For Kim Woods

Discriminatory Behavior toward the LGBTQ Community

Student’s Name

Institutional Affiliation

Introduction

Discrimination against the LGBTQ or the lesbians, gay, bisexual and transgender people is presently on the world stage. Substantial gain has been conducted on the approval of these people. However, there is still increasing bias and discriminatory behavior towards the LGBTQ people. The LGBTQ people are ten times more likely to encounter discrimination grounded in their sexual orientation compared to the homosexual people. They receive mistreatment in different forms ranging from verbal insults, good jokes and unfair treatment in most large cases such as physical violence. This paper addresses the discriminatory behavior on the LGBTQ people and the effects of this treatment on the LGBTQ individuals.

Background Information

Over the past ten years, the country has made extraordinary progress towards the equality of the LGBTQ people (Bry, 2017). However, up to the present day, neither most states nor federal governments have certain constitutional laws that protect these people from discrimination and prejudice. LGBTQ people still experience harsh treatment and widespread discrimination (Tucker, 2018). Between 10 to 30 percent of these people report losing their jobs as a result of their sexual orientation. 30 percent of transgender people report not being hired for positions that they are qualified for just because of their sexual orientation. Information from a nationally representative study of the LGBTQ people indicates that 26 percent of these individuals have experienced discrimination because of their gender identity in the last decade.

Unique Susceptibilities in the Public Square

Harassment, discrimination and violence against the LGBTQ people has a commonplace in the public square such as restaurants, hotels or government offices, according to the transgender survey in 2015, nearly one out of three transgender people who visit public places experienced harassment or discrimination including being treated unequally and physical violence (Morrison, 2018). In April 2016, the government signed a North Carolina law which mandated the discrimination of the transgender people and started to attack the transgender people from accessing the public facilities. The study also determined whether the transgender persons had avoided public places due to the fear of physical attack in public accommodations.

Most people today are guilty of discriminating against the LGBTQ people either intentionally or unintentionally. LGBTQ youths experience a lot of discrimination from their peers, the community, family members and even in their schools and places of work (Evans, 2017). This paper hopefully captures the attention of schools, parents, the community and the general public on their outlook on the LGBTQ individuals. Fundamentally, this paper attempts to respond to the following questions throughout the study: What is the impact of the discrimination against the LGBTQ youths on their life? What is the role of parents in changing their attitudes towards the LGBTQ youth? What is the role of schools and public organizations in changing the issue of discrimination on the LGBTQ youth?

Statement of the Problem

Suicide is the leading cause of deaths of the LGBTQ individuals. Gay, lesbian and transgender youths are six times more likely to attempt suicide compared to the homosexual individuals. The LGBTQ youths commit over twenty percent of the reported suicides among the youth. Similarly, lesbians and gays are more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol because of the discrimination they receive from the general public. These numbers call for a strategy to reduce and ultimately avert these deaths.

Effects of Discrimination

LGBTQ youths experience extreme physical and verbal harassment that can at times be unbearable for them. According to a research done by Bry (2017), these youths are destroyed on a daily basis due to the discrimination they get every single place they visit. Over 30 percent of the LBGT youths are high school dropouts because of the harassment they face in schools. The LGBTQ youths also fail tremendously because of the discrimination they receive from their teachers and the administration. Also, they do not participate in the school activities and do not dedicate their time to the agenda of the school because they feel that school is not as the safe environment for their gender types. As such, they continuously live with the fear of physical and other forms of assaults in schools.

Most of the LGBTQ individuals suffer from different symptoms of depression including excessive sleep, sleeplessness, hopelessness, and loss of appetite. Most of these youths report that despite the harassment not being directly addressed to them, they still get affected negatively. One youth in an interview mentioned that harassment and discrimination makes him feel very sad and want to die. It is not a miracle that these youths turn to alcohol and drug abuse or even more critical solutions such as suicide.

Morrison (2018), states that discrimination against the LGBTQ in the workplace can create suppression in their growth and productivity within the organization. Discrimination has an emotional and social influence on these individuals as they remain in the closet to hide their fears and projections. They bear loneliness that can ultimately develop into depression and drug abuse and even death. Most LGBTQ confess that drinking to the point of passing out makes they forget the kind of torture they have to experience in school, places of work and public places. The lack of support from family, schools or the public can perhaps make them develop the feeling of hopelessness in ever living a normal and happy life.

Roles of Parents

50% of the lesbian and gay youths report that they get rejected by their families as a result of their sexual orientation. In a survey of male teenagers identified to be lesbians, gays or bisexuals, 30 percent of these teenagers ran away from their homes because of the conflict they had with their parents and other family members over their sexual orientation. 25 percent of the lesbian youths are chased away from their homes because of their sexual orientation. In a survey of about 200 lesbians and gays, over 26 percent were physically and verbally abused by their parents, and almost 15 percent dealt with violence.

It occurs that lack of protection, support, and guidance from the parents has a significant impact on the LGBTQ youths (Tucker, 2018). Possibly if the parents were more supportive and responsive to their children's fate then there could be reduced cases of depression, attempted suicide and drug abuse among the LGBTQ youths. Parents ought to embrace their children regardless of their sexual orientation. The family should be the first shoulder for the LGBTQ adolescents to lean on. The LGBTQ youths are more likely to fail they do not get support from their parents and other family members. The youths need the love and support of their families because they already get criticized in the outside world. As such, the parents of the LGBTQ youths should consider reflecting on the situation before they worsen the situation. One significant way of the parents supporting their LGBTQ youths is through intervening with the school to treat them with equality and just.

Roles of Schools and Organizations

Teachers cannot overlook the problems faced by the LGBTQ students and choosing the best strategy to deal with these issues is of crucial concern. Governmental agencies should also play a critical role in alleviating the problem of discrimination of the LGBTQ in the workplace. Evans (2017) acknowledges the informative effect on the LGBTQ youths as a result of continuous harassment in school. The issue of discrimination and harassment against the LGBTQ people can be solved at the verbal stage before it gets serious or causes more serious issues such as harming the academic performance and the professional productivity of the LGBTQ people. Administrators and teachers always fail to stop harassment or discrimination against the LGBTQ people. As such, there should be rules and regulations in schools and working environments that protect the LGBTQ people from prejudice, discrimination and all forms of harassment. Similarly, consequences such as discipline policies and code of conducts should also be developed in both schools and employment organizations to protect these individuals from harassment.

Conclusion

It is important to realize how much the public can help stop the effects of discrimination against the LGBTQ people. This can be achieved by working productively and together to protect the LGBTQ people from prejudice. One approach that can be practiced in schools and working environments is sensitivity training for homosexual and anti-gay people. The training would benefit the LGBTQ youths and the school officials as well as the administrators of different organizations.

References

Bry, L. J., Mustanski, B., Garofalo, R., & Burns, M. N. (2017). Resilience to discrimination and rejection among young sexual minority males and transgender females: a qualitative study on coping with minority stress. Journal of homosexuality, 1-22.

Evans, R., Nagoshi, J. L., Nagoshi, C., Wheeler, J., & Henderson, J. (2017). Voices from the stories untold: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer college students' experiences with campus climate. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services, 29(4), 426-444.

Morrison, M. A., Bishop, C. J., & Morrison, T. G. (2018). A systematic review of the psychometric properties of composite LGBTQ Qprejudice and discrimination scales. Journal of homosexuality, 1-22.

Tucker, J. M., Brewster, M. P., Grugan, S. T., Miller, L. M., & Mapp-Matthews, S. M. (2018). Criminal Justice Students’ Attitudes Toward LGBTQ Q Individuals and LGBTQ Q Police Officers. Journal of Criminal Justice Education, 1-28.