I always say homophobia is the fear to be a homosexual which results in violence against gay people. It is not being afraid of gays. But the gays are the trigger. A study from 1996 I just found supports my theory: Is homophobia associated with homosexual arousal? Answer: yes.

PubMed

Is homophobia associated with homosexual arousal? - PubMed

The authors investigated the role of homosexual arousal in exclusively heterosexual men who admitted negative affect toward homosexual individuals....