We live in a remarkably diverse country that unfortunately struggles with accepting everyone for who they are. Here and there people are being discriminated against because of their race, culture and even their gender. As we look back on history, racism continues to be an issue within our nation. The black community are always targets of police brutality and are always faced with inequality when it comes to other races. To make matters worse, a young black person of the LGBTQ community is faced with twice the discrimination. In today’s generation, the LGBTQ community is an example of another group of people who are always fighting against prejudice. It is very common to see such actions of aggression and brutality towards the LGBTQ community because society cannot respect who/what they identify as.
Microaggression
“Microaggression are the everyday encounters of subtle discrimination that people of various marginalized groups experience throughout their lives” (Nadal, 2014).
Today, microaggression continues to be an issue when it comes to the LGBTQ community. The people of the LGBTQ community are repeatedly facing harassment and discrimination, especially young students just in Middle and High school. These students have to deal with being called very harsh homophobic and/or transphobic terminology by their peers at school just for being themselves. Students are often heard saying things like “No homo” or “she male” so unapologetically, without thinking about how their words are affecting a person of LGBTQ (Nadal, 2014). Whether it be unintentional or on purpose, this type of behavior can lead to severe trauma and a decline in mental health. According to a YouthTruth survey conducted in 2021-2022, “Roughly a third of LGBTQ students in middle and high school said they seriously considered attempting suicide over the past year” (Wall, 2024). LGBTQ youths often begin to feel unsafe and unwanted in such a toxic environment that is supposed to be a safe space, where students can learn and connect with others. It can be hard for anyone to speak up on a matter like this when everyone around them normalizes such language.
Homophobia
Homophobia is another form of discrimination. This form of discrimination is when someone dislike or hold a sense of irrational fear against anyone who is attracted to the same sex. Homophobia has been around for many years and has brought great trauma to anyone who comes out as homosexual. Homophobic behavior can be seen especially within religion and in a few African or Middle Eastern cultures. People often get disowned by their family and even get both physically and verbally abused by loved ones for being homosexual. It is also common to see men being raised to keep their emotions bottled up. They are taught that crying or expressing feeling are signs of femininity. This terrible mindset is then passed down to the next generation and leads to this never-ending cycle.
Such cruel homophobic behavior reminds me of Matthew Shepard, as his case was portrayed in a theater project called “The Laramie Project”. Shepard was a gay student at the University of Wyoming. Being so open and comfortable in his sexual identity, two local kids met Shepard at a bar and after committed such an inhumane crime. Shepard was later found tied to a fence in a field after he was brutally attacked by the two guys; Shepard allegedly tried to get with one of the two guys. Matthew was bluntly targeted because of his sexuality, and it left the people of Wyoming divided. Many wanted justice and spoke kindly of Shepard, while the other half tried to blame Shepard for what happened to him. It is indeed incredibly sad to see such hate towards another person. There are so many people who refuse to accept homosexuality, and this is where the issue lies.
Gender Identity
As a nation, we should all be informed about the ways people identify themself. We should be mindful of what we say and how we act towards others. One way we can all increase our knowledge on the LGBTQ community is by first learning about pronouns and what is meant by gender identity. It is always respectful to address people by their pronouns and/or by simply asking for their pronouns. For example, someone may go by they/them/theirs, so you cannot just assume someone identifies as she/her or he/him. When it comes to Gender identity it can range from several distinct categories; Gender identity, Gender Expression, Gender Diverse, Cisgender and more. Gender identity is an individual sense of their own gender. Gender Expression is how an individual presents themself through their appearance and behavior. Gender Diverse addresses the different types of gender identities and expressions. Cisgender is a person whose identity is the same as the sex and gender that was assigned to them at birth (American Psychological). There is in fact a list of things to learn when it comes to gender identity, but this is why it is important to be mindful of others and to respectfully ask questions rather than assume everyone is gender neutral.
We are living in the 21st Century yet society still goes based on the majority and tries their best to keep the minority at the bottom. To live in the U.S is to be in the middle of an endless war, where bullets of discrimination and prejudice are being fired at you for being different from the majority. Whether Black, Hispanic, or part of the LGBTQ community, we should learn and adopt different ways to make society safe and welcoming for everyone.
References
American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Students exploring gender identity. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/ed/schools/primer/gender-identity
LaramieProjectMovie. (2012, June 7). The Laramie Project. YouTube. https://youtu.be/u1qiTmF0p4A?si=1iBBi79bmFmqmVHr
Nadal, K. L. (2014, March 4). Stop saying “that’s so gay!”: 6 types of microaggressions that harm LGBTQ people. Psychology Benefits Society. https://psychologybenefits.org/2014/02/07/anti-lgbt-microaggressions/
Wall, P. (2024, January 8). Why do so many LGBTQ students feel unsafe at school?. Chalkbeat. https://www.chalkbeat.org/2022/10/25/23421548/lgbtq-students-mental-health-school-safety-survey/
Washington Free Beacon. (2022, June 20). Pride month: Here’s how the Navy is training sailors on proper gender pronouns. YouTube. https://youtu.be/kIQ9R25hXPo?si=uRUKsRMXnZBhA0AM