There are many organizations that support lesbians, gays and bisexuals. (Matthews). Support systems are very important because everyone needs people who care, and everyone needs an understanding person to talk with. A strong support system helps to face challenges and to lower stress and anxiety. Parents are the most important part in a teens support system. Most teens want and need to be honest with their parents but often parents are not educated about sexuality. (Endersbe). Coming out of is the process of naming, valuing, and celebrating your sexual identity. Part of healthy sexuality is to know what you like to do sexually. It is also respecting that knowledge and going at your own pace. Often teens, whether gay, bisexual, lesbian, or …show more content…
A person is said to be homosexual if he or she is sexually or romantically attracted to people of the same gender. The term “gay” refers to homosexual males, “lesbian” refers to homosexual females, and “bisexual” refers to people who like both genders. What I want to know: Many scientists sexuality is based on biological or environmental reasons. Homophobia is an irrational fear, prejudice or discrimination towards homosexuals. The world is still relatively hostile and prejudiced towards gays and lesbians. Unfortunately, many societies make people hide their homosexuality, leading to why many teens who are homosexual go into depression. What I learned : A lot of the time, sexual orientation is confused with gender. Many people believe all gay males have female characteristics, and all lesbian females have male characteristics. Sexual orientation tends to be set early in a person’s life, usually around age 8. Like many teens, gay and lesbian youth begin to recognize their sexual preference. Only about 20% of gay and bisexual males and around 6% lesbian or bisexual females begin knowing their sexual identity in
Mercer, L. R. & Berger, R. M. (1989). Social service needs of lesbian and gay adolescents. Adolescent Sexuality: New Challenges for Social Workers. Haworth Press.
For my interview portion of this response I interviewed a friend of mine named Nicole who is a bisexual. When I asked her about her fears of coming out her she said that her only fear was being seen as some kind of pervert or sexual predator.” I came out to my friends first, some were shocked but soon it just became something that people just knew and after awhile it became just as relevant as my hair color”. She also stated that after she came out to her friends some of those friends came out to her soon after. She admitted she was treated differently by people because of the discrimination bisexuals get by both hetrosexuals and homosexuals.“People tolerate bisexuals but they are not respected” She said that many people treated her as if she was confused or like she was only pretending to like girls because they believe that would attract men. She explained that most people tend to believe that bisexuality doesn’t exist.
In sociology, the LGBT community is viewed as a subculture to the dominant world culture. The community is generally accepted by the dominant culture and although the group has some of its own beliefs and rituals/traditions, it still adheres to the fundamental beliefs and cultural expectations of the dominant culture. Before being considered a subculture, homosexual relationships and variations of sexual orientation were classified as devian behaviort. Even before that, someone who experienced homosexual thoughts or tendencies was labeled as mentally ill. The idea of homosexuality being a mental illness appeared in the DSM until 1987. There are still remnants of homophobia today but the consensus (at
The term 'homosexual' is not nowadays sex specific. It was first used by Victorian scientists who regarded same-sex attraction ...
For years homosexuality in the United States of America has been looked down upon by citizens, religions, and even politicians. The homosexual culture, or the LGBT (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender), has been demoralized and stuck out and lashed against by the Heterosexual community time and time again. To better understand the LGBT community we must first grasp the concept of Sexual Orientation.
... so many lives are suppressed, depressed and carry the plague of a negative stigma. Suppressed feelings, self esteem, and personal sexual choice is hindered by the norms and expectations of our society.
It is very reasonable to conclude that research on depression of those who identify as gay, lesbian or transsexual is not accurate; there is an underreporting of people who identify as these sexual orientations because of the fear of being different. It is understood that those apart of the LGBTQ community actively hide their identity in hopes to avoid being rejected or abused (Bird, 2013). Once the reporting issue of having a smaller percentage of the actual representation of the LGBTQ population is put aside, there is evidence that highly suggests that lesbians and gay men are at higher risk for psychiatric disorders than heterosexuals (Cochran, 2001). Even after underreporting, there is still enough information to conclude that sexual discrimination can have harmful effects on the quality of life. Common factors that have been observed in lesbians and gays that can potentially increase depression during Cochran's study are anxiety and mood disorders and decreased self esteem. Cochran and her partner also noted that dissatisfaction with how one is treated beca...
The number of gays and lesbians in the U.S. is estimated to be approximately 8.8 million (randomhistory.com) About thirty-three percent of Lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender commit suicide each year. At least fifty-two percent self-harm (dosomethinng.com). Lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender are mistreated and misunderstood. Lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender are treated inhumanely which causes them to go into a deep depression, self-harm, or even commit suicide. LGBT are humans, not just some creature from another world (personal).
The term sexual orientation is known as the preference of one’s sexual partners, whether the same sex, opposite sex, or both sexes. Sexual orientation occurs when a child reaches the adolescent stages in life (Broderick & Blewitt, 2015). Adolescents activate their sexual orientation within four steps that create their identity. Adolescents are unaware of their identity at the beginning stages of sexual orientation. They work their way into the exploration stage by learning their preference of sexual partners. Once they are aware of their sexual identity, they will start the process of acceptance. Once acceptance is achieved, they will begin to integrate their sexual orientation into their lives (Gallor & Fassinger, 2010).
Homosexuality can be described as a romantic or sexual attraction or act between people of the same gender, and it can also be a term used to refer to a person's sense of identity based on the same attractions or behaviors. Homosexuality is among the three main categories of sexual orientation, alongside heterosexuality and bisexuality, and up to the present day, the scientists have not been able to know the factors that determine the sexual orientation of different people. Some of them, however, guess that sexual orientation of different people is caused by a complex interplay of the hormonal, genetic and environmental influences, and it is not a choice for the people concerned.
It would be wrong to say that only negative outcomes occur when a child tells his parents he is gay. Many children feel that in order to establish an honest relationship with their parents then they must “come clean” to them. Ben-Ari’s research points out those adolescents who want to be open and honest with their parents receive that after disclosure. Parents are usually accepting after time their child’s sexual preference (107)
Kelleher, C. (2009). Minority stress and health: Implications for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) young people. Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 22(4), 373-379. Retrieved April 21, 2014, from http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09515070903334995
(GLAAD) According to the Trevor Project, lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth are 4 times more likely, and questioning youth are 3 times more likely, to attempt suicide than their straight peers. It is estimated by the Suicide Prevention Resource Center that between 30 and 40% of LGBT youth have attempted suicide. The organizations mentioned, amongst many others, provide a secure place for members of the LGBT community to safely express themselves and find support and assistance. The LGBT community as a whole is a place where its members can come together to celebrate each other.
There are individuals that live in fear of showing their true identity to the world because they simply fear that society won’t accept them for having a different sexual orientation. Society advocates that individuals should be able to be proud of who they are, but yet they judge homosexuals for being different. People are taught not to judge others based on their race or religion, so why do they still discriminate against homosexuals? The homosexual subculture is not accepted by society, looked down upon, and misjudged; however, they are human beings and deserve to be treated equally.
Huegel, Kelly. GLBTQ: The Survival Guide for Queer and Questioning Teens. Vol. 1. Free Spirit Publishing, 2003. 1 vols.