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History on gay rights thesis
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Lately it seems like everyone is "coming out" as lgbtq because it seems like the coolest thing to do. Kids at school don't understand that just a few years ago, coming out was horrible. In the past few years, so much has changed for the LGBTQ Community. Marriage is being legalized all over the place, and people are learning to speak out about their rights. Six years ago, my parents found out I was bisexual after they went through my computer. My mom screamed, cried, threw things, and questioned me relentlessly. She couldn't possibly understand what it was that I was going through. At school, I was bullied and pushed around because I was that "weird little lesbian". In a small school of just a little under 200, once one person knew something about you, everyone knew your secret. The world dropped out from underneath my feet. My friends that had once claimed to be my ‘best friends’ ignored me. P.E. and track became horrible whenever I had to enter a locker room. All of the girls would stare and whisper, refusing to change in front of me like I was some disgusting sexual predator. Finally, during my eighth grade year, a popular boy named Brennan came up to me one day after school. We sat down and talked for a while before he just grabbed my hand and said, "I'm gay." He immediately started crying as I sat there in shock until, after a few moments, I just pulled him over and hugged him. I understood exactly what he was feeling, and knew that just letting him cry would be enough to help. I couldn't believe someone had come to me. Me! Of all people! Hugging him and telling him that it was ok, just accepting him for who he was, made me feel so happy. There is no feeling in the world like helping someone through something that you can relate to. It made me feel like maybe I was able to do something, even if it was little, and it gave me the courage to begin to make a difference in my schools. After a few weeks, I noticed that quite a bit of my friends had started to talk to me again, with the new addition of Brennan. It seemed like after Brennan got the courage to come out of the closet, others were too. People I had never even talked to started talking to me for advice on how to come out, like I was some sort of seasoned veteran.
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.
Many transgender people lived in dysfunctional families when they were young. The support becomes vital for the wellbeing of kids. In her book Redefining Realness by Janet Mock, recaps the importance of support from Michelle his cousin, who kept in secrets of gender dysphoria of Charles (Keisha) by saying “‘Pinkie –swear you won’t tell your mom’…She’d keep the secret my secret because I was her favorite cousin” (Mook 76). Michelle, kept Keisha’s secret by allowing her to use her swimming clothes. Michelle shows the importance of support from relatives. This is a fundamental factor that might help with the development of her gender identity. Many transgender people may feel a relief at the time to disclose their identity. When transition is in progress the support from friends and families becomes important because, many transgender people might suffer if they lack support. Many transgender people seem depressed because they are rejected by society. Janet Mock, relates how Wendi, support Charles, by making him feel comfortable, saying “Wendi and I grew inseparable trough middle school, a bond that would link us for the rest of our lives. Through association, my class –mates learned that I was like Wendi-who hadn’t yet adopted any labels to describe her shifting self” (Mook 107). In most cases transgender people’s acquaintances can be referred as transgender people just by friendship. The association makes transgender people to gain confidence about their gender identity. The support from groups or friends makes transgender people feel that they are accepted and not alone. Support from friends might urge transgender people to come out the “closet” and reveal their gender identity to gain respect among society. The support from friends is important, but family support seems to be the most important. When families do not support transgender people it causes a hostile environment that may suppress
"Coming out of the closet" is an essential for homosexuals to develop their personal identity. Coming out of the closet is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's to tell others about their homosexuality or bisexuality where previously this had been kept secret. Framed and debated as a privacy issue, coming out of the closet is described and experienced variously as a psychological process or journey; decision-making or risk-taking (Wikipedia).
Increased acceptance among the peers of transgender students. (Students look to those in a position of authority to garner a sense of appropriate behavior.)
In Junior and Senior year I was put into a alternative education class so it would be easier for me to speak and I wouldn 't have anxiety. That decision was the best decision. There were 8 kids in the class instead of 35. It got easier and easier for me to speak. I can now voice my own opinion but still be afraid. I don’t really care if people are quirky and I have my flaws. People who truly care about me will look past them. I now help people who are struggling with the same things I went through, because I know what is was like and I don’t want them to go throw the pain and suffering I went through. I try to help others overcome fear of judgment like I had to
Whether it be for religious reasons, or simply because they are afraid of how people might react, many of the LGBT+ community live in fear, never telling people how they really feel. There are many gay, bi, transgender, and more, living on the street simply because their parents abandoned them once they had come out. “In America, up to 1.6 million youth experience homelessness each year. The statistics for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) homeless youth are even more shocking, as this group represents up to 40% all young people experiencing homelessness...Half of all teens get a negative reaction from their parents when they come out to them. More than 1 in 4 are thrown out of their homes” (True Colors Fund, 1). LGBT+ youth, representing around 7% of the total youth, find difficulty living the American Dream that they dreamed of as
A time that I did something that I thought I couldn't do, was to stick up for others. When I was in sixth grade, during recess, I saw a girl named Melissa crying. I went up to her and asked what was wrong. She said that people were talking about her behind her back, and that she felt awkward around them. I consoled her by letting her know that friends don't talk behind friends backs and that you have other people that you can talk to during recess. It bothered me how Melissa was sad. She felt a little better after we talked and then we played games.
If that didn’t keep a gay teen in the closet then I don’t know what would. I tried so hard to convince myself I wasn’t gay. I exercised because I read somewhere that when you sweat your gay tendencies would pour out of your person. I also tried dating girls, but my relationships always ended after I realized that they were just using me to give them fashion advice. I prayed and prayed and prayed and prayed but nothing. There was no way I could tell my family. God must have truly hated
Coming out, regardless of what one is coming out as, is incredibly difficult. An important aspect of accepting ones’ sexuality is the support that one gets from others of the same sexuality. “This support comes not only from loved ones … but also from associating with like-minded others in the gay, lesbians, and bisexual communities” (McLean 63). However, even in a group that’s been discriminated against by heterosexuals, there is an outstanding amount biphobia in the LGBT community. Bisexuals, while technically are included in the LGBT community, often have difficulty fitting in with the rest of the community.
The act of "coming out" is a complex political tool. Its use is open to ambiguous possibilities, ranging from subverting social order to reinforcing those power structures. Of course, it is undoubtedly an empowering act for many non-heterosexual persons to identify themselves as such. Even if the categories of "heterosexual" and "homosexual" are entirely socially constructed (as Michel Foucault argues), that does not mean that they are not real categories of thought that shape the way we live our lives. Indeed, my computer is entirely constructed, but is still undeniably real. Since many non-heterosexual people do live their lives identifying differently from heterosexual people, they may find "homosexual" (or a similar label) an accurate description of their identities and daily lives, however socially contingent that description is. That said, I do not wish to make a judgement call on whether or not someone should or should not come out. Rather, I wish to examine the complicated space represented by "the closet" and the multifarious effects that "coming out" has on the larger social structure.
A guy he knew once tried to kiss him and after that he was bullied for being “gay” even though he wasn’t. In the interview he says that he eventually became proud of being gay, although he wasn’t he took great pride in being called gay. He says he enjoyed the conflict and that it helped him almost find his identity. He along with many other activists were changed by LGBT people and learned that they were just like anyone else and there was nothing to fear other than the hate that is forced upon them. Furthermore, they saw that these rights were worth standing up against the hate and
Coming out is the process of exploring your own sexual orientation and/or gender identity, and sharing that identity with others. Everyone’s coming out story is unique, and that’s because the process is affected by environment, circumstance, upbringing, timing, and every other factor imaginable. For most LGBTQ people, coming out can be an empowering and unifying life experience. There may be one significant “coming out moment” (when you tell a key person for example), but usually, it is a lifelong process of understanding and accepting your sexual orientation and/or gender identity. And because we live in society that assumes that everyone is straight and cisgender, LGBTQ people find themselves having to ‘come out’ over and over again throughout their lives.
Looking across the dinner table at age 7, I remember wishing for what my cousin had. She was holding hands with the love of her life, and had never looked happier. I remember thinking that someday, I would have someone who loved me as much as her fiance loved her, and once I had that, I wouldn’t let anything get in the way of it.
Throughout my early childhood and high school years, I was heavily marginalized. I have known that I am transgender since the age of three, a fact that my mom struggled to accept. We always had differing opinions on how I should dress, act and cut my hair. This used to stand as a big wall between us, but we have both greatly progressed since then. As a child in elementary school, and later again as a freshman in high school, my classmates always had something negative to say about me. Students at my school have purposely misgendered me publicly, had me banned from using multi-stall restrooms, and performed more basic acts of antagonism. Even some teachers have acted in similar fashion. This kind of behavior used to affect me very easily, however
Society today has become more accepting of homosexuality. There are single gender couples in the media, and gay rights, such as marriage, have become a political standpoint. In this class we have discussed how society today is changing, and how important it is to be accepting of others who are different. In a heterosexual society, it is a big deal that we are becoming more accepting of people who like the same sex. The problem is, some people aren't just heterosexual or homosexual. Similar to the gender binary, there is a sexual orientation binary being created by the media. The black and white view is damaging to people who like both genders. Society tries to put labels on people, causing people to question their own identity. In the time of adolescence this can be very damaging to someone, male or female. Education about bisexuality could be the step society needs to take to create a more accepting society. Right now, a bisexual is seen as someone who cannot make a choice, but society should not pressure people to choose. People should not have to label themselves heterosexual or homosexual. The media has become more accepting of same sex couples, however, it exploits bisexuality.