Sometimes, this blog is a smorgasbord of social justice issues, and I’m fine with that. However, given this time in history with LGBTQ+ issues, I want to spend a bit more time on LGBTQ+ issues, and particularly stereotypes that go with being lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer,[1] intersex, and asexual.
To elaborate on the time in history we are at right now (just to give a quick summary for those who aren’t fully aware), here are some important LGBTQ+ events going on, all at the same time:
- The 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots is coming up at the end of June. For those who don’t know about this piece of LGBTQ+ history, these riots were a series of violent confrontations between the police and gay people at the Stonewall Inn in New York City. To read more, read this Encyclopedia Britannica piece.
- Numerous governments across the world, including the federal government and some state governments in the United States, have tried to undermine or take away LGBTQ+ rights.
- Several religious institutions, most notably the Methodist Church, are grappling with LGBTQ+ issues.
- The United States Supreme Court is considering a case on whether current federal law bans workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
Given all these events, as well as the fact that so many of the bad things that happen are the result of some of these LGBTQ+ stereotypes, it’s important to address those stereotypes here and now.
So, my plan is to dedicate a post a month (or so) to stereotypes with regards to a major group in the LGBTQ+ community. Many of the stereotypes discussed will be ones I’m aware of, but I would definitely encourage my readers (and especially people with firsthand experience of being LGBTQ+) to let me know of stereotypes that I should cover, as well.
This way, by the time the series is done, probably around
December by my calculations, we are hopefully all ready to confront some of
those harmful stereotypes, both within ourselves and others.
[1] The “q” in LGBTQ could also stand for “questioning.”
Blind Injustice 
Two thumbs up to you for doing this series! It is long overdue and much needed, especially in light of the fact that we in the U.S. seem to be moving backward on LGBTQ rights.
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Thanks! It is really relevant, given where we are right now (seemingly going backward on LGBTQ rights) and where we were 50 years ago (Stonewall Riots).
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Sigh. “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” – Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr
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A worthwhile series that I look forward to reading, and your last sentence is absolutely spot on, we often do not see the harmful stereotypes within ourselves anywhere near as easily as we see them within others, addressing those makes up a big part of questioning in the first place.
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Absolutely. I think it’s important to talk about those stereotypes since they often lead to ill-informed, harmful decisions with policies, as well as with friends and family members. I look forward to this series. I won’t even be surprised if I even uncover stereotypes within myself, too.
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I know you are going to do really well with this. Do not be scared to reach out to me and ask me questions about stereotypes I faced. I will be open and honest with you. Whatever please ask.
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Thanks for the kind words, Joe!
At the end of the post, I asked others (people people who are in the LGBTQ+ community) to let me know of stereotypes they encountered. So feel free to either reply to this comment by mentioning some stereotypes you faced, or you could send me a message as well. While I’ve certainly worked to educate myself over the years, there may yet be things I missed.
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Great choice for a focus. I was just in New York on the weekend and there are great exhibits at the NY Public Library and the Historical Society on Stonewall 50.
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I had no idea that they had this focus right now. I may need to visit! Nevertheless, as you said, given what happened 50 years ago it’s a good time to focus on this topic.
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I don’t fall in that camp myself, but maybe you could address the stereotype that LGBTQ+ folks are perverted and dangerous to children. The outrageous flamboyancy of pride parades could be used to argue that they are indeed perverted, but you could argue against that by saying that the average LGBTQ+ person isn’t what we see on TV but just an average person.
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Those are some fantastic ideas, Lily.
It seems to me that, with some of the anti-LGBTQ+ legislation on the state level in recent years (like the bathroom bill in North Carolina), such legislation had traction in part because of the idea that transgender and gender nonconforming people were perverts and creeps. However, being LGBTQ+ does not make one a creep.
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That implication is the root of why I suggested addressing that stereotype!
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Yep, and that implication has certainly played out in North Carolina and other states!
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Yep, and that implication has certainly played out in North Carolina (which I just realized is where you are) and other states!
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So excited to see where this goes. I really appreciate your work here!
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Thanks! I’m also excited to see where this goes!
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