Arana And Homosexuals

The mental health of individuals in the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered) community is something that is a serious problem. For most of the history of the United States and many different parts of the world LGBT people faced much persecution and in some cases even death. This constant fear of discovery and the pressure that one feels on oneself when “in the closet” can lead to major mental distress. Research has shown that people who identify as LGBT are twice as likely to develop lifetime mood and anxiety disorders (Bostwick 468). This is extremely noticeable the past couple years in the suicides of bullied teens on the basis of sexual identity and expression. The stigma on simply being perceived as LGBT is strong enough to

Following the declassification of homosexuality as a disease in 1973, a variety of methods have been made in attempts to help members of the LGBT community become

Ever since Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way”, the amount of Americans who thought sexuality was assumed at birth has steadily climbed. For many people in the LGBTQ community, being gay

From the moment a child is born, the society in which they are born into begins to teach the child what is normal, and what is not. If the aforementioned child has a vagina, they will be labeled a girl and assumed to be heterosexual, and the same principle applies if the child has a penis. Yet the human world is not as simple as this established gender binary. For example, there are people who identify with a gender other than the sex assigned at birth.1 There are also people who are not sexually attracted strictly to the opposite gender, or at all. Such diversions from societal normality are more often than not greeted with opposition, as what is considered normal is also deemed right. The LGBT community has had to deal with fierce societal

Whilst facilitating an enrichment project for KS4 learners, it was my pleasure to work in collaboration with a ex-pupil of mine (who had left the school two years previous.) in order to explore the issue of homosexuality, homophobia and briefly touch on stereotypical views in society.

Neil is a twenty- three-year-old gay man who appears to have an inner conflict with his mother’s ready acceptance of his homosexuality. She seems to have accepted his homosexuality on an intellectual level, however not on an emotional level. The mother and son relationship appears to have issues that involve sexuality, boundaries/territories, tolerance, embarrassment, expectation, and shame. Neil’s story exemplifies the life course perspective in that it emphasizes diversity in his life journey, linking his early life experiences with later experiences in adulthood.

In the ‘Journal Of Family Theory & Review’, It states that “Bisexual individuals are often erased, as many lesbian and gay individuals believe that their sexuality is not ‘‘real’’ or ‘‘authentic.’’” (Russell, & Pollitt, (2013) pg. 241). Many individuals of the LGBTQ community have faced these problems and think that there is no way not. That no one will see them as a normal human being. Problems that have aroused within the LGBTQ

Which Blumenfeld states “It inhibits one’s ability to form close, intimate relationships with members of one’s own sex, generally restricts communication with a significant portion of the population, and, more specifically, limits family relationships”, and that societal heterosexism can stop homosexuals or others of similar sexualities from “… developing an authentic self-identity, and adds to the pressure to marry someone of another sex, which in turn places undue stress and oftentimes trauma on themselves as well as their spouses and children” (Huffington Post). This can cause many people to make decisions that they wouldn’t have made if they weren’t pressured to do it by someone else. Then many of those choices affect others negatively because they felt they had to prove that they can fit into society's mold. This can make many people feel that they are unimportant and that they do not matter as not only as a person but as a human being. Kytle states “Our youth need images — images of gay people who are in committed relationships, who are responsible members of the community, images that promote healthy and responsible choices by gay youth” (120). Without a responsible and reliable image of homosexuals for today's youth and our society, many individuals that consider themselves gay will feel ashamed and afraid because they believe that if they reveal their sexuality that they will be disparaged and discriminated against by others of their age group. Since many people do not have a positive image, many heterosexuals are ignorant of homosexuals and their sexuality, and thus develop a prejudice against them. This shows that heterosexism impacts many individuals regardless of gender, race, or their orientation, which negatively affects both heterosexuals and

This issue is not one that is only in published works, inaction is rampant today. Even in the workplace. Where adults supposedly act like adults, people are letting hateful and rude jokes be said by others without consequence. This type of inaction is so unrestrained that “58% of LGBT employees have reported derogatory comments or inappropriate jokes about their population demographic” (Gaille n.pag.) The majority of the coworkers who do nothing are just as good as those who are making the comments. They are enablers. The act of silence is dangerous due to enabling injustice the to continue. In the same way that the Germans said nothing as Jews were being persecuted in Nazi Germany, being silent today is just as dangerous. Especially in the

Before I watched the “Bridegroom” documentary released in 2013, my assumptions for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, or Questioning are sex orientation (LGBTQ) community were not clear how the world view them. I was thinking that even though many people have negative attitude in compare to positive attitude towards their LGBT status they are widely accepted among the people. I have never smelled difference to treat them as a different person. Although there are many negative consequences that arise from LGBT portrayal in media, there are some positive consequences also.

“I don't know how I'd live with you if you were gay, you'd be gross." This blunt statement caught my attention as I exited a local ice cream parlor the summer prior to entering high school. This remark, while radical, was not abnormal for the old fashioned and rural town I had grown up in. At first, I told myself not to let it get to me and that this mother had every right to believe what she wanted. After all, I didn't want to overthink what could have been the misinterpretation of a crude joke. When I saw the look of pure disgust at the simple thought of being gay on her daughter's face however, I felt weak and without dignity. As a lesbian myself, my esteem seemed to deteriorate like paper thrown into a fire. Nevertheless, I was inspired by this experience to analyze the state of society and to search for justice in situations where it is lacking.

An example of this is shown in David Sedaris’ Naked, when his teacher talks about having kids: “‘I’ll have a boy and then maybe later I’ll have a girl, because when you do it the other way round, there’s a good chance the boy will turn out to be funny’... ‘When I say funny I mean funny as in…’ She relaxed her wrist allowing her hand to dangle and flop.” (Sedaris 82). In this passage she is referring to the boy being gay, which would be a terrible burden in her eyes. This demonstrates how modern parents think mostly of themselves when bearing children, think about how difficult it would be to raise them if they are different. The way Sedaris talks about homosexuals in this chapter also shows the prejudices that have been instilled in him since he was a child. Being a homosexual would be the worst thing in his eyes, it would bring dishonor to his family, and he would be outcasted because he is different. This attitude attests to the fact that when presented with something or someone out of the ordinary, most people think about themselves, and how difficult it would make their

William Shakespeare's enduring play Antony and Cleopatra invites us to discuss the thematic and integrally natural concerns of the power of sexuality and lust versus love through the context of the Roman Empire in 41 BC. These values are ingrained into the human condition, allowing the piece to be explored and reflected upon in both the context of Shakespeare’s upbringing in 17th century Britain and a modern classroom. We are able to explore the dynamic nature of these enduring values and the power, both positive and negative, these values had on the greatest rulers of the Roman Empire.

Two months later, my family found out that she was dating a woman and immediately, my family started to refer to her as a lesbian while others used the term, “turn to the other side”. My point is, when I was 17 years old, I might not have understood why my family referred to my cousin as a lesbian, like what Fausto-Sterling’s theory pointed out. Today, I have grown and developed a better understanding of the mythology of sex and gender and the societal definition of normality. I believe that the Western society is strongly influenced by religion and biology. For that reason, residents of Western society are being forced to fit into two categories, rather than choosing their own classification. An individual who display signs of an androgynous sexuality experience difficulties ticking one sex and is being forced due to medical reasons. I do not believe that anyone should be forced to compromise their differences in order to fit in a flawed societal definition of normality. I am also majoring in anthropology and I have learnt that gender and sex can be cultural or situational. I think that Western civilization is also highly influenced by gender roles, especially during the early stages of a child’s

When he began his studies of identity and sexuality on young children, he worked with expert psychiatrists, psychologist, and social workers in New York to understand gender dysmorphia, a condition in which one’s “biological gender” does not match one’s self-perception or “brain gender.” Through his help, he was able to find families dealing with a child going through this condition at a young age. Going into is study, he had a stereotypical view of transgender, gay and lesbian individual but, ironically, he was gay himself. For 11 months, he interviewed 30 people and their families to see what children deal with when they feel like they don’t belong to their gender and