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DISCRIMINATION AGAINST LGBT

Introduction

It is commonly known that LGBT groups are beleaguered, discriminated against and

harmed because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. LGBT, which has various acro-

nyms, but LGBT being the most common and widely used, refers to lesbian, gay, bisexual or

transgender persons or groups (Stop Homophobia). Although all of the different identities within

LGBT are put together to define them as one, but the common entity that is shared among them

is sexual orientation, which becomes the reason for LGBT groups to become a target of oppres-

sion by other groups or people.

System Justification Theory

One of the main issues that LGBT groups face is the growing implementation of system

justification theory in today’s society amongst the majority population. System justification the-

ory is defined as the motivational propensity to preserve and vindicate current social, economic

and political arrangements and beliefs due to the traditionalist preference to preserve “the way

things have always been”, even at the expense of objective social interests (Jost & Andrews,

2011). The reason discrimination against LGBT is widely experienced is because they are a mi-

nority on a global scale. When sexual minorities start to question dissimilar treatment in any as-

pect of their daily life, thereby ominous to the status quo, members of the heterosexual majority

justify sexual minority discrimination to maintain their dominant status in society (Blenner,

2015).

There are many countries that have organizations devoted to protecting the rights for

LGBT communities however, there also many countries that have strict laws forbidding even the
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DISCRIMINATION AGAINST LGBT
expression of LGBT communities in their countries. This is because of system justification the-

ory and the way religion or other traditionalist perspectives do not want to welcome modern so-

cietal changes into their daily living. One example of a country with blatant discrimination

against LGBT groups is Iran, where the most severe punishment for being associated with this

group is imprisonment and even execution (Equaldex, 2017) this is a human rights violation that

prevents LGBT groups to demand for their rights hence they suffer in solitude.

The social norm of Iranian culture, religion and law allows people of non-LGBT groups

to openly discriminate LGBT groups due to the status quo they have implemented throughout the

years and have stayed unchanged. People of LGBT groups have struggled continuously and daily

due to the lack of awareness and education in these types of countries and situations, as well as

proper rights so thus, LGBT groups are neglected and no opportunities are provided for them to

be publicly open about their hardships and to seek proper solutions.

Gender Socialization

Another factor that contributes to discrimination against LGBT groups is the continuous

practice and rebirth of gender socialization in our current society. Gender socialization is the pro-

cess of learning the social expectations and attitudes associated with one’s sex from birth, basi-

cally conforming to a gender role (Pschology Notes Head Quaters, 2012). The issue is that

society has always emphasized on only distinct male and female gender with heterosexuality as

the norm to younger generations. Gender appropriate, names, colors and activities are common

across countries, female children are expected to behave in a more soft and polite way compared

to their male counterparts.

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DISCRIMINATION AGAINST LGBT

However, this practice opens the doors for discrimination for example, if a person or

group has a non-heterosexual sexual orientation or wants to change their gender, then this is

deemed to be a disturbance to the social norms of our civilization. A study showed how children

with non-Western ethnic backgrounds gave an account of more negative attitudes towards gays

and lesbians (Bos, Picavet, & Sandfort, 2012). These children perceived more parental pressure

to behave in accordance with their gender and showed more negative attitudes towards gender-

nonconforming behavior by peers. In the research hierarchical regression analyses made known

that cultural differences in attitudes towards gay men and lesbian women are partly arbitrated by

differences in perceived parental pressure to behave in accordance with their gender (Bos et al,

2012). As parents of LGBT children often conform to societal norms of only two genders and

heterosexuality as the norm, many parents disown or use violent behavior on their children after

uncovering that they are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender.

There is also an apparent similarity between system justification theory and gender so-

cialization. In the study, a hierarchical multivariate multiple linear regression demonstrated

that members who had greater adherence to traditionalistic gender roles also had more negative

attitudes towards lesbians and gay men (Decarlo, 2014). Ultimately, this allows us to compre-

hend that status quo is an important attribute that combines the system justification

theory and gender socialization concept together. Traditional and conventional practices are em-

bedded in society so much to the point of lack of effort in alteration.

Prejudice and Stereotype Threat

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DISCRIMINATION AGAINST LGBT
With the large onset of people coming as gay, transgender, lesbian and bisexual there

have also been a large outbreak of prejudice and stereotypes against them. In most Middle East-

ern countries such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar the very act of homosexuality itself is considered a

‘crime’ and punishable using life sentences (Fenton, 2016). LGBT people are also frequently op-

posed from serving in the military just because of their orientations. President Trump recently

banned transgender people from serving in the military in the United States. Only a small hand-

ful of countries such as Germany, Israel and New Zealand allows for their full integration in

armed forces. (O’Connor, 2017).

LGBT people usually identify with their sexual orientation as a young child or from their

adolescent stage, and because of such preferences they may face abuse and neglect from family

members or peers because of discrimination stemming from ignorance or prejudice. Verbal and

physical abuse were used as ‘weapons’ to what the oppressors believe could ‘cure’ their victims

from LGBT preferences. Some even faced sexual assault because they were perceived as

un-human since they were transgender (Alessi, Martin, Gyamerah & Meyer, 2016). According

to CDC statistics in 2016 based on Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 34% of LGB students faced

bullying in school grounds and 18% of LGB students has experienced forced sexual encounters.

Religion is another source of discrimination against LGBT as most religious people be-

lieve that same-sex sexuality and relationships as well undergoing a sex-change is a sin. This is

evident on the war on marriage for same-sex couples, as only a select few countries such as Swe-

den, Brazil and Colombia amongst others legally recognize same-sex marriages. In many other

countries such as Korea and Indonesia a gay couple may not even be able to adopt children.
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DISCRIMINATION AGAINST LGBT
LGBT youth coming from conservative and religious families may hence likely face un-ac-

ceptance from their families because of their beliefs. It was found that religion caused them to

feel stressed due to being a 'sexual minority’ leading them to believe that their preferences are

unnatural or sinful, this in turn makes them more likely to be depressed. This also makes them

more confused or they have difficulty processing and accepting their own sexual identity (Page,

Lindahl & Malik, 2013). Similarly, according to (Barnes & Meyer, 2013) participation in non-

affirming religious settings also gave rise to internalized homophobia.

Lastly those that identify as LGBT are subjected to stereotypes by their family, peers or

coworkers on what the latter believe LGBT people embody. Some of the common stereotypes

include specifying who ‘the man or the woman’ is in same-sex relationships, what gay men or

lesbian women look like or that LGB people have AIDS. In a study done by (Fingerhut &

Peplau, 2006) it was found that most people have a general consensus on what they expect a gay

man to ‘look like’. Gay men are perceived as more feminine and less masculine than a heterosex-

ual man. Similarly, in a study done by (Bramilla, Carnaghi & Ravenna, 2011) it was found that

amongst lesbians, ‘butch lesbians’ or lesbians that are more tomboyish are likely to be

viewed as more competent and less warm compared to ‘feminine lesbians’ by the general public.

These studies show that people often have a precursor image in their minds on what they believe

LGBT people to look like even though a person’s sexual orientation is irrelevant to the way one

looks.

Scapegoat Theory On LGBT

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DISCRIMINATION AGAINST LGBT
It is tragic for the LGBT community to have received so much hatred and blame when

the hurricanes, terror plots and disease epidemics happen. Countless articles publishing this bi-

zarre claims makes it seem as if the homosexual community has God-like powers capable of

summoning natural disasters such as hurricanes and tornadoes at will. As a result, people may

not realize that these statements are absurd. The homophobic media often makes such accusa-

tions of being responsible for natural disasters or religious people against LGBT, for example

Rand Paul a Republican and former Presidential candidate claimed that gay rights are a threat to

Christianity. (O’Kane, 2017)

In 2005, Hurricane Katrina was responsible for the deaths of approximately 1,836 people.

UK councillor and Democratic Unionist Party Member, Maurice Mills stated that the hurricane

was supposedly a form of punishment from God towards gay people. (O’Kane, 2017) Similarly,

in 2012 when Hurricane Sandy claimed the lives of 233 had occurred because of then President

Obama’s support for marriage equality according to American right-wing preacher John McTer-

nan, whom had also remarked that “God is systematically destroying America”. The blame of

LGBT can also be traced back to the Holocaust where homosexuals alongside Jews

were routinely tortured and killed. Hitler accused homosexuals as being responsible for emascu-

lating the nation with acts of ‘degenerative behaviour’ and for corrupting public morality. In

2015, the Charlie Hebdo shootings in Paris which had killed 12 journalists was described by Jon-

athan Cahn, a biblical scholar as ‘retribution’ for France’s support of gay marriage and rights.

(O’Kane, 2017)

LGBT people are also blamed for ‘influencing’ children to be homosexual as well. One

common misconception being reiterated is that children being exposed to gay marriages may be
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DISCRIMINATION AGAINST LGBT
more likely to end up in one. Many major religions are against homosexuality and same-sex rela-

tionships and hence, there is an abundance of people whom refuse to accept LGBT people as

they believe it is wrong in the ‘eyes of god’. (Roggemans, Spruyt, Droogenbroeck & Keppens,

2015). LGBT people are also more likely to be blamed for assaults that happen to them, in a

research study it was found that gay male victims in particular are likely to blamed for instigating

the sexual assault that they experienced. In fact, participants in the study even attributed the

victim’s sexuality as the main reason for getting assaulted (Long & Wakelin, 2003).

Social Dominance Theory

Social dominance itself, is a theory that is commonly used in an organization or in this

case, a community, to obtain balance or have an agreement between people in a social group.

However, there social hierarchies in this concept. Due to there being a pre-existing agreement

and/or balance, there will be consequences to it as well. Because LGBT is a sexual minority, it

would face discrimination against the majority group; heterosexuality. A research study had

found that prejudice greatly affects the social domination theory against LGBT, and that friend-

ship with an LGBT individual lowers it (Licciardello, Castiglione, Rampullo & Scolla, 2014).

This proves that if there is understanding and interaction amongst heterosexuals and homosexu-

als or LGBT individuals, discrimination is greatly reduced

Similarly, just as LGBT face discrimination against members of the out-group. There is

also a struggle of internal social domination involving racism, certain people in the LGBT com-

munity would also experience rejection from within their own group. For example, in the United
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States, the tension between the blacks and whites have been going on for ages. Certain gay peo-

ple are unlikely to favour other gay people that are not of the same skin tone or race that they are.

According to Brown (2008), it was found that, white gay individuals happen to be as similarly as

racist as the white straight individuals.

Typically, being gay is already hard enough especially if it is in a very conservative envi-

ronment, or in an environment where being a homosexual is not what a person of a specific race

ought to be. For instance, there have been many reports by Brown (2008), that states how being

gay is unacceptable especially when you are a black male. In this research itself, has been re-

ported where one of the participants, who happens to be a gay black male, have lost many friends

because of his sexual orientation. Hence, many participants of this research, wishes that they

could change the mindset of others, and that they could live an environment where discrimina-

tion of all kinds does not exist.

Intervention

These are some ways that we recommend in order to overcome the obstacles of discrimination

and stigma faced by LGBT as well as to reduce the prejudice and ignorance of those whom per-

secute LGBT people:

• Education: One of the main reasons as to why people conform to the idea that only heterosexu-

ality and two genders is the norm is because there is a lack of awareness and information avail-
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DISCRIMINATION AGAINST LGBT
able to the general public. Hence, if people were educated on the different types of sexual ori-

entation and genders, they would be less likely to discriminate those that do not confine to

what they believe is the ‘norm’.

• Organizations: It is important that LGBT people whom find themselves stigmatized and dis-

criminated against find support and a safe haven from groups that are LGBT friendly. Such

groups or organizations can provide counseling, advice or even legal services should LGBT

people find themselves wrongfully terminated from their jobs or assaulted.

• Awareness: Whether it be on billboards or talk shows, LGBT people should be talked about

more often in order to soften the status quo and other stigma’s surrounding them so people

have a better understanding on the proper information and statistics of LGBT and do not get

caught up in irrelevant ideologies.

• Tolerance: Lastly, a practice in tolerance in every society should be done in education, adver-

tisements and implemented by celebrities and other authority figures in order to minimize the

harsh responds from out-groups and instead be more welcoming or tolerant to other people’s

lifestyle choices especially when they don’t mean to cause harm.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we can confirm from various research studies and real life incidents that

LGBT people face discriminated against and receive unfair treatment on a regular basis, all be-

cause of their sexual and gender orientation. Some of them may not even be able to express

themselves in a public manner for fear of prosecution and still within many countries LGBT

people cannot legally marry their partners or start a family. Factors such as religion, societal
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norms and ignorance play a significant role in stigmatization of LGBT people. Hopefully

through education and awareness LGBT will find a place in society as a harmonious collective.
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DISCRIMINATION AGAINST LGBT
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