AP ban on using ‘homophobia’ causes uproar

The Associated Press Building in New York City (Photo by Alterego via wikimedia commons)

NEW YORK — The Associated Press has caused controversy by barring the use of the word “homophobia” by its journalists.

The AP releases the style guide used by a large number of newspapers and outlets, including the Washington Blade. The style guide’s latest iteration bars writers from using editorially “homophobia,” “Islamophobia,” and “ethnic cleansing,” among other terms, according to an interview with AP Deputy Standards Editor Dave Minthorn in Politico, who said the term “suggests a knowledge that we don’t have,” saying “anti-gay” is a more “neutral” term.

However, bloggers like Americablog’s John Aravosis took the AP to task over the change.

“I don’t know anyone who uses the term “homophobia” to mean that someone is clinically insane, or mentally unstable, or whatever other pretzel AP would like to tie itself into over this word,” Aravosis wrote.