gay panic

Noun

gay panic (uncountable)

1. (uncommon) An emotional reaction characterized by intense discomfort, fear, or anxiety upon encountering or discovering that someone is gay.
   • I feel like hip-hop / Used to be a voice for the voiceless, you know? / And now it's become, at least in the mainstream, a symbol of / misogyny, gay panic, fiscal irresponsibility, you know? / So I figure / if you can't beat 'em / join 'em2010, Bo Burnham, “Oh Bo”, in Words Words Words
2. A feeling of anxiety brought about when one realizes they are attracted to someone of the same gender.
   • In perhaps the most on-the-nose depiction of its tendency toward gay panic for cheap laughs, Joey and Ross freak out in the seventh season of Friends after they accidentally fall asleep together on the couch.[…]”2019 October 1, Nico Lang, “Here’s Your Reminder That ‘Friends’ Was Really, Really Homophobic”, in Out Magazine, retrieved 24 Jul 2023
   • Thirty seconds into the TV show, the main character’s phone wallpaper reading "gay panic" may well epitomise not only his own feelings but also those of Heartstopper‘s fans.[…]”2022 July 29, Monika Bogovic, “Comfort and Fuzziness for the Jaded Queer Hearts: The Gay Panic of Heartstopper”, in Rock and Art Cultural Outreach, retrieved 24 Jul 2023