Often times, the things that stir animosity towards the LGBT community are based on common misconceptions about what it means to identify with one group or the other. Whether the issue concerns those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered, there is too much misinformation being accommodated by the media, by religious groups and everyday people. Here are four of the many misconceptions:
They’re probably not checking you out
People tend to get an inflated ego when it comes to those who identify as one from the LGBT group. All too often we hear, “I’m afraid he/she will hit on me.” Unless you’re in a gay bar, screaming “come and get me,” they probably won’t. No matter how attractive you are, it doesn’t mean you are their type. And if they do hit on you, it’s no different from being hit on by anyone else whom you’re not interested in. It’s only different because society has made you think that.
A child raised by a same-sex couple is not more likely to be gay
Being gay, straight or transgendered is not a learned behavior. You either are, or you aren’t. It’s all made up in your biology. The only thing that is going to happen to that child is that, if he or she does happen to also identify as LGBT, they know they will be accepted. They will never feel like they have to “come out of the closet” because they’ll never feel a reason to hide it.
Transgendered does not mean confused
Transgendered people are the least confused people in the world. They know who they are, and they often opt to make themselves more comfortable as that person. Whether that means they seek transforming surgeries, hormones or simply dress differently than you would expect for that prescribed gender, they fight to be themselves in a way so many people are afraid to. They are truly inspirational people if you look beyond the stereotypes and false information.
A person can be bisexual and in a monogamous marriage
When Anna Paquin came out as bisexual, she received a lot of flack. People seemed to think that just because she may be loyal to her husband, she can no longer classify herself as “bisexual”. That’s like saying before a straight person has an intimate relationship with a member of the opposite sex, they are something other than heterosexual. That’s not how that works. A person’s sexuality is dependent upon who they’re attracted to, not who they have intimate relationships with.
Those who identify as LGBT are no different from those who are heterosexual. The only difference is, all of the propagated misinformation surrounding them that causes them to struggle in life.
