Gay stereotypes
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The Atlantic. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/05/unconscious-bias-training/525405/
Payne, K., Niemi, L., & Doris, J.M. (2018, March 27). LGBTQ+ stereotypes are everywhere — thrown out as one-liners in TV shows or tossed into casual conversations around the office. Shocking as it may seem, many stereotypes persist, shaping the way society views individuals in the community.
This view is buttressed among religiously motivated anti-gay activists by the idea that homosexual practice is a sin and humans have the free will needed to reject sinful urges.
A number of “ex-gay” religious ministries have sprung up in recent years with the aim of teaching gay people to become heterosexuals, and these have become prime purveyors of the claim that gays and lesbians, with the aid of mental therapy and Christian teachings, can “come out of homosexuality.” The now defunct Exodus International, the largest of these ministries, once stated, “You don’t have to be gay!” Meanwhile, in a more secular vein, the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality describes itself as “a professional, scientific organization that offers hope to those who struggle with unwanted homosexuality.”
The Facts
“Reparative” or sexual reorientation therapy — the pseudo-scientific foundation of the ex-gay movement — has been rejected by all the established and reputable American medical, psychological, psychiatric and professional counseling organizations.
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Challenge your perceptions
Are all gay men into fashion? Sticks and stones: “That’s so gay” negatively affects gay students. “To the myth of the ‘pink triangle’ — the notion that all homosexuals in Nazi Germany were persecuted — we must respond with the reality of the ‘pink swastika.’”
These claims have been picked up by a number of anti-gay groups and individuals, including Bryan Fischer of the American Family Association, as proof that gay men and lesbians are violent and sick.
Some argue that individuals decide to be part of the community for attention or rebellion. At a 2012 conference, he said: “The majority of people that I have met, and I would say the majority meaning 99.9% of them, have not experienced a change in their orientation or have gotten to a place where they could say they could never be tempted or are not tempted in some way or experience some level of same-sex attraction.”
LGBTQIA+ students reflect on the impact of queer stereotypes
UC Davis students discuss misconceptions and stereotypes surrounding the LGBTQIA+ community
By GRACIELA TIU — features@theaggie.org
Although the LGBTQIA+ community has been increasingly growing in visibility over the past several years, many queer students at UC Davis say they still encounter frustrating stereotypes — whether about their physical appearance, how they should act or even just portrayals of queerness in different forms of media.
One student, who wishes to remain anonymous, described some common assumptions she experienced due to her identity as a bisexual woman.
“Some common stereotypes I have encountered as a bisexual female include commentary on and sexualization of female and female sexual activities, asking whether I prefer men or women and consistently asking what gender is a better kisser,” the student said.
She explained how she herself has not felt any significant pressure to conform to any stereotypes, in part due to her perspective on her identity.
“I am a female who does not necessarily ‘look’ bisexual, and I have honestly not faced a lot of pressure or negative occurrences in relation to my bisexuality,” the student said.
These fairy tales are important to the anti-gay right because they form the basis of its claim that homosexuality is a social evil that must be suppressed — an opinion rejected by virtually all relevant medical and scientific authorities. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/06/sports/basketball/brittney-griner-proudly-part-of-a-mission-to-help-others-live-in-truth.html?_r=1&
History Now (2016, June 13).
Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2g0IhAuSAw
Dusenbery, M. (2013, May 31). The Palm Center report concluded that lifting bans against openly gay service personnel in these countries “ha[s] had no negative impact on morale, recruitment, retention, readiness or overall combat effectiveness.” Successful transitions to new policies were attributed to clear signals of leadership support and a focus on a uniform code of behavior without regard to sexual orientation.
A 2008 Military Times poll of active-duty military personnel, often cited by anti-gay activists, found that 10% of respondents said they would consider leaving the military if the DADT policy were repealed.
… Study after study documents the mental health of gay men and lesbians. Retrieved from https://news.umich.edu/sticks-and-stones-that-s-so-gay-negatively-affects-gay-students/
Do 56% of adults still believe inaccurate ideas about LGBT people? For example, a young person growing up in an accepting city will have a vastly different experience compared to someone in a rural area with less visibility or support.
By recognizing this diversity, we can approach issues with greater empathy and nuance.
Parenting Myths Continue to Plague LGBT Families
One of the most damaging beliefs is that LGBT parents cannot provide stable, loving homes.
According to then-Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta in 2012, the repeal of DADT was being implemented effectively and was having no impact on readiness, unit cohesion or morale. He also concluded that lesbians are 487 times more likely to die of murder, suicide, or accidents than straight women.
Remarkably, these claims have become staples of the anti-gay right and have frequently made their way into far more mainstream venues.
How to think about “implicit bias”. One of the researchers, Dr. Mark Hatzenbuehler, a sociomedical sciences professor at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, said that the data gathered in the study suggests that “sexual minorities living in communities with high levels of anti-gay prejudice have increased risk of mortality, compared to low-prejudice communities.”
Homosexuality is not a mental illness or emotional problem and being LGBT does not cause someone to be mentally ill, contrary to what anti-LGBT organizations say.
They overcome legal battles, fight for recognition, and build strong families. “It is disturbing to me to see special interest groups distort my scientific observations to make a point against homosexuality,” he wrote.
Retrieved from https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/selectatest.html
Runyon, L. (2014, August 22).