Sexual Orientation And Gender Identity Essay

The theme that we have been focusing on in class for the past two weeks is sexual orientation. Sexual orientation is more complex than just the gender a person is attracted to. Instead sexual orientation is on more of a spectrum. On one end of the spectrum a person can be solely heterosexual and on the opposite side a person can be completely homosexual. This also means that a person can be bisexual if they identify more in the middle of the spectrum. The spectrum allows for all individuals of all different sexualities to have a place on the spectrum. In the films Chasing Amy and XXY we see two individuals who are more fluid with their sexuality and do not identify with being solely homosexual or solely heterosexual.

Humans have always found characteristics with which they distinguish themselves from one another. This division breeds discrimination between the groups, with the voice of the majority outweighing the voice of the minority. Today the characteristics that define the groups most prevalently affected by discrimination are race, religion, age, sexual orientation and gender. However, even the minutest physical characteristics, like hair color, can give reason for this baseless prejudice. In Japan, early records show evidence of an “untouchable” social class that occupied undesirable jobs like butchery and tending to the dead. Since the Japanese Edo Period from 1600 to 1867, there has existed a strict social hierarchy. Occupying the lowest rung of this hierarchy are burakumin, which translates to “village people”. The offensiveness of this designation is not apparent until it is known that the translation for the class descendant of samurai (the “purest” Japanese) is “ordinary people”. Burakumin were perceived as lesser people by this upper class, called futsūmin. Meanwhile, Koreans in Japan did not have an easier experience. They faced unjust immigration laws when attempting to enter and stay in Japan, and racism from Japanese citizens once they had arrived (Rabson 220-223).

There are many issues that have arrived in our culture that may conflict with a traditional viewpoint. Day by day, I see people parting from conservative life styles to those that are flamboyant and boisterous. I can’t pin point just one group or sector of people, beliefs, or ideologies that is morally altering the future generations; but I will expound on sexual orientation and how it affect us, socially, emotionally, and politically.

There are an estimated 73, 649 teenagers of a diverse sexual orientation or gender living in rural and regional Australia (ABS, 2017a; ABS, 2017b; Department of Health and Ageing, 2012). These teenagers are geographically and socially isolated in contrast to metropolitan teenagers of a diverse sexual orientation or gender due to few population covering a larger area of Australia (Morandini, Blaszczynski, Dar-Nimrod, & Ross, 2015). Firstly, these teenagers experience risk factors associated with rural and regional living, being an adolescent and being of a diverse sexual orientation or gender, refer to Appendix A for a table of health problems. Mental health disorders, predominantly anxiety and depression, are a major factor contributing to

Recognized figures reveal their sexual orientation in public and in films and on television homosexual characters are depicted (Anderssen & Ytteroy, 2002). Despite these advances in the American mainstream, lesbians, gays and bisexuals continue to face discrimination in all areas of life. No federal law prevents a person from being dismissed or denied a job based on their sexual orientation. In different dimensions, the battle continues to gain equality by exercising their human rights. However, there are powerful beings in society that want to reverse the fighting and return to the past. Though progress has been made regarding a degree of acceptance for the LGBT population, they will continue to fight against discrimination and the persecution of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender individuals. There remains a battle that lies ahead.

The LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, and queer/questioning) community has many individuals who are in primary, secondary and postsecondary institutions. Bullying that takes place at these locations often occur with people that identify or are perceived to be affiliated with the LGBTQ community. This issue is not only important to me, but it is extremely important to those professionals in the educational fields. Bullying has come to a head in the past few years and has really shown that it is a problem. Educational professionals should take this information and try to find ways in which we can help to decrease the amount of bullying in general, not only with LGBTQ individuals.

Sexual orientationism is best described as discrimination or prejudice against homosexuals on the assumption that heterosexuality is the dominant, or normal, sexual orientation. Within society there are many barriers, assumptions, and stigmas placed upon the queer community, numerous of which steam from this heterosexist stance that has become the dominant ideology. This stance has historical significance in trauma, and oppression of those within the sexual minority, and how this can play on representation.

Although the issue of LGBT+ has been thrust to the forefront of issues in contemporary society, this is a battle that has affected social, political and health-related spectrums of our communities for decades. For many years, homosexuality was thought to be a psychiatric illness. In fact, it was defined as such by the APA until 1974. Gay conversion therapy was fairly popular, subjecting numerous patients to horrendous acts of torture in the name of medicine(source 3). On top of these brutal and quite frankly inhumane acts, there were laws and regulations prohibiting homosexuality. Although very loosely acted upon, it was these documents that paved the way for discrimination of LGBT members of the society to be discriminated against. Men and women alike could be easily discriminated against when trying to obtain housing or applying for immigration(Source 2). Without being able to partake in society as a functioning person, the disparity between sexual minorities and their heterosexual counterparts grew immensely.

Sexuality and Gender are social constructs. They are more like fluid concepts. Both are on spectrums. Why could they be considered controversial topics, more specifically the spectrum? Well, the idea of sexuality being more than just heterosexuality has been challenged by conservative types and others alike for years. They may even deem anything other than heterosexuality as something abnormal and immoral. For some, it can be quite difficult to understand that sexuality is on a spectrum. Especially with identities like bisexuality and pansexuality, it can be difficult for some people to wrap their minds around that idea. In recent years, the idea of gender being more than just male and female has been getting more and more attention. It is no longer sex that defines people, but gender identity, expression, and presentation. They are not fully understood and sometimes not accepted by people; unfortunately some of that ignorance, and much to my surprise, come from people within the LGBTQ+ community. A lack of understanding about the spectrums of sexuality and gender leads to a lot of confusion, hate, and ignorance.

In today's society many people are thinking that they are either straight gay, bi, or transexual.

Women are empowered, encouraged and even pressured into being involved in a sport or some type of fitness activities today; however, it hasn’t always been that way (Cahn 278). In the 1920s, also known as the “golden age” of sports, women and young girls faced obstacles such as rejection, gender discrimination, and stereotypes when showing interest in sports or fitness activities. One famous author named Susan Cahn, wrote a book called Coming on Strong: Gender and Sexuality in Twentieth-Century Women’s Sports, and focuses on the decades between the 1920s and the 1960s. For most of the 19th century, females were accused of causing a great deal of danger to the moral and physical areas of masculinity. Through the research of multiple different aspects, such as media, appearance, and gender roles, Cahn puts together an idea and theme that athleticism is seen as a masculine trait because it was once constructed by society itself; which fortunately for the women, that idea can be changed. In the later centuries, Cahn writes about the progress of woman 's appearance in sports, however then describes the difference in respect, attention throughout media, opportunities and wages between men and women. Through both primary sources such as newspapers, interviews, and journals, as well as secondary sources like relevant literature, Cahn writes her book in a historical non-fiction genre. After reading Coming on Strong: Gender and Sexuality in Twentieth-Century Women’s Sports by Susan

Many parents voice a fear about their child learning about gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation. They think that hearing, seeing, or learning these things will influence their child. According to research, however, no matter how often children are exposed to these topics they still will make their own decisions later on in life on the matter. Often parents are upset when they hear their children are learning about these terms because they do not know the dictionaries definitions for these words are. According to webster; gender is the state of being male or female, the word typically used to reference social and cultural differences rather than biological ones. Gender identity is a person’s perception of having a particular gender that may not correspond with the sex they were given at birth. Sexual orientation is a person’s sexual identity in relation to the gender to which they are attracted. Many times a person’s sexual orientation can be labeled as heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual. Diversity is an important lesson to teach children especially at a young age. To understand how to best teach diversity about gender in a classroom background information, teaching strategies, and student’s understanding of diversity is important.

Living a life feeling out of place, with the wrong feelings, and in the wrong body, for a person with Gender Identity Disorder, this is how they feel day to day. According to the DSM-IV-TR, Gender Identity Disorder is characterized by a strong, persistent cross-gender identification, persistent discomfort with his or her sex or sense of inappropriateness in their gender role of that sex. According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), children, adolescents and adults who exhibit a preoccupation with getting rid of or losing their primary and secondary sex characteristics, associated with different mannerisms and actions of the opposite sex; while holding a belief that he or she was born the wrong sex are believed to be classified

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals, also known as LGBT population have experienced a great deal of oppression worldwide. These particular individuals undergo discrimination from society, whether for reasons of ignorance, fear or intolerance, this population faces challenges in multiple areas of social justice sexual. Although the LGBT culture has made some strides in the areas of state and federal legislation, there is still a wide range of criminalization that takes place within our culture. Understanding the LGBT community and the history of their oppression may be the first step in becoming culturally competent. For many years this culture was denied their basic constitutional rights that were afforded to their equal heterosexual peers. Basic rights such as, adoption and marriage were uncommon to this culture until the 20th century.

What is equality? Is it just a political nomenclature or an ideological concept? Or is about working towards creating a fairer society in which each individual can enjoy his/her rights and freedom without any judgement considering that “[w]e will never have true civilization until we have learned to recognize the rights of others.” Will Rogers (1924, p210).