Introduction
To understand an individual's sexual orientation, one must first understand the individual's gender identity that tentatively describes their sexual identity. People's erotic and romantic attraction stems from how they perceive their sexuality and what sex appeal they are oriented towards. Many of the confusion that arises from sexual orientation and sexual identity is due to the secrecy and stigma of an individual to confidently express their individuality and subsequently their direction so that the community can understand it and grow to be open-minded. Individuals should be aware of their gender identity, both in mental and physical capacities, and consequently be open and consistent about it to ensure the people around them can understand, relate and be more accepting of their condition. Acceptance and confidence of one's gender and sexual preferences reduce stigma since many people will become aware of all the diversity. Tentatively, societal, cultural institutions, and legal frameworks can be established to accept all the diverse sexualities which will be showcased through gay and transgender rights.
Religion
Religion is easily defined as the basis of morality across most cultures. Rules established by the religious doctrine describe the way of life we as people should lead in fairness, justice, and righteousness in service of a deity that promises eternal happiness. Religion is an institution established generations ago hence cannot accommodate all the diverse sexualities and emerging gender identities, and tentatively gender roles. Since religious folks are rigid in appeasing a traditional moral accord, the established and existing religious laws cannot be changed.
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Gender Roles
Most cultures define gender roles on two discreet gender identities. Most people identify with the gender roles of a male or female perspective. Most families, including mine, raise their progeny based on cultural expectations in terms of gender roles that are clearly defined as male and female. Modern times, however, have raised the question of how we define gender roles if we cannot determine gender identity and sexual orientation. And with advancements in the civilization that have led to women's liberation, gender roles have changed due to progression and influence. Hence, gender roles have been modified to accommodate gender identity and gender equality, leading to vast societal conditions. I create a balance between cultural and traditional gender roles with contemporary expectations. Gender roles need to be progressive, fair, and accommodative to all genders in modern times. I make changes to gender roles based on the particular relationship I am in and the expectations that come with it.
Media
On a personal level, the media has improved my capacity to be open-minded on issues of sexuality and relationships. The conservative nature of existing traditional culture results in the rigidity of individuals to what their community practices. Media exposure, especially movies and magazines, has influenced my ideology with regards to gender identity and sexual orientation. The media openly and vividly showcases the progressive nature of sexuality and how gender roles have changed over time, challenging traditional beliefs and practices. My initial view on sexuality and relationships was based on a typical male-female relationship. The media expounds my perspective on all existing gender identities and subsequent relationships that should be accepted. The media also challenges laws by highlighting the plight of the unknown, hiding and discriminated gender identities, for lawmakers to include them in legislation and give them their due rights.
Relationships
Cultural requirements define conventional relationships with family and community standards. This is a personal expectation I have been raised to know that a man and a woman come together in love and companionship to create a family unity that drives the community and ensures continued existence. Biologically, relationships require male and female counterparts to come together to breed and ensure a species' continuation through offspring. When it comes to a relationship, I personally expect and pursue happiness, love, respect, companionship, support and raising of morally upright children. To realize these goals, the companion I choose to have a relationship with must be trustworthy, hardworking and loving to compliment the traits I possess to forge a self-sustaining and stable family unit. Boundaries need to be set with power and roles clearly defined so that the relationship is well-oiled in operation. There needs to be a clear distinction between love, obsession and attachment in the establishment of relationships. I also believe love and sex are two separate entities that complement each other in forging a strong relationship. However, I believe that when love is present in both parties of a relationship sex must be there as well, but two individuals can indulge in sex without love. Many relationships around me have shaped my perspective on how to approach and sustain a long-lasting relationship. These reference relationships are both romantic and non-romantic. They include my parent’s marriage, my parents’ relationship with me and my siblings, my relationship with my siblings, and my parents' relationship with their siblings and other relatives. All these connections showcase how people take care of each other, and create happiness.
Part 2: Legal Issue
Gay and Transgender Rights
The law lacks sufficient coverage on the topic of sexuality, gender identity, and sexual orientation. Laws are based on cultural and religious ideologies which have conventional descriptions of gender, sex, and marriage, on a male-female basis. Hence the rights of all other gender identities are non-existent. It is an infringement of an individual's rights to be unrecognized under the law. Everyone is entitled to freedom of expression and their self-identity in gender and sexual identity. The stigma created within the community forces people who do not conform to conventional gender identities to hide their status and identity in fear of discrimination and abuse (Rosario et al., 2011). The law should be amended to give every gender recognition and subsequent rights. Those who discriminate and abuse others based on their sexual preferences should be punished legally. Transgender people should be given the legal right and status of their gender even if they do not undergo a sex change. Sexuality is a psychological phenomenon as it is a physical one. Hence, individuals born to a gender they feel they mentally do not conform to should have that right. However, many studies disagree with the mental nature of gender identity. The facts of biology define the gender identity of an individual (Moleiro & Pinto, 2015). Despite massive support from traditional cultures, people who define gender based on the phenotype fail to understand how sexual orientation and preferences work since there are people with physical attractions to individuals possessing the same sex organs and have no reaction to those of opposite organs.
All government, private, and non-profit institutions existing in the community, such as schools, should provide safe environments for gay, transgender, and cisgender individuals since they are people like everyone else with rights. The safe spaces should also accommodate individuals who are questioning their sexuality and are on the verge of discovering their identity and orientation. Such individuals do not need external pressure, abuse, and discrimination as they are already going through a lot in an identity crisis. Laws should mandate employers to hire based on expertise, know-how, experience, and education level and not based on sexual orientation and gender identity (Hereth et al., 2019). The same law should apply to employment termination, whence, individual should be fired due to reasons relating to the technical capacity of the work required or violation of rules but not on sexual orientation or gender identity. The quest for people's rights based on gender identity and sexual orientation is similar to civil rights movements in history that involved sex, gender equality, and racism since the end goal is to provide a minority of people rights that most individuals enjoy.
Conclusion
The issue of sexuality, gender identity, and sexual orientation is met with mass phobia since most people are unwilling to accept society's reality. There exist varied identities in terms of gender that need to be accommodated in the community and the legal framework. Individuals in this small demographic can enjoy the rights and privileges everyone else does. Millennia of culture, tradition, and religion have shaped morality in a shallow pool of sexual identities and orientations, which is not a representation of the truth. Hence people need to be more open-minded and progressive to accept everyone and their sexual preferences. You may not understand other peoples' gender identity and sexual orientation. Still, you can get them as fellow human beings, giving them equal rights and opportunities in the workplace, sports, and classroom. Culture and religion are an aggregate of interactions, practices, and traditions of a people over time. With time, we can shape our cultures into diverse and open society units that are a haven for everyone despite our diversity and differences.
References
Hereth, J., Pardee, D. & Reisner, S. (2019, Jul 26). Gender identity and sexual orientation development among young adult transgender men sexually active with cisgender men: ‘I had completely ignored my sexuality…that’s for a different time to figure out.’ An International Journal for Research Intervention and Care , 22:sup1, pp 31-47. Doi: 10.1080/13691058.2019.1636290
Moleiro, C. & Pinto, N. (2015, Oct 1). Sexual orientation and gender identity: review of concepts, controversies and their relation to psychopathology classification systems. Frontier in Psychology . Doi: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01511
Rosario, M., Schrimshaw, E., Hunter, J. & Braun, L. (2011, Nov 14). Sexual Identity Development among Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Youths: Consistency and Change Over Time. J Sex Res , 43(1), pp 46-58. Doi: 10.1080/00224490609552298
