The Stereotypes Of Homosexuality

Every individual have different identities, which creates tension for others, as everyone also have different perceptions and views about other people that are different from them.

According to Henrickson (2008), in order to be gay, you have to be strong. This statement can be taken in so many ways. It can imply that coming out is something that takes a lot of courage, as there is a massive possibility that people, family and friends may not accept you and might start to treat you differently. This is one of the main reasons why so many people, especially those who are younger, hide their true identities. Homosexuality was also seen as a mental disorder until 1974, that is why even today it is not seen as normal to society, which is one of
Dropping out of school and lower educational attainment tend to be associated with gay people who came out younger, as they cannot handle the harassment and bullying at school (Henrickson, 2008). Lower educational attainment causes limitations and economic problems, as less people in the LGB community to achieve a degree and resulted in lower income and success rate in the future. The LGB community experiences stigma in the workplace as well, as people who are not gay have higher chances of landing the job, which causes lower levels of life satisfaction (Henrickson, 2008). This stigmatization in everyday life has caused isolation, undeveloped social skills, lower self-esteem and the suppression of their sexual identities, which is challenging for the LGB community (Henrickson,
Family, friends and the community’s acceptance of gay people is important, as it can either cause negative or positive outcomes (Diaz et al., 2010). Policy makers also need to be strong, as making legislation regarding this topic can be very debatable because different people have different point of views, which is why it can be challenging. Some countries will not even let women run in politics. Working with the LGB community can also have its implications, as it is important to be careful in our language in order to prevent offending them, such as replacing husband/wife to “partner”. Social service providers must be careful not to make assumptions, as people in the LGB community tend to be invisible because they choose not to publicly declare their true identity (Henrickson, 2008). It is important for social service workers to understand these differences, as huge issues will come when failing to identify these, such as their client’s trust may be gone. This field of work is about reducing injustice, so it is important not to make unjust actions, and understand that different people have different needs. This way, interventions and work will be more efficient and