First Confirmed Case of Homophobia
PROVO, UT—Lenny Stenkel may very well be the first confirmed case of homophobia in the United States. In an exclusive interview, we sat down with Mr. Stenkel to discuss his condition.
“It has been very difficult, to say the least, living with this disease,” Mr. Stenkel told us. “I feel as though I have been living in the shadows because there is just so little awareness of my condition. I haven’t felt comfortable speaking out because the word ‘homophobia’ has taken on such a negative connotation in our culture. I believe the problem is because we used the words ‘racist’ and ‘sexist’ to describe various forms of bigotry but the term ‘homoist’ just didn’t sound right. People chose to use the word ‘homophobia’ instead, and it has made my life a living hell. I do not hate homosexual people by any means. I just have an irrational fear of them.”
The drapes were drawn and a musty smell permeated Stenkel’s drab little apartment. It appeared as if he rarely ventured out through the door that had been outfitted with an array of locks and deadbolts. He cowered in one corner of his broken down sofa as he continued to explain his plight.
“I don’t feel safe in my own home. My sister brings me groceries, but she leaves them outside the door until I can be sure there are no homosexuals lurking outside. I’m afraid they’ll break in through the window when I’m sleeping. I can’t even eat Lucky Charms anymore because the rainbow colors give me night terrors. I’ve stopped watching television. I turned it on one night accidentally while Glee was on and had a panic attack with heart palpitations.”
“I worked up the courage several months ago to meet with my family physician, but after telling the receptionist, the nurse, and the doctor that I was a homophobe, the entire office seemed to be staring at me in disgust. My doctor seemed very angry with me and told me I needed help, but it was not the kind of help he could give. He then told me to leave.”
It is not clear how many others are afflicted with this disease, but perhaps by making his struggle public Mr. Stenkel can bring hope to other sufferers.