Sexual Orientation And Gender Identity

The world is full of all type of discrimination, Racial Discrimination, Equal Rights among minorities, yet, the society struggles with sexual orientation. Sexual orientation is the classification of individuals, such as heterosexual, bisexual, or homosexual based upon their emotional and sexual attractions, relationships, self-identity, and behavior (Mooney, page 400). This sexual orientation is a global problem. It is illegal for a males or females to be homosexual in the majority of the 86 countries in the United Nations (Ottosson 2008); these individuals can victim of criminal punishment or corporal punishment for being

Gender identity has always been a controversial subject because everyone has a different opinion or feeling about the subject, but until everyone fully understands the immense history, the different types of identities, laws that have been passed and changed over the years, money that has been spent, bullying that takes place every single day, or the hundreds of controversies that have been argued about the issue one will never begin to understand the actual subject of gender identity.

It begins before a child takes their first breath, and it continues throughout their life. People are classified, we are classified. We are classified, categorized, ordered, divided, indexed and ranked. This lifelong occurrence classifies us in numerous ways, which influence, if not assign or destine, many aspects of the lives in which we live. The things that make up the people who we are, the things that make us, “us,” are often the same things that are exploited to categorize us. We are categorized by our race, religion, ethnicity, education, geographic location, disability, age, biological sex, sexual orientation and gender. We are categorized by who we identify as, who we are, our gender identity. We are categorized by who we who are attracted to, who we love, our sexual orientation. Who we are and how we are classified are unavoidably intertwined. As the person we grow to become, and the

Years of social construction have played a role in shaping the way we understand race and sexuality. I agree that we are a mixture of impulses. I have a few friends who state they are bisexual and are swingers. This type of behavior has always existed even in biblical times. According to the bible, God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah for many of the sexual acts that are openly talked about today. I personally feel that we are curious creatures and often act upon our curiosity and our desire, in order to please our flesh. In regards to homosexuality and gender identity, I feel some individuals know early on that they like the opposite sex and feel they are in the wrong body. I remember my male cousin always wanting to be the mom, where dresses

little literature on bisexual nature, so they were more likely to be “unsure” of their

There are many different positions that are held in society today regarding certain sexual orientations and activities. These issues include premarital sexual activity, masturbation, and the most debated, homosexual orientation and behavior. The opinions that people hold on these topics are likely to be influenced by several factors. The more common of these factors would be religious background and affiliation. In order to gain information regarding how certain religious organizations feel about certain sexual orientations and activities, I looked to my church to see the positions held on each of these issues.

The process of asylum itself can be tool for creating trauma, in the hands of untrained adjudicator becomes a weapon that tears apart these vulnerable, traumatized, LGBT asylum-seekers and leaves lasting wounds that may never see a mental healthcare practice. The issue centers around the focus on the homosexual identity over homosexual acts, and the burden to prove this western, homosexual identity. Homosexual practices are analyzed with scrutiny and many times prejudice to no avail. Closeted, bisexual, and those of non-binary gender identities are downright rejected or humiliated in asylum court for not conforming to the standard homosexual identity. The literature review reveals stories of gay men and lesbian women being rejected on the

Former President, Obama once said, “We are big and vast and diverse; a nation of people with different backgrounds and beliefs, different experiences and stories, but bound by our shared ideal that no matter who you are or what you look like, how you started off, or how and who you love, America is a place where you can write your own destiny.” Many things have changed in the past decade, the United States electing its first African-American president not only for one term but for two. President Obama administration helped expand and advance equality regarding the LGBT community. The Obama Administration provided support and equality towards the LGBT community. Numerous people have come to accept their ‘true identity’ without the fear of

For most heterosexuals, when they see a person, they see them as heterosexual unless the observed person displays some “homosexual” characteristic, such as being flamboyant for males. Despite the progressions society has made in accepting the LGBTQ+ community, there is still a long way to go to de-genderize sexuality, or to unlink sexuality, gender identity, and gender roles. As seen in various studies including “The Complex Negotiations of Gender Roles, Gender Identity, and Sexual Orientation” by Nagoshi et. al, “Does Nature Rule? A Sex Reassignment Tragedy” by Lindsey, and “‘I Always Felt I Had to Prove My Manhood’: Homosexuality, Masculinity, Gender Role Strain, and HIV Risk Among Young Black Men Who Have Sex With Men” by Fields, sexuality is often strongly associated to gender identity, which is in turn influenced by behavioral gender roles due to gender socialization. From the gendering of sexuality comes various other social issues, including the discrimination against people in the LGBTQ+ community and an increased chance of HIV in homosexual men.

Sexual Orientation can be defined as the persistent pattern of romantic or sexual attraction to another. The opposing person who you are attracted to can either be of the opposite sex, the same sex, or to both sexes. Although these are the three main categories, there are sometimes minor categories that can be used to define sexual orientation as well. This could be where they may consist of being attracted to different gender identities, maybe innate objects, or may not even be attracted to anything at all. Whatever it may be, sexual orientation is not a choice and cannot be changed manually.

I am straight. That is the truth. I always have been and I always will be—or so I think at least. I’ve

Identity is vital to every person. Every individual has his or her own identity as well as his own values. It is these values that help describe the individual’s identity. The various aspects that make an individual’s identity is the gender, physical ability, race and sexual orientation. This dispels out the confusion that exist between sexual orientation and identity of an individual. Sexual orientation is a branch of a person’s identity.

The two individuals I interviewed are homosexual males that differ from me in their sexual orientation and gender. I met my first interviewee for an hour on Wednesday, September 21st, and I met my second interviewee for an hour on Wednesday, September 28th. Through these interviews, I learned a great deal about each individual and it allowed me to gain insight into each of their lives.

This analysis the focal point regarding the readings focuses around sexuality and gender identification. First, in Chapter twenty-two, Kaja Silverman clarifies both Freud and Lacan’s theories from a perspective point of view. Additionally, in Chapter Twenty-eight, Jacqueline Rose highlights identification of sexuality and feminism. Finally, the article conducted by, Keith Reader, explains different ways to exemplify “self” identification in regards to gender identity. Beginning with Chapter Twenty-two Silverman elaborates Lacan’s theory regarding semiotic linguistics and anthropology.

Did you know that gay men and lesbians do not choose their sexual orientation, but rather are born with it? There has been extensive research proving that sexual orientation is caused by many biological factors, whereas there is no solid proof that social factors after birth affect sexual orientation (Swaab, 2007, p. 442). Sexual orientation is already programmed into the brain, with the influence of sex hormones and genes, before a child is even born. The development of sexual orientation is caused by sex hormones, genes, and the brain, which then cause differences in the anatomical body (LeVay, 2011, p.271).