What exactly does this phrase mean? Specifically, is groins used here as an idiom? Or just coined by the speaker here? Here is the context:
What I hope for the future is that all that major religions of the
world (the chief promulgators of homophobia, after all) will finally
lose their grip on the groins of their followers and begin preaching decency and human kindness. Fat chance, I know, but a boy
can dream.
The article in which I saw this phrase was
Armistead Maupin: ‘When Stonewall Happened, I Was Smoking My First Dick, So I Was a Little Distracted’
I know the meaning of grip. It’s the groins that I don’t understand. Why should the speaker choose groins instead of maybe arms or heads or minds? I mean, is gripping someone’s groins an idiom used by many people, or is it just a choice made by the speaker?
Is it a metaphor of one’s sexuality, taking into consideration homophobia in the context of the entire article?
Best Answer
To explain why 'groin' was used in this context you need to understand a well used phrase:-
'To have someone by the balls(testicles)'
Cambridge Dictionary. ‘to have someone in a situation where you have complete power over them’
Macmillan Dictionary 'to have complete control over someone, so that they have to do what you want'
The phrase 'get (someone) by the balls'
The Free Dictionary vulgar 'To gain complete control or dominance over someone; to have someone at one's mercy.'
If you now replace 'groins' with 'balls' to read “lose their grip on the balls of their followers” you will reach similar conclusions to @Mixolydian's answer:-
The author is saying that most religions have (depending on their actual religion) a fairly rigid control over what their followers believe in and in particular to this statement their stance on homosexuality.
So using the phrase “lose their grip on the groins of their followers” the author means religions should ‘loosen their grip on the said testicles’ and allow their followers more freedom of thought, ‘embracing’ all people, not just the people that subscribe to their own religious beliefs, sexuality, lifestyle, etc.