Homophobia is the fear of and hatred toward homosexuality or gay, lesbian, or bisexual people. It affects the lives of queer people in many ways. It puts us at risk of discrimination, harassment, rejection, or violence in our everyday interactions with family, friends, and strangers and can affect our ability to accept who we are. Internalized homophobia occurs when we take on, often unconsciously, our society's prejudice and stereotypes regarding gay, lesbian, or bisexual people. Internalized homophobia may lead to self-hatred, denial of our identities, or attempts to live a heterosexual life.
Teen Perspective: LGBTQ Issues
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Boston Women's Health Book Collective , Administration, answeredBisexuality has historically been misunderstood and maligned. Labeled as confused, sex addicts, or not queer enough, people who identify as bisexual have often been stigmatized in both gay and straight communities. In the last few decades, bisexual activists have helped increase acceptance for bisexual orientation. Bisexuality can take many forms, including being single, being married, being in a monogamous relationship, or having several lovers. Some of us choose to have sexual relationships with men at one point in our lives and with women at another point. We may become lovers only with men or only with women, without acting on our other attractions. For some, being bisexual means dating both men and women at the same time. Sometimes, thinking of ourselves as bisexual is a stopping place in a transition from one identity to another. Yet for many of us, bisexuality is not transitional at all. We are comfortable with our desires and accept that we don't have to be either straight or gay. The concept of bisexuality and sexual orientation, in general, can become more complicated if we are transgender or if we are dating someone who is transgender. For example, some women identify as lesbian and date transmen while other women identify as lesbian and date transwomen. Some of us use the term "pansexual" to describe being attracted to people across genders. This term gives more room to those who are attracted to or identify as transgender or genderqueer and feel limited by defining attraction to men or women or both.
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Boston Women's Health Book Collective , Administration, answered
Letting other people know that we identify as lesbian, bisexual, queer, or trans can be one of the most challenging and life-changing decisions we face. Each of us must decide for ourselves to what extent we want our family, friends, and acquaintances to know about our sexuality and gender identity. Some of us, depending on our job, family, age, geographical location, or culture of origin, can come out in relative ease. Increasingly, our families and friends may embrace us and our coworkers may accept us.
For many of us who identify as lesbian, bisexual, and transgender, coming out is a long and difficult process. We may have to make the decision to come out over and over as we encounter new people and situations. Some of us who are transsexuals have no choice but to come out due to physical changes we go through. Though coming out may mean that we risk losing our friends, family, job or home, it can also be a liberating experience to be open with others about our identity. The decision whether or not to come out, and what coming out is like for us, is influenced by our circumstances. The experience varies greatly based on our class, gender, race, religion, and ability and other aspects of our lives.
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See All 2 AnswersHatred based on sexual orientation is called homophobia. It assumes that most people are heterosexual and that people who are not are to be dispised for that reason alone. Homophobia is no different than any other biased against a group of people simply because they belong to that group, such as colour of skin, religion, ethnicity, etc. These biases are beliefs not facts and they become a problem when they are expressed in behaviour. For example, if you refuse to hire a homosexual solely because of sexual orientation, that is a problem. In fact, it is such an abhorant problem to society, there are laws against it. As people evolve beyond their fictitious fears, so does society and when society evolves, laws are enacted to strengthen that evolution. -
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Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD , Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answeredSome people have what’s called gender dysphoria, meaning that they feel trapped in the wrong body. Even if this is so, you can still be attracted to guys, girls, or both. So, you can be a girl, feeling like you should have been born a guy, attracted sexually to girls, guys, or both. Confusing? It can be. If this describes you, it is worth talking this out, ideally with a counselor or doctor well versed in issues of gender identity and gender dysphoria (which means unhappiness or discomfort with the gender you have been assigned) so that you can come to a resolution that plays to your strengths, allows you to be comfortable with whoever you are, and leads to a healthy sexuality, no matter what your preference. -
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Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD , Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answeredYour sexual identity means whether you are attracted to guys, girls, both, or neither. Think back to the last time someone got your heart going pitter-patter and literally took your breath away. Was that person a guy? Was it a girl? Could it be either, depending on the person? Many people dabble in different sexual identities before they figure out which gender attracts them.
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Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD , Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answeredHeterosexuality means being attracted to the opposite sex. Homosexuality means having a same-sex preference, and occurs biologically in at least one out of ten people. Bisexuality means feeling attracted to either gender, and may occur in as many as one-third of young adults as a phase, if not forever. Being asexual means you are not attracted to anyone and have a relatively low sex drive. This can come with overstress, some phases of chronic disease, and with certain medicines, and usually is not a permanent state.
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Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD , Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answeredA lot of high schools now have support groups for LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender, queer) kids. If you can’t go public and join a group, perhaps seek out and confide in an older person from outside your family. Be careful what you write on the internet or who you “friend” on Facebook, especially if you’re not ready to be outed just yet. The internet is public space. For more info, checkout www.itgetsbetter.org or www.lambda.org/youth, www.glsen.org.