homofoolsete

Homofoolsete is a term used in sociolinguistic and online-discussion contexts to describe a rhetorical stance or actor within a community who emphasizes internal sameness and moral conformity while portraying outsiders as irrational or foolish. It is often used as a pejorative label for groups that police discourse through shaming, exclusion, and a display of corrective superiority.

Etymology and origin: The word appears to be a neologism blending elements of “homo-” (same) with “fool” and a suffix resembling “-sete” or “set,” indicating a faction or cohort. The coinage is historically recent and has appeared primarily in online forums and commentary since the early 2020s, with no formal standard definition in major dictionaries.

Usage and interpretation: In scholarly and journalistic analysis, homofoolsete describes behaviors such as performative virtue signaling, ad hominem framing of dissent as foolish, and attempts to enforce strict boundaries around acceptable discourse. It is distinguished from general in-group conformity by its explicit labeling of dissenters as foolish and its emphasis on a uniform worldview within the group. Critics use the term to critique hypocrisy or superficial inclusivity, while proponents may argue that it names a real pattern of exclusionary rhetoric.

Examples: An online moderator who dismisses opposing viewpoints as “foolish” and then bars them from discussion could be described as acting in a homofoolsete manner. Another example is a public discourse trend that treats nuanced critique as evidence of gullibility, thereby excluding nuanced voices.

See also: groupthink, echo chamber, performative activism, online discourse analysis.

Notes: The term is not widely standardized and may be variably defined across communities.