Promoting the Health of Gender and Sexual Minorities _ ____________________________________________
Myth: Gay men and lesbians can be easily identified because they have distinctive characteristics. Fact: Most gay and lesbian individuals conform to the majority of society in the way they dress and act. While some gay men and lesbian women may fit the stereotypes that society holds, LGBTQIA individuals generally look and act like everyone else. Most people never suspect the sexual orientation of a GSM individual. Myth: Gay individuals are child molesters. Fact: According to experts in the field of sexual abuse, the vast majority of those who molest children are heterosexual. The average offender is a White heterosexual man whom the child knows. Myth: Gay people want to come into our schools and recruit our children to their “lifestyle.” Fact: There have been efforts to bring issues related to LGBTQIA history and rights into schools but certainly not to convert anyone. The intent has been to teach adolescents not to mistreat gay and lesbian classmates who are often the subjects of harassment and physical attacks. There is no evidence that people could be “recruited” to a gay sexual orientation, even if someone wanted to do this. RESEARCH CHALLENGES The relative lack of professional information about the GSM community reflects the entrenched attitudes of the greater society. Clearly, the call for knowledge development through research is present and needed to prevent the continued stig- matization of the GSM population. Groups that are stigmatized often are mistrustful of the research process. A number of other barriers to conducting research that results in reliable and valid information exist. The following four barriers have been identified as needing urgent attention [6; 7; 8]. First, establish clear definitions of the populations. Because there is no consensus on the definitions, it is impossible to accurately estimate the percentage of the population that would be classified as gay or lesbian. For example, the 2010 U.S. Census counted same-sex couples but did not count single gays or lesbians. Estimates of these singles range from 2% to 20% of the U.S. population [8; 38; 39]. Community survey data for 2019 indicates that 980,000 households in the United States were same-sex couple households (about 1.5% of total coupled households). Among these, approximately 58% consisted of married couples and 42% consisted of unmarried partner households [39]. For 2020, the census form included separate categories for “opposite-sex” and “same-sex” spouses and unmarried partners; however, the U.S. Census Bureau does not ask individuals about their sexual orientation or gender identity [40]. While different definitions and measures of sexual orientation have been used since the 1860s, the defini- tion of sexual orientation should include self-identity, behavior,
• A kindergarten student calls another child an LGBTQ+ slur but does not really know what he is saying. • A teenage woman allows herself to become pregnant, “proving” her heterosexuality to herself, her family, and her friends. • A parent worries that her 12-year-old daughter is still a “tomboy.” • An office employee decides to place a photo of an old boyfriend in her office rather than a photo of her part- ner of 5 years. • A college student buries himself in his studies in an effort to ignore his same-sex feelings and replace feelings of isolation. • Two teenage women, thought by peers to be transgen- der individuals, are assaulted and killed while sitting together in an automobile. • A female patient is told by a healthcare provider that her haircut makes her look like a lesbian and is exam- ined roughly. • A gay man chooses not to reveal his sexual identity to his healthcare provider out of fear of a reduction or withdrawal of healthcare services. The manifestations of heterosexism and homophobia have inhibited our learning about the LGBTQIA population and its needs [9]. Gay patients have feared open discussion about their health needs because of potential negative reactions to their self-disclosure. Prejudice has impacted research efforts by limiting available funding [8]. All of these factors emphasize that the healthcare education system has failed to educate pro- viders and researchers about the unique aspects of LGBTQIA health [29; 34]. MYTHS AND FACTS Many myths surround homosexuality; a few are outlined below. The origin of these myths may be better understood after examining the history of homosexuality as well as the attitudes toward human sexuality in general. The history of the devel- opment of societal norms related to homosexuality includes misconceptions developed during times when research was not available on which to build a scientific knowledge base [1; 35; 36; 37]. Myth: Sexual orientation is a choice. Fact: No consensus exists among scientists about the reasons that an individual develops his/her sexual orientation. Some research has shown that the bodies and brains of gay men and women differ subtly in structure and function from their het- erosexual counterparts; however, no findings have conclusively shown that sexual orientation is determined by any particular factor or set of factors. Many people confuse sexual orientation with sexual identity. The reader may consider reviewing the definitions of these terms when further considering this myth.
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