What exactly is in this “closet” everyone keeps talking about? Coming out comes from the concept on coming out of the closet. It is when someone admits to their true identity. For LGBT individuals coming out is a difficult process. Coming out to parents is always a interesting experience. Parents are frequently the most important people to come out to because often their reaction carries the most weight. There are many advantages to coming out to your parents. Hiding your true identity can lead to serious emotional pain, which contributes to the higher suicide rates in the LGBT community. It can be very stress constantly lying to yourself and others about who you are, so coming out can be a huge relief. Parents are supposed to love you no matter what and always look out for your best interest. Telling your parents the truth could lead to a more meaningful relationship with your parents based off your true self. There are obviously also disadvantages and possible ramifications to coming out, which is why so many LGBT individuals stay closeted. There is a risk of non-acceptance that could lead to isolation and depression. Often LGBT individuals know their parents are homophobic, but they …show more content…
The GLBTQ2A Resource Center at Colorado State University, suggests that there are six stages parents go through when they find out their child is gay: shock, denial, guilt, expression of feelings, personal decision-making, and true acceptance. These stages obviously depend on the opinions of the parents and the circumstances. I think that it is important for LGBT individuals coming out to know what to expect. Young Adult Health discusses the stages of coming out as who you tell. First, an individual has to come out to himself or herself and overcome their personal internalized homophobia. They can then come out to their family and friends, and then the world. I think the most important part is feeling ready and being prepared for their
Chapter three of “Interplay: The Process of Interpersonal Communication” demonstrates a models of “self-disclosure that can help better understand how self-revelation operates in our relationships(pg 87).” By learning about self-disclosure and understanding the models, I was able to understand the effects and process of self- disclosure between my parent and I. It illustrated how self-revealing can be effective in making the relationship between my parents and I stronger and more efficient in understanding one another.
"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).
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
Transgender is an umbrella term, meaning an individual’s gender-identity does not align with their assigned sex at birth. Although transgender is a protected class in eighteen states, these individuals still face discrimination within the country and around the world (“Non-Discrimination Laws”). Transgender is not a lifestyle, no one chooses to live their life constantly being discriminated against. Transgender issues should be more educated on and their lives should be more protected.
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
The empirical data found proposes lesbian parent couples were more equ... ... middle of paper ... ... df This study examined associations among family type (same-sex vs. opposite-sex parents); family and relationship variables; and the psychosocial adjustment, school outcomes, and romantic attractions and behaviors of adolescents. Participants included 44 12- to 18-year-old adolescents parented by same-sex couples and 44 same-aged adolescents parented by opposite-sex couples, matched on demographic characteristics and drawn from a national sample. Normative analyses indicated that, on measures of psychosocial adjustment and school outcomes, adolescents were functioning well, and their adjustment was not generally associated with family type.
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.
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.
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)
Parents are known to have a big impact on their chills’ life. As children grow up they learn from their parents and model behaviors that they see after them. Relationships between child and parent are also an important factor in child development. Many believe that having same-sex parent impacts a child’s life. I do not believe that the sexual orientation of a parent either negatively or positively impact the child but the relation between the child and the parent has the most impact on a child’s life not the sexual orientation of the parent. Having same-sex parents does not negatively impact children. Parent children relationship has shown to be important indicators on friendships, how well a child does in school, and also a predictor of
An issue that has, in recent years, begun to increase in arguments, is the acceptability of homosexuality in society. Until recently, homosexuality was considered strictly taboo. If an individual was homosexual, it was considered a secret to be kept from all family, friends, and society. However, it seems that society has begun to accept this lifestyle by allowing same sex couples. The idea of coming out of the closet has moved to the head of homosexual individuals when it used to be the exception.
The glamorous side of sex is everywhere; music, tv shows, movies and social media. To a mature adult, it is easy to ignore the sexual messages in those outlets. However, to a teenager, going through mental and physical changes and peer pressure, it is extremely easy to fall for what is shown to “cool.” Everyone has fallen for half truths to be cool in their teenage life. It just so happens that teen pregnancies and STDs are not one of those things that one can simply walk away from. Babies and STDs leave a lasting effect on everyone involved. The National Conference of State Legislatures states:
Emma Sorbring stated it best when she said that a teenager would be willing to disclose their experiences with their parents if they have always had good experiences talking things over with them and
The caregivers pay a huge part in the psychological aspects for the aftermath of the issue at hand. The caregiver needs to make sure that the child has what he or she needs support wise. They also need to make sure the child is ok at school and isn’t getting bullied for their gender identity. Most importantly the child needs to feel safe and comfortable to be able to grown into their own and accept their situation. The child needs to feel safe for them to fully open up at home about their gender.
Savin-Williams, Ritch C. Mom, Dad, I'm Gay: How Families Negotiate Coming out. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 2001. Print.