Cultural and social norms in society today and in history have played a big role in the unfair treatment of the LGBT community. In some cultures, people of the LGBT community are suppressed and are not given the same rights as heterosexual people. The person who entered and murdered 49 people of the LGBT community at the nightclub in orlando, was part of the extremist group ISIS. ISIS believes that people who are LGBT are to be put to death. They feel that LGBT people are not human and do not belong in society. In Syria, a man was found guilty of committing sodomy and was thrown off a tall building in front of a crowd as a punishment for his actions (https://www.counterextremism.com/content/isis-persecution-gay-community). This act of brutality …show more content…
Due to some religious and cultural beliefs, some families dismember or isolate the member who is LGBT. Some LGBT youth are subject to ridicule by their parents who are not accepting of their child. Arguments between LGBT youth and their parents, between the parents, or involving the grandparents of the child can cause disputes that result in divorce or other forms of family dismemberment. As a result of this, some people of the LGBT youth community are afraid to tell their family members or as it is called in the LGBT community “coming out”. Some LGBT youth are so afraid of their parents finding out, they feel the only way out is through suicide. When someone commits suicide because they fear coming out, it takes a toll on the friends and family of the child, sometimes causing confusion and depression. Nazim, a man from London killed himself after he told his mother that he was gay. The reason he committed suicide was because his mother told him that he needed to see a psychiatrist to be cured. Nazim was a well off man who was close to marrying the man of his life. It is sad that he felt the need to take his life because his mother did not accept him for who he was (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/mar/21/my-boyfriend-killed-himself-because-his-family-couldnt-accept-that-he-was-gay). Friends and families alike of people who are LGBT are affected by the unfair treatment of the LGBT
The young woman who committed suicide, had a poor self image, also known as the totality of the type of person that once perceives oneself to be (Farley and Flota 2012). Her self image was considerably low due to the fact that she was having suicidal thoughts. She most likely perceived herself as someone who was not accepted for who she truly was, especially by her mother. The lack of support that she received by being homosexual, probably gave her the message that who she was as a person was unacceptable. She fell towards suicidal thoughts and ultimately took her life away which is something seen often in media whether it is because the person feels as they are unaccepted by people who are close to them or because of the hatred and bullying they receive from others.
Herbert Mullin viciously murdered thirteen innocent people. Herbert believed he was a hero. He thought of himself as a “sacrificial scapegoat”, who killed to save California from a disastrous earthquake. He believed that his father had contacted him telepathically, ordering him to kill. He was eventually diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. Paranoid schizophrenics “have an organized system of delusions and auditory hallucinations that may guide their lives” (Comer, 2013).
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
Those who become marginalized can lose control of their own lives and the available resources they can access; they can become nothing more than stigmas and often negatively treated in public. Because of this, their social contributions are sometimes hampered and this, consequently, causes them to become socially isolated and/or sufferers of low esteem. Approximately, in America, thirty percent of LGBTQ youth were often abused by their parents over their orientation or gender, with an estimated forty percent of homeless youths identifying as LGBTQ themselves. (Chatterjee) These statistics and stigmas can affect those who haven’t fully comprehend their feeling and those who stay closeted (keeping their sexual orientation or gender identity as a secret) because they fear the possible negative reactions from family and
According to a study by GLAAD, “…41% of transgender individuals attempt suicide, compared to 1.6 of the general population”. Potential causes are ignorance, lack of a friendly environment at school, and lack of non-discrimination laws and policies for transgender individuals. However, if schools and families would create a safe and discrimination free environment, that acknowledges transgender students and other children. The result would be a culture that teaches students and children to be mindful and respectful. If this happens, then there is potential that discrimination would decrease and social acceptance would increase.
We live and are raised in a world where we are taught and influenced that traditional values are the normal and praised, and anyone that goes against them are considered wrong, sinful, or even immoral. Those that challenge the media and go against what society says is the normal are often targeted for bullying, discrimination, and even judged negatively. This is most prevalent for gays, lesbians and bisexuals that face criticism are degraded all because they prefer individuals of the same sex.
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).
However, across the globe, there remain many instances where an individuals' sexual orientation or gender identity can lead them to face execution, imprisonment, torture, violence or discrimination. The range of abuse is limitless and it breaches the fundamental views of international human rights law.
Currently in today’s society, coming out as gay is easier than admitting to a serious mental problem. This effect puts a burden on teens who suffer from problems and don’t know where to go; which led to the increase of teen suicides as seen in the media. In the average classroom size, about three of the twenty-four students have depression; not mentioning other common disorders such as bipolar disorder, panic disorder, ADHD, conduct disorder, and eating disorders. Without better programs in schools to prevent and inform about mental disorders, the current taboo on them, the bullying of students suffering, and the romanticization of diseases will continue to increase the negative effect mental disorders have on teens.
The mental health of individuals in the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered) community is something that is a serious problem. For most of the history of the United States and many different parts of the world LGBT people faced much persecution and in some cases even death. This constant fear of discovery and the pressure that one feels on oneself when “in the closet” can lead to major mental distress. Research has shown that people who identify as LGBT are twice as likely to develop lifetime mood and anxiety disorders (Bostwick 468). This is extremely noticeable the past couple years in the suicides of bullied teens on the basis of sexual identity and expression. The stigma on simply being perceived as LGBT is strong enough to cause a person enough mental stress that they would take their own life. This is always unfortunate, but in the case of young individuals it borders on unthinkable. Older LGBT individuals do not tend to fair much better either seeing as they were raised in generations who were stricter on what was considered proper and morally right. All this being said, even as the culture of the world shifts to more accepting LGBT individuals their mental health is something that is only now being looked at thoroughly.
Despite the transition, little consideration has been given to understanding the growing population of gay adolescents. 25% of American families are likely to have a gay child (Hidalgo 24); In the United States, three million adolescents are estimated to be homosexual. Yet, American society still ignores gay adolescents. Majority of children are raised in heterosexual families, taught in heterosexual establishments, and put in heterosexual peer groups. Gay adolescents often feel forced by parents to pass as “heterosexually normal” (Herdt 2). As a result, homosexual teens hide their sexual orientation and feelings, especially from their parents. Limited research conducted on gay young adults on disclosure to parents generally suggests that disclosure is a time of familial crisis and emotional distress. Very few researchers argue that disclosure to parents results in happiness, bringing parents and children closer (Ben-Ari 90).
A child growing up with two dads or two moms will believe that it is normal. According to many cultures and religions, being homosexual is wrong and it does not really exist. Homosexuals are being shunned by followers of these faiths. LGBT teens are more likely to think about or attempt suicide because they encounter bullies at school, work, and in other public areas. The issue of gay rights was similar to women's rights in the 1920s.
Around the world gender is genuinely seen as strictly male or female. If you step out of this “social norm,” you could be considered an outcast. This disassociation includes, biological males/females, interssexed, and transgendered individuals. These people are severely suppressed by society because their gender identification, behaviors, and even their activities deviate from the norm. Most Americans are exceedingly devoted to the concept that there are only two sexes. Therefore, the constrictive American ideals of male and female gender identities inhibits growth and acceptance of gender expression.
Homosexuality in Today's Society. In today's society, there exists a mixture of issues which tend to raise arguments with people all over. There are a handful of topics that always seem to escalate these differences between people to the point where one who earnestly participates in discussion, debate and argument can direct their anger towards their feelings on the person themselves. Some examples of such delicate subjects are the death penalty, abortion, and euthanasia.
When one hears the words “LGBT” and “Homosexuality” it often conjures up a mental picture of people fighting for their rights, which were unjustly taken away or even the social emergence of gay culture in the world in the1980s and the discovery of AIDS. However, many people do not know that the history of LGBT people stretches as far back in humanity’s history, and continues in this day and age. Nevertheless, the LGBT community today faces much discrimination and adversity. Many think the problem lies within society itself, and often enough that may be the case. Society holds preconceptions and prejudice of the LGBT community, though not always due to actual hatred of the LGBT community, but rather through lack of knowledge and poor media portrayal.