Thursday, September 25, 2014
GLBTQ
Use this sexual orientation thread to discuss any issues as they pertain to Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer. Please stay focussed on the issue and large and stray away from announcing any personal issues you may have encountered due to your own orientation - that can be discussed in class if you wish
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This is my weekly post.
ReplyDeleteI would like to bring forth a controversial but necessary topic to this week's discussion. I will be talking about the ongoing derogatory terms/statements such as "faggot" and "that's so gay" that we are so accustomed to hearing. I will cover the origins of some of these terms, what makes them so offensive, and what can be done to en route to a better situation.
To begin, the word "faggot" has been tauntingly used as a verbal attack against men of the queer (anyone within the LGBTQQIP2SAA community. Historically, it was derived from French, Latin and Italian meaning “bundle of sticks/wood” (Source 1). Disturbingly, these bundle of sticks are referred to those were used in fires as capital punishment for people committing crimes such as treason, slave rebellion, heresy, witchcraft, incest or homosexuality. In Britain, a “faggot” or “fag” was slang for cigarette; yet in the United States, it was used to refer to someone identifying as homosexual (Source 1). In the modern world, we continue to use this term to refer to someone identifying as homosexual, but also to belittle them. This word is also used as a synonym to “stupid”. The reason why it is still offensive to this day, even with the general public claiming they're not meaning it to sound derogatory towards the queer community, is simply because history does not erase itself. These bundles of sticks were used to execute people because of their sexual orientation, as well as many other kinds of minorities. If you are using the “f” word or “that's go gay” as a synonym to “stupid”, then you are belittling the LGBTQ community. The term “gay” is held by many people who identify with that sexuality. If you take that label from them and use it to describe things that are “stupid” and undesirable, that reflects greatly on the queer community and the overall feelings towards the community.
The Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international research and advocacy group which found that solely in June 2014, 2 million U.S. teenagers were having serious problems in school because they were taunted with anti-gay slurs (Source 2). Anonymously interviewed, a student at Herndon High School in Virginia said, “I was walking with a friend down the hall and this kid yells, ‘Faggot.’ How am I supposed to defend who I am?” (Source 2). Deborah Roffman, a sex education teacher from Washington stated, “Teachers are aware they may offend someone if they speak about homosexuality in anything other than negative terms. They don’t know how to cross that street safely, so they don’t even step off the curb.” (Source 2). One of the major factors in helping to stop queerphobia in schools is to create a bias-free classroom, and to make a larger effort to hold students accountable for their words (Source 3). Another idea is to put up “safe space” posters, so that the reminder of sensitive language is important. Overall, everyone needs to be aware of the words they use and how it can affect other people. We all need to apart of the solution and end homophobic/queerphobic language within (and outside) our schools.
1. "Online Etymology Dictionary." Online Etymology Dictionary. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2014. .
2. Sessions Stepp, Laura. "Anti-gay slurs common at school." Anti-gay slurs common at school. The Washington Post, n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2014. .
3. "Stop Homophobic Bullying In Schools." Global Giving. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2014. .
I am so glad that someone finally brought this topic to light. I absolutely hate when people homophobic slurs - regardless of how they intended them to sound. I agree with you - we do need to be held accountable for not only our actions, but also our words.
DeleteHannah, this is absolutely necessary for everyone to know. The negative connotation surrounding these words not only debases the LGTBQ community, but is also subconsciously mainstreaming the notion that "gay" is a negative thing in our society. I believe that eliminating the poor use of these words will help to eradicate the notion that being gay somehow is not alright, and further help the LGTBQ community in being widely accepted throughout our culture!
DeleteIt never occurred to me, that using those terms as a synonym for stupid, had any effect on the "queer" population, that is a very good point and it has made me aware of how I personally speak myself. However, in some cases I feel using those words, with non ill intentions, may not make it okay, but not offensive, because many words have more than one meaning to them, it just depends on how you use it.
ReplyDeleteThis is my weekly post.
ReplyDeleteI'll be using this thread to discuss high numbers of LGBTQ youth that are homeless around the developed world. According to recent assessments, one in five homeless youth in Toronto identify as LGBTQ (1) as well as 25% of homeless youth in London.(2) A number of studies conducted in the US have concluded that at least 20% of homeless youth in the country are LGBTQ, a relatively high number when you consider that only 10% of youth in general identify as such (3).
But why are so many LGBTQ youths found couch surfing, living in the streets,sleeping in parks or moving from one shelter to the next? Through some research I've found many possible reasons. One main cause for young teens to leave home in the first place could be the rejection they face from their families. One story I came across told of a girl who had been homeless on and off for four years before she was able to support herself, after her catholic parents had cut all ties with her upon discovering she was a lesbian. She had been an excellent student her entire life, been accepted into Harvard Law school before she came out to her parents,who immediately told her never to speak to them again (4). Throughout the developed world, (as not much information can be found about LGBTQ individuals and their hardships in the undeveloped world) LGBTQ youths find themselves couch surfing, or homeless on the streets. Many admit to having promiscuous relationships,just to have a bed to sleep in for the night (4). This is a danger both emotionally and physically for youths,who could find themselves surrounded by dangerous people in their search for a place to stay. An example of how many children are thrown out by their parents after coming out to them is that in the summer that same sex marriage was legalized in New York, the state found the numbers of teens looking for shelter to go up by 40%.
Even though there are many homeless shelters available to homeless youth, they are not always welcomed the same as others. Many say that homeless shelters have come to be seen as homophobic. One transgender woman, (who was physically male but identified as female) was forced to sleep on the men's floor in a Toronto homeless shelter, where she was ridiculed, teased and verbally abused by the men there (1). With these conditions in shelters, it is easy to understand why many would rather spend nights on park benches. To solve this problem, a specific program or shelter for LGBTQ youth should be formed. There seems to be a surprising lack of support for LGBTQ youth however. Though many cities have proposed the plans to create a LGBTQ specific homeless shelter, nearly all have been rejected or are yet to be approved. This past summer, there was a bill introduced to create such a shelter in Toronto, to help the many LGBTQ youths facing the dangers of living on the streets or being abused in homeless shelters for the general public. The bill was not passed however because the city council was not unanimous in approving it. Rob Ford was the lone vote against the shelter (5). During the vote, several members did not even show up,which cause some discord among the public as it was the city's first year hosting the WorldPride parade, during which the mayor was the only council member to remain seated during a standing ovation for the LGBTQ community (5). Many LGBT youth make their way to New York after becoming homeless, as the city has the most support for them. Only 4,000 beds across the US are in shelters for homeless youth, of this number, 350 are specifically for LGBTQ youth and most are based in New York (6). But even with this number of beds, many shelters have to turn youth away due to lack of space. On these occasions, shelter members give advice on known spots for youth to gather and stay safe at night, or tell them the best ways to stay hidden in a subway station (6).
Continued...
DeleteIn the nineties, the average stage that people would tell others of their sexual or gender identity would be after college, but now the shift in acceptance of LGBTQ individuals has led to more and more teens to come out to their families (6). This is an empowering movement, but it can also be attributed to the much higher numbers of homeless youth who are not accepted by their families. So much equality has been achieved by the LGBT community, but much more still needs to be done to change the prejudice against these individuals that leads them to homelessness, social unacceptance and unemployment.
1.http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/lgbt-homeless-youth-situation-emergency-says-advocate-1.2699697
2.http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/voices/2012/04/young-gay-homeless-and-likely-stay-way
3. http://www.safeschoolscoalition.org/LGBTQhomelessFactSheetbyNAEH.pdf
4. http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/the-forsaken-a-rising-number-of-homeless-gay-teens-are-being-cast-out-by-religious-families-20140903
5.http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/rob-ford-is-lone-vote-against-lgbt-homeless-youth-shelter-proposal-1.2703174
6. http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/left-behind-lgbt-homeless-youth-struggle-survive-streets-n157506
This is my weekly post.
ReplyDeleteWe know suicide and mental health are important issues in the world today but is it worse for LGBT people? For any youth bullying can affect your mental health, it can cause serious problems and can make young people feel suicidal even (source 2). Some statistics from a survey in 2009 on 13-21 year olds state that "Eight of ten students had been verbally harassed at school;
Four of ten had been physically harassed at school;
Six of ten felt unsafe at school; and
One of five had been the victim of a physical assault at school. " all because of their sexual orientation (source 1). Because of issues like this LGBT youth are at a higher risk of suicidal thoughts and actions then heterosexual youth (source 1). LGBT youth are also statistically more likely to turn to substance abuse such as drugs and alcohol (source 1). There are strong links between violence, substance abuse and suicide (source 3), so when we see increased likelihood of violence and substance abuse in LGBT youth (as shown above) then it is no surprise that we see higher suicide rates in LGBT youth. Can this be prevented? Can we counteract this issue?
http://www.cdc.gov/lgbthealth/youth.htm
http://www.pathstonementalhealth.ca/bullying/effects-bullying
http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/substance-use-disorder/link-between-substance-abuse-violence-and-suicide
I really enjoyed your take on this because, as you know, I do a great amount of work with suicide/mental health awareness. As for your question I think that yes, the abuse towards LGBTQ youth can be prevented and it's all a matter of education. Much like the topics of suicide and mental illness, the LGBTQ conversation can be a very taboo, "hush hush" topic. The more comfortable people feel discussing topics as such, the lower the rate of abuse will be in my opinion. Therefore to counteract this, we need to create an environment where people do not feel uncomfortable and uneducated and ironically the best way to do this is to JUST TALK ABOUT IT! Woah, who woulda thought that to become educated and comfortable with something we would actually have to talk about it! Mind-blowing, I know!
DeleteThis is my blog post for the week
ReplyDeleteI would like to discuss the issue of the LGBTQ community and legal marriage. It is shocking to hear that there are still places in the world today that do not legalize gay marriage, but what is even more shocking is that there are still countries such as Russia that have antigay laws. All of this puts people at risk of; discrimination in the work force,being beaten, arrest, imprisonment, and being killed. (source 1) What bothers most people is the legalization of same-sex marriage. This is because Article 16 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) states "Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution." (source 2) This then brings forward the questions, by not legalizing same-sex marriage are you denying people their human rights? Isn't the reason it is not legal because of religious beliefs? If so is that not a direct violation of Act 16 of the UDHR?
1) http://www.ohchr.org/en/issues/discrimination/pages/lgbt.aspx
2) http://www.amnestyusa.org/our-work/issues/lgbt-rights/about-lgbt-human-rights
-Rachel