Kevin Salazar, Psychotherapist at The Gender & Sexuality Therapy Center in NYC suspects this is due to the total misunderstanding of queerness. Generalized homophobiaĭue to the stigma the word ‘pedophile’ carries, it is often used as an insult to harm and disenfranchise people, like the LGBTQ+ community. So, why are LGBTQ+ often called ‘pedophiles’? A few main reasons explained below. But it isn’t because LGBTQ+ people are more likely to be pedophiles than, heterosexual folks-they aren’t ( research proves it). Yes, LGBTQ+ folks are often called ‘pedophiles’. Why are LGBTQ+ people often called ‘pedophiles’? MAP is used to speak to the wider age-range of children. Some people think that MAP is used because it carries less stigma than the word ‘pedophile’, but this is not true.
MAP is an umbrella-term that encompasses anyone attracted to children under the age of 18, meaning it includes pedophiles, hebephile (people attracted to pubescent children) and ephebophiles (people attracted to teens). Sometimes, you’ll hear the term ‘minor-attracted person’ (MAP) used instead of pedophile.
#GAY DEFINITION AS AN INSULT MANUAL#
So, before we can talk about why calling certain populations ‘pedophiles’ is so damn harmful, let’s start with a definition.Ī pedophile, as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, is a person who has intense and recurring sexual interest in and/or fantasies about prepubescent children. The word ‘pedophile’ elicits a strong emotional reaction from most of the population, but most people don’t actually know what it means. Quick: What’s the worst word you can think to call someone? Ask the majority of folks this question and aside from racial and ethnic slurs, they’ll say ‘pedophile’.Īnd sadly, that’s one of the slurs most commonly used against the LGBTQ+ community.īelow, we dive into why LGBTQ+ folks are so often the target of the insult-plus, how it hurts so many of us.