I’ve always thought the main message of the LGBTQ+ community was everyone has the right to love freely. I believe two issues the LGBTQ+ community faces are extremists and bad representation. The LGBTQ+ community has always struggled with representation, and I hold the belief that they are just people whose sexuality doesn’t happen to be “straight.”
“Who wears the pants in this relationship?” is a question that forces one person to be “taught” and “soft.” Men being seen as needing to be both the protector and provider, and women as a prize needing to be protected.
This question when applied to LGBTQ+ relationships, specifically in same sex couples, produces the stereotype of overly feminine men and masculine women. Gay men might not like “feminine” things and lesbian women might not like “masculine” things. However, the media still uses these stereotypes. I believe that if you are going to write a character as a part of the LGBTQ+ community, you should write them as an individual first. That shouldn’t be all there is to their character; people should see more than someone’s sexuality.
Another issue I’ve seen in the community is extremists. Altercations have become violent many times, however regardless, they’ve over dramatized the painted picture of a raging lesbian as true. It feeds harmful stereotypes and creates opinions based on fear. While I don’t have any personal experiences, I have seen many stories about people feeling pressured to support the LGBTQ+ community. Whether it’s dyeing/shaving your hair or being called homophobic because you won’t/can’t be present to support someone who happens to be in the community, they all have someone feeling pressured.
Wanting support isn’t a crime nor should it be treated as one, however for anyone to feel pressured to support it is not only harmful to the person but also to the relationship. No one should feel pressured to do something.
I feel as though we’ve all lost sight of the main message that everyone has the right to love freely. There will always be people that won’t like you and that’s fine. It’s not fine to harm anyone, and it never will be. I believe that we are all people regardless of our life choices or beliefs, we need to see that. We need to treat others with respect and learn to form our own opinions. Someone not liking the opposite sex it doesn’t make them any less human.
