Homosexuals, bisexuals and transexuals are one of the most common group of people to hide their true identity. Society has scared them into not showing who they truly are because of the negative views that comes with liking the same gender as yourself.
Society’s views on homosexuality
Overall there are still a handful of people in all different societies that have a negative view on homosexuality. Generations before us have impacted how we look at the LBGTQ+ community and today the minority still make life uncomfortable for them because of this. There is a minority of people that still believe homosexuality is wrong. In the world we live in today we see homosexuals getting verbally and physically abused when showing affection to their partners in public. TV shows like Eastenders and Top Boy show this type of abuse.
Religious society’s also follow the belief that homosexuality is immoral. Some religions teach homosexuality is a sin, religious books teach that men and women were made to procreate. You can be sentenced to the death penalty for homosexual acts in some Islamic states. The same laws apply in different cultures.
Emotional impacts of hiding your sexuality
When you have to live your life hiding your sexuality it begins to take an emotional effect on you. Lowered self-esteem and anxiety can steal apart of your identity as you live hiding who you are. Anxiety can quickly take over as you fear others will find out about your sexual preferences, especially in religious households or those who come from cultural backgrounds. A low self-esteem will also take charge as you begin to see yourself in negative ways through the eyes of society.
Living in fear of who you are and other peoples’ negative beliefs can cause a rapid decline in your mental health. Depression can swoop in and create a dark view of your life, it can take over who you are and change how you think about yourself. Lack of interest or enjoyment in activities you would normally enjoy and high levels of reoccurring sadness are both signs of depression and can affect your daily life.
Members of the LBGTQ+ community have been abused both verbally and physically for a very long time. They began to live in fear. Random attacks and murder are both things that can happen when you are homosexual due to other people’s negative views on how you should live. Only 5% of the LBGTQ+ community show public displays of affection due the constant fear of being attacked or murdered for it. Holding hands or even kissing in public spaces brings a huge risk to the LBGTQ+ community.
In certain cases you may fear to tell family members due to fear of rejection. People from different cultural backgrounds have negative views on homosexuality and forbid it. You can feel isolated by not have the support of your family. In 71 out of 195 countries it is still illegal to have sexual relations between same sex people. If you live in these countries or visit these countries you are unable to express your true self because of these laws.
Growing up as a homosexual
Going through puberty and changes in your body is hard enough but when you learn that you are a homosexual it can turn even harder. You can become scared of what others will think of you, or how you are to tell others. The first way it can go is if you decide to tell everyone, also known as ‘coming out of the closet’. Coming out of the closet can be a scary time for you. You can begin to worry about many different things like what others will think. Not being accepted by family and friends and being bullied can also bring on worries. On the other hand you can attempt to fight your feelings and begin to hate the others that are a part of the LBGTQ+ community.
Fighting your feelings can turn into self-hatred and hating other homosexuals around you. You can suffer from outburst of rage and other different emotions and take actions into your own hands. As a part of your anger towards yourself you physically abuse other people part of the LBGTQ+ community. It is likely you are doing this because you are angry with who you are due to your community’s views. In an attempt to hide who you are you feel this is ok but it is fear taking over you. Different TV shows have portrayed this type of fear in homosexuality. These shows include the soap opera Emmerdale and Netflix series sex education.
Learning to live with your homosexuality
The hardest stage in learning to live with your sexual preferences is to embrace it is part of your identity. Embracing who you are even with all the negative views on the LBGTQ+ community is a challenge in itself. But it can be a start towards the right direction into saving your mental health.
You can also fear telling friends and family about your sexual preferences but you should not. Telling your loved ones can impact your relationship. Close family and friends will be able to tell that you are hiding something. By not telling your friends you could damage the relationship that you have developed.
How are times changing for the LBGTQ+ COMMUNITY?
Today things are taking a positive rise for homosexuals and the rest of the LBGT+ community. In 2013 it was finally legal for same sex weddings in churches. Another celebration the LBGTQ+ community has is the gay pride festival. This is a huge festival where people travel from all over to celebrate being a part of the LBGTQ+ community. In Birmingham city centre there is a clubbing section called ‘The gay quarter’. The gay quarter is full of clubs for members of the LBGTQ+ community to express themselves in a safe environment.
Overall people are more accepting towards the LBGTQ+ community. You can now adopt or foster a child in same sex couples. Crime or abuse against homosexuals is decreasing as others are more accepting towards the LBGTQ+ community. . Older people are now seeing more about same sex couples practicing safe. TV shows now broadcast homosexuality in a positive way compared to the generations before. Members of the LBGTQ+ community now feel they can show public displays of affection without the fear of being attacked. Schools also teach children about different types of relationships not just men, women and reproduction.
