The Washington Times, a relatively prominent newspaper in the early 2000s, embodied the homophobic spirit of post-9/11 America. Cheryl Wetzstein’s widely-known article “U.S. sees HIV cases rise among gay, bisexual men” (July 2003) is a classic example of their thinly veiled attacks on homosexual men. The article starts by quoting a statistic from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, claiming that HIV cases among homosexual men had risen over seven percent in one year. Wetzstein continues to characterize same-sex relationships as inherently dangerous, quoting a scientist who asserts that “‘preventing infection is the…only true protection against the disease’” and claiming the cases could very well be the start of a new trend. The article then adds a politicizes the issue, suggesting that the Bush administration needs to intervene to reduce the number of these dangerous relationships by educating the public on the risks of homosexuality and by researching the health risks of homosexuality just as it researches the risks of smoking. Comparing homosexuality to smoking reflects the Washington Time’s position that being a homosexual is a choice, and people can choose not to become one. Moreover, Wetzstein criticizes homosexual men, referencing the position that expensive AID-prevention campaigns are not particularly helpful as long as same-sex relationships persist.
The Washington Time’s homophobic undertones mirror the homophobia entrenched in Cold War rhetoric. During this era, homosexuality served as grounds for job dismissal and persecution as Americans turned to traditional family and gender roles in order to feel a sense of security (May 4). The government encouraged traditional heterosexual marriages with tax breaks in hopes of creating an illusion of safety. As such, both post-9/11 America and post-WWII America reflect a fallback to traditional domesticity and a rise of intolerance with respect to same-sex relationships. Homosexuals became a domestic enemy and were marked as “un-american”, as they challenged the concept of the safety offered by affluent heterosexual households focused on children.
May, Elaine Tyler. Homeward Bound: American Families in the Cold War Era.
Wetzstein, Cheryl. “U.S. Sees HIV Cases Rise among Gay, Bisexual Men.” The Washington Times, 29 July 2003.
The Rhetoric of Containment 
The echos of anti-homosexual rhetoric that linger within society is a very large and controversial one. Despite landmark steps such as the legalization of same-sex marriage, our nation and society as a whole still is plagues with blunt and even subtle critiques against non-heterosexual and non-binary relationships. In my post, I talked about Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and how one of the main characters felt the need to fake his sexuality and eventually flee his home because he did not fit into the narrative. As to how we can take further steps towards halting the progression of this hateful and discriminatory rhetoric, educational methods seem to be a viable option. Essentially in contrast as to how your analysis mentions education to turn people away from non-hetero relationships, education can be used to make such relationships not feel otherized.
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