richard is anything close to homophobic (which he really isn't) then he has a psychological reason to be.