Stereotypes plague society with inaccurate ideas that people strangely believe without question. Many of them actually harm the communities they target due to the lack of truth behind them. There are no groups that are immune to stereotypes, including the LGBTQ+ community. Here are a few of the common stereotypes that are commonly thrown around:
1. You can tell by just looking.
Just as gender roles are outdated, the idea that a gay man or lesbian woman looks a certain way is absurd. Many people mistakenly believe that all effeminate men are gay, and all masculine women are lesbian. Using that logic, men who grow their hair out will suddenly turn gay, and women with pixie cuts suddenly will become lesbian. Doesn't that just sound ridiculous? Because it is.
2. You can’t raise children well if you’re in a homosexual relationship.
Wow, I didn't know that being straight was a prerequisite for being a good parent. What are the other requirements? I know a few parents who need a little work. Sarcasm aside, studies show that children who are raised by homosexual couples are doing just fine, and it makes sense. Good parents are kind, patient, and understanding. These are qualities that are not determined by your sexual orientation.
3. People are gay because they were abused as children.
Yup, people actually believe this. In 2009, Joseph Nicolosi, one of the founders of National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality, said that, "if you traumatize a child in a particular way, you will create a homosexual condition." The truth is there is no scientific study to back this claim. The American Psychiatric Association even noted that sexual abuse does not appear any more prevalent among children who grow up and identify as gay, lesbian, or bisexual than in children who grow up and identify as heterosexual.
4. Gay people try to recruit you to become on of them.
Organizations like the Gay-Straight Alliance are popping up in high schools and universities across the nation. The goal is to create a safe environment for the LGBTQ+ youth, but somehow they're being misconstrued as ways to recruit children and "build (our) numbers." I'm not sure what type of "gay agenda" these people think the LGBTQ+ community has, but let me say it now: there is no agenda.
5. Being gay is a choice.
Saying being gay is a choice is just as accurate as saying I chose to be a female born in this generation. The connection between biology and sexuality is complex, and our understanding of it continues to grow today. However, homosexual behavior is something that is common in nature.While obviously it is not applicable to everyone, homosexuality is natural and definitely not a choice.
6. Homosexuality can be cured.
No. Homosexuality is not a disease. Let me say it one more time for the people in the back: homosexuality is not a disease. There is no scientific evidence that prove that conversion therapy works, and the methods behind the technique aren't therapeutic at all. One survivor of conversion therapy spoke to the Huffington Post about his experiences. The methods used included aversion therapy, shock therapy, and even physical abuse. We're not in the Middle Ages anymore. Why are we still torturing people?
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