Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation: Characteristics, Health Impacts, Accessing Support, and Further Details
In schools across the nation, Gay/Straight Alliances provide support and community for LGBTQIA+ young people, extending their reach to college campuses. However, the journey for these individuals is not without challenges, as they often face the impacts of homophobia and heterosexism.
Homophobia, derived from the Greek word "phobia," meaning "fear of," refers to an individual's intense aversion towards non-heterosexual identities. This personal prejudice can manifest in discriminatory attitudes and behaviors towards LGBTQIA+ individuals based on their sexual orientation.
On the other hand, heterosexism is a broader system of societal beliefs, attitudes, and practices that privilege heterosexuality as the default or superior sexual orientation. It encompasses institutional, cultural, and social norms that normalize heterosexual relationships while marginalizing or ignoring LGBTQIA+ identities. Unlike homophobia, which is often explicit, heterosexism can be subtle and systemic, functioning through societal structures, policies, or everyday microaggressions.
The impacts of these prejudices on individuals are profound. LGBTQIA+ people use mental health services at 2.5 times the rate of the general population (Mental Health America). Experiencing discrimination, microaggressions, and exclusion can lead to psychological distress, loss of confidence, and internalized stigma. Invisibility or erasure of certain identities within LGBTQIA+ communities can also occur when heterosexism is internalized by queer individuals themselves.
Society as a whole is not immune to these impacts. Heterosexism reinforces social inequality via institutional biases, limiting full participation and equality for LGBTQIA+ people. It sustains systems of oppression that intersect with other forms of discrimination, such as sexism, racism, or classism, thereby necessitating intersectional approaches to social justice. Heterosexism also perpetuates norms that restrict diversity and inclusion in communities and organizations, including educational and workplace settings.
The YRBS (Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System) found that of the lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth surveyed in 2019, 13.5% felt unsafe at school, 11.9% experienced bullying at school, and 19.4% experienced forced sexual intercourse in their lifetime. Experiencing familial rejection can lead to increased risk of suicide, depression, illegal drug use, and risky sexual practices.
However, there are resources available for support. There are over 250 LGBTQIA+ community centers across the United States, serving 2 million people (CenterLink). Online resources such as The Trevor Project, It Gets Better Project, and The Matthew Shepard Foundation offer support for LGBTQIA+ individuals. Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) have over 400 chapters and 200,000 members across the country, offering support and resources for LGBTQIA+ individuals and their families.
Individuals interested in being allies can avoid using offensive language, not believe in stereotypes, educate themselves about LGBTQIA+ issues, respect people's decisions regarding when and if they want to be openly gay, and speak out against heterosexism when they witness it. Internalized heterosexism can present in various ways, such as repressing feelings of same-sex attraction, hiding sexual orientation, attempting to "prove" they are straight, being discriminatory toward those who are openly gay, lesbian, or bisexual, never identifying as lesbian, gay, or bisexual, believing that their feelings are "wrong."
When addressing heterosexism, individuals should consider factors such as whether or not they are in public, whether they are with a friend or family member, whether it would be beneficial to address the issue in public or in private later, and whether it would be safer to walk away and leave it. It's crucial to remember that every action, no matter how small, contributes to a more inclusive and equitable society for all.
- Understanding and advocating for gender and sexual identity can be a crucial aspect of health-and-wellness, as mental-health issues and sexual-health concerns disproportionately impact LGBTQIA+ individuals, often due to the impacts of homophobia and heterosexism.
- Science has a role to play in counteracting these prejudices, providing evidence-based research on mental-health services tailored to the needs of LGBTQIA+ people, and encouraging comprehensive sex education that includes diverse sexual orientations and gender identities.
