So instead of educating and reforming homophobes and racists, bigots . . .

Go read the literally thousands of posts on Mudcat of people trying to educate and reform Akenaton away from his astonishing bigotry toward gay people. Reasoning with bigots, after everything that has been said on the subject in our society, is clearly ineffective at solving the problem. It is also actively enabling of their bigotry, by helping to create the illusion that they have a valid point of view that should be taken seriously.

I think the point of confronting people for their bigotry is to shame them. To ostracize them. To try to get them to sit down and shut up. Have you noticed that, for the most part, we no longer have to listen to racists and misogynists spouting their hatred toward black people and women? Don't you think that a big part of the reason for that is that they fear the reaction they will get when they do?

There are countries all over the world, including the US, that are still passing laws targeting gay people. The politicians who pass these laws wouldn't be able to do so without the vocal support of the bigots. This means that allowing the bigots to vocalize unimpeded actually does harm, in a giving succor to the enemy sort of way.

"The enemy?" you say? Yes, the enemy. They are promoting legalized bigotry. They are the army of hatred and the enemy of civilization. You sitting with them and trying to reason with them just makes you part of the problem.