Paper Topic:

Homosexual stereotyping

Running Header : Homosexual Stereotypes

Homosexual Stereotypes

Homosexuals are defined as people who prefer members of the same sex in a relationship or as a sexual preference . Estimates say that 10 of the United States population is homosexual . They are not a huge group of people but they are a tight knit community , both for safety and for acceptance . The only common characteristic they have they prefer the same sex , both in sexual partners and life partners

There are many homosexual stereotypes and almost all of them are false

It is

just a phase

All homosexuals have AIDS

All gay men are feminine

All gay women want to be men

The number of gays is growing larger

Homosexuals molest children

They want to convert all the straight ' people

It is a mental illness

They want to turn people from the church

This list could go on for several pages . This particular group is feared and misunderstood by many people in society . They see homosexuality as wrong and that makes it a threat

Evidence of stereotyping homosexuals is easy to find . The internet shows links to church groups , psychologists and hate groups who continue to perpetuate these stereotypes . If you are friends or family to anyone who is homosexual you may have

seen the stereotyping firsthand . You also would know that they are people , just like everyone else

Research shows that people who know one or more homosexual usually have a positive attitude towards the homosexual lifestyle . That is why psychologists feel that a negative attitude towards homosexuals is based more on stereotypes and discrimination and not because of a bad experience

The media plays a large part in stereotyping homosexuals as well They portray the homosexuals as the stereotypical flamboyant male homosexual and leather wearing , beefy woman . A celebrity who announces they are homosexual loses fans within certain social groups

It is true there are many homosexuals who perpetuate the stereotype . Drag Queens , where men dress as famous movie stars or singers , are still popular today as entertainment . There are also drag Kings or women who dress and act as men onstage

I know two drag kings personally and one of them is completely heterosexual and married . People have a certain perception or even expectation of the homosexual person based on one small cell of the whole group . Not all drag queens are gay , not all gays are drag queens

Upon asking people their experiences with judging people based on stereotype , most admitted they had been mistaken at least once . That one time being a situation where they were positive , that person had to be gay . They had all based the assumption on looks , mannerisms and commonly held beliefs . But they had been wrong at least once There are no effective ways to discover someone 's sexual orientation just by looking at them or hearing them talk . It can be just as damaging to heterosexuals to be stereotyped as homosexual based on their appearance . There is no truth to the image...

3 pages

31.5 KB

Free sing-up