Just an article: Gay Corner [Homophobia]

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AHHHHHH Thanks for the feature!!

Heya, It’s Kathy again! Back with another article for my Gay Corner.

I’m tackling the topic of homophobia.

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Homophobia

What is homophobia: “Homophobia is dislike of or prejudice against homosexual people.” or as merriam webster says “irrational fear of, aversion to, or discrimination against homosexuality or homosexuals.”

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      As suspected, homophobia does affect people. However, some people don’t realize some affects. With the rampant hate crimes against gays, some of which are legal in some parts of the world, the LGBT community is more likely to be the victims of a violent crime. Homophobia also usually prevents people from coming out, due to fear of being hated, or fear of being attacked. Since homohpbia is another form of discrimination, it often separates LGBT+ people from others. Homophbia has also been shown to up the depression and suicide rates in LGBT+ individuals. LGBT+ youth seriously contemplate suicide at almost three times the rate of heterosexual youth. LGBT+ youth are almost five times as likely to have attempted suicide compared to heterosexual youth. ( https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/preventing-suicide/facts-about-suicide/ ). A study conducted has shown that somewhere between 30 percent and 40 percent of LGBT youth have attempted suicide.

    Though not realized, homophobic phrases are used all the time. You may even use it unintentionally. The most common ones I hear,(in school) even as writing this article are: “That’s gay” or “no homo”

"That's so gay" is another way to say "That's so stupid”

   And if you think about it.. that's not something you'dwant to be saying. Basucally using 'gay' as a synonym for dumb/wierd, is not okayat all, and is offensive.

“No homo is a phrase used as slang at the end of a sentence to assert the statement spoken by the speaker had no intentional homosexual implications. The phrase is also ‘added to a statement in order to rid [oneself] of a possible homosexual double-entendre’”

      However, with almost every interaction boys make in my school, a 'no homo' follows it. The same is very likely in other schools and communities. It's like treating 'homo', aka homosexuality, as a disease. What broke my heart was when one of the sixth graders came up and asked me if 'being gay was okay'. It was sad that it had come to the point where homosexuality was 'bad' or 'not okay' .

So, what should you do when hearing these phrases?

Keep it simple with quick responses: http://www.welcomingschools.org/pages/stop-thats-so-gay-anti-lgbtq-comments/

♛ “Do you know what ‘gay’ means?”

♛ “It’s not OK at this to use ‘gay’ disrespectfully to mean something is bad.”      

  ♛“You may not have meant to be hurtful, but when you use the word ‘gay’ to mean something is bad or stupid, it is hurtful.”  Follow-up: “Do you know why it is hurtful?”

♛ “Using the word ‘homo’ to tease someone is harassment and is unacceptable.”

♛ “Even if you didn’t mean to offend people who are gay, it is offensive to call this assignment gay (or queer); if you don’t like something, then say you don’t like it!

♛ “Using the words ‘queer’, ‘dyke’ or ‘fag’ to joke around is not OK. These are hurtful words and can impact anyone who overhears them.”

Homophobia in churches

    Sometimes churches seem to be the most common place for homophobia. LGBT+ church attenders are subject to comments like ‘go to hell’ or ‘God said that’s wrong’.

I conducted an interview with my irl friend, Valentina

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What is your religion?

I am part of the Seventh Day Adventist Church (SDA) for short.

How does homophobia affect your church??What does your church preach about it?

From what I know, of a taboo. At my church and also culturally we never had a full discussion about homosexuality and/ or sexuality.So all I know is from the internet and all I do know is that it is a sin. Homophobia hurts the church and what it stands for.  Because we are taught to love our neighbors and care for one another. But when you see them saying ‘I hate the LGBT community’ or that ‘all of them are going to hell’, it goes against what they’re preaching.

Do you have an example of homophobia at your church?

There have been many examples and first hand experiences. For one there's a 15 year-old on my church, and for his sake, I will keep his name concealed and call him, ‘Booboothefool”. He’s posting a lot of stuff on Instagram such as:

And personally, that hits. And it’s not something I think someone’s who is part of the church should be posting. Someone heard the church shouldn't be posting hateful thing.

What is this affect you as a LGBT+ teen?

(Val is Bisexual btw)

As I said before I personally does affect me. And it’s drove me through a lot of different, confusing, stages. Like there was a time I was questioning myself and my beliefs,  one time I was questioning them both at the same time , which, was a huge conflict. There was also a time in which, basically, I’d pray and say, ‘if this isn’t okay, take it away’. And I think if the church wants to be a good , the need a better way. The has to be better, a welcoming, not something to shame the youth/people.

Thank you for your coorperation.

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   ♛ Things like this is often common in churches and ends up being a debated thing. However, someone's sexuality shouldn't be the ' turning away from God', afterall, some LGBT+ people are believers of God.  ♛

There may not be a direct way to stop homophobia, but, as a community we have to keep each other in check, and try to stop

homophobic actions.

Be careful and happy pride!

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