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Heterosexism and discrimination essay
Homosexual stigmatization
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Homonegativity is defined as any prejudicial affective or behavioral response directed towards and individual because he or she is perceived to be homosexual (Cerny & Polyson, 1984). This “prejudicial affective” or “behavioral response” can be translated into the way individuals with homonegative attitudes treat other people they assume are homosexual. This implied negative treatment can be observed in everyday life settings; for example, an employment recruiter choosing one applicant over the other because the undesired candidate was thought to be homosexual, holistically unconcerned with whether or not their homosexuality was proven. Homonegative attitudes affecting perceived homosexual people is also observed in hate crime incidents, as …show more content…
On the surface, this seems like a positive effect of homonegativity. However, this is an overall negative outcome, as there is an increase in hate crime and the victimization of homosexuals during rallies and events (Alden & Parker, 2006). Potentially due to areas with a high population of gay and lesbian households and assuming that human beings, when equipped with the money and opportunity, generally migrate to areas with similar demographics. This accounts for the increased hate crime victimization, as a greater population of a specific sub group may be more attractive to a perpetrator, putting the respective group at a greater risk to be victimized by a hate crime (Alden & Parker, …show more content…
Before beginning my research, I was very curious about the causes of homonegativity and how they translate into certain effects. Being that I have close friends and family members who have struggled with both internalized homonegativity and societal prejudices, I thought the subject was important to bring attention to. I did not predict how significant the effects of homophobia are on homosexuals, especially living in the most progressive era in U.S. history. Thus, homonegativity is a subject that needs to be taught based on the mental and physical wellbeing of those in the LGBTQ
A major factor in the recruitment of people from the homosexual community is the change in perception over time. Historically, police personnel have viewed these people as “deviants”. However, this attitude slowly changed in the 1980’s to the point that homosexuals were permitted within the police services, provided that they didn’t openly disclose their sexual orientation. Today, most police managers acknowle...
Homosexuality has existed since the beginning of recorded human history and yet, attitudes towards gay and lesbian individuals vary extensively. Some societies tolerate them; others openly welcome and encourage them; and most blatantly condemn them (Bates, 46). Throughout our country’s history, homosexuals have been misunderstood and discriminated against, leading many to acquire an irrational fear of gays and lesbians. Known as homophobia, this fear has prompted heterosexual individuals with a feeling a superiority and authority when using the word “homosexual” interchangeably with the words pervert, faggot, sodomite, and so on. Homophobes typically perceive homosexuality as a threat to society. Nonetheless, the Gay Rights Movement has achieved impressive progress since 1973 when the American Psychological Association (APA) eradi...
I chose this topic because there is an issue of homophobia around the world. I find it interesting as to why people are homosexual, and if there is a gene responsible for this or if it can be developed later in life. This area of research directly relates to the age old question of “nature Vs. nurture”.
Over time, outsiders opposed to the LGBT ingroup have created cruel assumptions about the sex lives/health of gay men based on minorities. These assumptions are constantly in circulation; gay men can’t be monogamous, carry AIDS and can’t help themselves from hitting on straight men (Engle, 2017). These microaggressions that continue to harm gay men. Another assumption surrounding gay men that is translated into a microaggression is the idea that gay men sacrifice their masculinity for their sexual orientation. There is a general expectation around the behavioural traits expected in gay men; they’re weak, delicate, stylish, and associate themselves more so with women (Engle, 2017). This expectation is harmful, as closeted gay men may want to avoid the gain of this stereotype in avoidance of being told ‘you don’t act gay’ as if it’s an accomplishment. The Journal of Gay & Lesbian Mental Health also saw gay men resenting the ‘gay friend’ label, as if their sexuality was used for personal gain rather than pure friendship. These negative microaggressions can lead to the individual ‘lashing out’. Michael Eagles, a long-term Truckee and openly gay man, faced extreme homophobia and threats from one of his colleagues. In one incident, the perpetrator threatened Eagles with hammer, saying that ‘gay men can’t fight’. Eagles quickly proved this claim wrong by initiating a brawl that would send the perpetrator to hospital. 10 years later,
Homophobia has been a problem for a very long time, all across the world. For example, during the Holocaust, in which homosexuals were forced to wear the “Pink Triangle”, a pink, upside down triangle, on his or her coat for identification. Of course, the pattern of homophobia is not only shown throughout world history, but American history as well. For example, sodomy laws, laws that rule certain sexual acts as crimes, were established as early as 1963. The penalty for these laws varied from state to state. Some of the punishments include: two to ten year imprisonments or two thousand dollar fines. The cruelty of these homophobic actions should not be accepted any longer. It encourages bullying, denies human beings their civil rights, and continues to foster a mentality of indifference and intolerance towards our fellow man.
A social problem, according to Thomas Sullivan (2012), is “when an influential group defines it as threating its values, when the condition affects a large number of people, and when it can be remedied by collective action”. Homophobia is indeed a social problem because negative stereotypes are prohibiting gay males and lesbians from living an equal, free life like their heterosexual counterparts. Whether the homophobic acts are minor or major, all homosexuals are discriminated, ostracized, beaten, or murdered every day. Further discussion of how homophobic stereotypes affect homosexuals, who is considered to be homophobic, and potential solutions to stop homophobia will be described below through peer reviewed literature.
As stated on www.religioustolerance.org, a study of gay, lesbian and bisexual adults showed that 41% reported being a victim of a hate crime after the age of 16. Assuming that 5% of all adults are homosexual or bisexual, this would mean that about six million of them had been victimized during their lifetime out of a total group population on the order of 15 million Americans. However, only about 1,200 hate crimes were actually recorded by police per year. One is forced to conclude that almost no hate crimes are reported to the police by gays and lesbians. These statistics are horrifying and show that this problem is immensely wide spread.
“What’s the big whoop?” asks a cute, blonde, elementary school aged boy when his teacher discusses homosexuality. He didn’t understand why people cared who other people loved. Little kids are perfect examples of how society’s negativity towards homosexuality creates homophobia. Children don’t understand why it matters who you love because they don’t see it as a problem and their opinions aren’t clouded by stereotypes. If LGBT issues were taught to these innocent, uninvolved children in elementary school, it would be more likely they would be accepting as they grew up. It is important to present LGBT in a positive light before parents, classmates, and media influence their perceptions.
I want you to become aware of what we have done and take action to stop people to be happy, to respect their way of thinking, acting, and living. My purpose in writing this paper is to present my points of view on how society has changed as the years go by. Also how homosexuals have fought for many years and all the different struggles they have managed to get the rights they deserve and one day had which were then taken away because they became themselves and also because of the ignorance of some people.
D’Augelli, A.R. (1998). Developmental implications of victimization of lesbian, gay, and bisexual youths. In G.M. Herek (Ed.), Stigma and sexual orientation: Understanding prejudice against lesbians, gay men and bisexuals (pp.187-210). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
We believe that Violence and hate against homosexuality need to diminish severely. Gay bashing, gay bullying, and hate crime is very popular when it comes to hating on homosexual people. LGBT people of all ages die every year, whether caused by suicide, injury or homicide. From 1999-2010, the Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention program says that suicide is the 3rd leading cause (4,600 deaths) of death among young people ages 15 to 24. In 2011 there were 1,572 victims that received hate crimes based on sexual orientation. In an article on PBS, written by a woman named Karen Franklin, a description of an interview with a man called Brian states that him and his ...
Kuehnle, K., & Sullivan, A. (2001). Patterns of Anti-Gay Violence: An Analysis of Incident Characteristics and Victim Reporting. Journal of Intrapersonal Violence .
Homophobia is the fear of homosexuality and those who practice it (Fone, 5). Much of the negativity towards homosexuals had evolved in the nineteenth century and progressed greatly once the twentieth century and World Wars had arrived (Dadisman). Homosexuals had begun to be seen as a different category of human, separate from the rest of society, a category that disrupts society ethically, legally and morally (Fone, 5). World War I had allowed many homosexuals to join together, when they were sent overseas. Once the Second World War was over homosexual men and women began to move into their own separate communities, segregating themselves from the heterosexuals (Dadisman). Consequently, homosexuals were labeled as anti-social and psychotic people who were destructive due their sexual preferences (Janoff, 38).
Baker, Jean M. How Homophobia Hurts Children: Nurturing Diversity at Home, at School, and in the Community. New York: Harrington Park, 2002. Print.
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.