Globalization has influenced a lot of change in today’s culture. The introduction of technological advancements such as the Internet and mobile technology that act as computers themselves, have continually led to the development of communication across borders and ports. Human beings are more connected to each other than they were a century ago. Information travels at amazing speeds across the globe. However, just as information travels, so do all the negative and evil mentalities people have regarding various issues i.e. race, religion, and sexuality etc (Stein, 2012). People have witnessed their native cultures die with the introduction of Western Cultures and with that have specific outlooks on certain issues. However, throughout History, there are issues that have remained stagnant and unchanged. For many people sexual orientation is a matter that is considered of utmost importance. Where an individual does not hold the same sexual orientation as expected by society, then they open themselves up to sexual prejudice and discrimination. The following paper seeks to offer an insight into the information and details pertaining to sexual prejudice and discrimination in the world today by looking at the LGBT community, and their history with reference to the various incidents which show sexual discrimination and prejudice.
In various continents, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community has become a movement that continually seeks to fight for the rights of individuals who hold different sexual orientations than others (Stein, 2012). It is a movement that begun in 1987-1988, however, there had been prior efforts that had been made by activists prior to this period in the hopes of lifting the conditions experienced by the differently sexually oriented. There were the Stonewall riots in 1969 which took place in New York City (Boundless, 2016). History has recorded various instances where the movement was active seeking equal rights for its parties. These riots sought to provide the community with equal rights as same sex couples. However, in many states, this notion is not accepted as most individuals have it rooted in their core beliefs as to the nature of LGBT persons and what is to be expected of them if they are to move close, work with, shop with or share any social or personal space with members who do not share the same Gender or sexual identity (Stein, 2012).
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Even though laws in various countries are set to protect the individuals it governs, there is a specific number of people who are not privy to the same rights. The LGBT community is one which is not presented with the same care as other individuals in the society. History has observed the unfair treatment of members of the LGBT community due to their sexual orientation (Stein, 2012). They are discriminated against and denied opportunities due to their sexual orientation. For many years, people who identified with different sexual orientations were considered as outcasts within the community. Many individuals would go to the extent of exerting violence onto them as a method to “Cure” their alleged illness. The local authorities did not exercise any action onto the perpetrators of such crimes, in most cases, they joined in and aided in the same.
Many individuals were also subjected to a lot of prejudice from the community or society with regard to their sexual preference. There have been recorded lynching’s of LGBT members in history, and outright murders of these people even where they posed no harm to any individual (Stein, 2012). The community has been exposed to discrimination in all areas of the society from family, work environment, and social settings. Sexual Discrimination and Prejudice has been ongoing to an extent where most individuals who are differently sexually oriented prefer to keep it to themselves. According to a survey conducted by The Human Rights Campaign, 73% of the youths prefer to be honest on the Online world than in real life (Human Rights Campaign, n.d.).
There is a lot of misinformation and misguided judgement following the LGBT Community, especially in the behaviour of the individuals. Many people believe that a man who identifies as gay is not a man. They believe the person lacks in some way as they exhibit the characteristics that are to dedicated to the female community. However, the same is not shared for females who identify as Lesbians. It is a double standard. It is in the behaviour of a few of the males in the LGBT community that the general idea of how all gay men identify as has been grounded. For instance, they are seen to imitate all the female characteristics such as cat walking, speech and other features. However, this is not true for all males who identify in the LGBT community hence leading to increased prejudice within the nation (Human Rights Campaign, n.d.). The presence of Information technology does not aid in the positive spread of such as the whole world is made away of these negative notions of the characters of men in the LGBT Community. Many of the people within these community are not fighting with an idea, rather a deep-rooted cause that has been embedded in all societies across time (Stein, 2012).
Lastly, it is unfair that a particular group of individuals should be denied their basic needs simply because they identify differently in gender or sexuality (Stein, 2012). Since 1960s, there have been increased efforts to provide the community with equal rights as same-sex couples and individuals within the society, however, sexual discrimination, similar to racism, will not come to an end due to the provision of legal means. For people in this community, the fight lies in the ideology and mentality various people hold on the matter. Where fathers view a gay son as a weak individual who should not be called a man, and the society shuns them as they are seen as mass sinners. Individuals continue utilizing the Bible as a scape goat it continues discriminating against the individuals and more often than not forget all the other values to be heeded in the Bible. The current society is one which can easily forgive a murderer but never cease sexual discrimination and prejudice as it is deemed the worst sin to have walked the earth.
References
Boundless. (2016). The Movement for Gay and Lesbian Civil Rights. Boundless . Retrieved from /sociology/textbooks/boundless-sociology-textbook/sexuality-20/socialization-and-human-sexuality-137/the-movement-for-gay-and-lesbian-civil-rights-756-10494/
Human Rights Campaign. (n.d.). Growing Up LGBT in America: View and Share Statistics. Retrieved August 10, 2017, from http://www.hrc.org/youth-report/view-and-share-statistics/
Stein, M. (2012). Rethinking the Gay and Lesbian Movement . United States of America: Routledge.
