Children Raised By Same-Sex Couples Healthier

A study released out of Melbourne University in Australia found that children raised by same sex couples are healthier and enjoy a better sense of well-being than their peers. This study, called the biggest of its type so far, sought to “describe the physical, mental and social well-being” of children raised by gay and lesbian parents. It also sought to understand “the impact that stigma has on them.” In terms of family cohesion and general health, children of gay parents scored 6% higher than their heterosexual counterparts. Researchers also found that in terms of behavior, self-esteem and mental health, gay parent’s children were about the same as those raised by hetero parents.

Speaking on CNBC, Dr. Simon Crouch said, “It appears that same-sex parent families get along well and this has a positive impact on health.” Crouch is from the Jack Brockhoff Child Health and Wellbeing Program, Centre for Health Equity at the University of Melbourne. Crouch thinks the focus gay parents have on skill building rather than on traditional gender roles may account for the conclusion of the survey. Certainly, a more accepting and less discriminatory attitude in Australian society, as in other Western societies, may also play a role.

“So what this means is that people take on roles that are suited to their skill sets rather than falling into those gender stereotypes,” Crouch said. “What this leads to is a more harmonious family unit and therefore feeding on to better health and wellbeing.”

315 parents and 500 children participated in this study. Previous research has also found that children raised by same-sex couples grew up healthy with a solid sense of well-being. In fact, an earlier report out by the Williams Institute found that children raised by lesbian couples had higher self-esteem and less disciplinary problems. Another study conducted in 2012 entitled “Adolescents with Lesbian Mothers Describe Their Own Lives,” found that those teens raised by two moms maintained good GPAs. They also have strong bonds to their moms.

Dr. M. Mirza – lgbt health wellness .com – 2014

Questions That Insult Queer Women

There are some questions you’re better off knowing will likely be annoying to queer women.

Who’s the man in your relationship?
Who is the man in your relationship? Lesbian relationships involve two women and this question assumes that one of the women is acting as a man. Even if the relationship involves a more feminine woman and a butch woman, this doesn’t mean that one of them is roleplaying as a man. It’s rude to assume so.

How do you have sex?
Is this a question you would ask anybody? Why would you think that it’s appropriate to ask a lesbian or bisexual woman? And, there’s more than one way to go about having sex no matter your sexual orientation. Are you really expecting anybody you choose to provide the details of their sexual activities?

If you’ve never had sex with a man how do you know you’re a lesbian?
Answer this question yourself by asking: how do I know my sexuality if I haven’t engaged in sex with someone of the same sex?

Are you up for a threesome?
Many queer women are affected by this question– especially bisexual women. Just as many, if not more, queer women choose to be in a monogamous relationship and have no interest whatsoever in inviting anybody else to join.

You must not be bisexual anymore since you married a man
Just because a bisexual woman enters into a monogamous relationship with a man doesn’t mean that she has lost her sexuality. Although she may not continue to have sex with women, it’s very possible she’s still going to be attracted to women. The fact that she doesn’t act on it doesn’t make it less so.

You just haven’t found the right man
This assumes that queer women exist just because they’ve had unpleasant experiences with men. While it may be the case that some of them have had bad relationships with men, the same would apply to heterosexual women. Does this mean that they are going to become lesbians suddenly? No.

Life would be so much easier if I were a lesbian
Really? Probably not, especially due to the hate crimes, higher suicide rates, harassment, workplace discrimination, stigma, possible isolation from your family, and the list goes on. This is an insensitive comment to make to a queer woman. Do you really think life would be easier? Choose sensitivity; think before you speak.

Acceptance of Homosexuality is Increasing

According to a study conducted in the USA, the tendency of homosexuality to be accepted in societies has increased worldwide. Turkey showed differences in acceptance rates by 25 percent Trends countries.

According to the survey results announced by the US-based Pew research company, more and more people around the world are of the opinion that homosexuality should be accepted more.

However, although there is a general increase in the acceptance of homosexuality, the rates vary according to the countries depending on the demographic structure. Accordingly, mostly in Western Europe, rich countries and societies with a high level of education, young people accept homosexuality as a part of the society.

According to the results of the research comparing 2002 and 2019, the rate of those who think that homosexuals are included in the society in the USA increased from 51 percent in 2002 to 72 percent in 2019. From 25 percent to 44 percent in South Korea, from 54 percent to 68 percent in Japan, from 33 percent to 54 percent in South Africa, from 83 percent to 86 percent in Germany and It increased from 74 percent to 86 percent in the UK.

In the study, it was also examined whether there is a parallel between individuals’ political tendencies and their perception of homosexuals. The research revealed that there is a deep ideological gap in the outlook for homosexuals between two different political fronts in the US.

Accordingly, 85 percent of Democratic voters in the USA support homosexuals, while those close to Republicans support homosexuals at 58 percent.

Bottom row in Turkey

Societies where homosexuality is not welcome were also listed in the study. Accordingly, Nigeria is the country where homosexuality is least accepted in society with 7 percent. 9 percent in Indonesia and Tunisia, 13 percent in Lebanon, Russia, Ukraine, and 14 percent in Kenya and was determined to be 25 percent in Turkey.

Religion is also an influential factor in the view of homosexuality, according to Pew’s research. Accordingly, the rate of acceptance of homosexuals among religious people is lower than nonreligious people.

While 73 percent of religious and religious people in Germany think that homosexuals should be accepted in society, this rate is 91 percent for non-religious Germans.

While the proportion of religious people who support homosexuals is 22 percent in Israel, this rate is 62 percent for non-religious people. In Poland, the rate of support for homosexuals varies among religious and non-religious people. 73 percent of the religious and 53 percent of the non-religious people in the country think that homosexuality should be accepted.

62 percent of religious people in Italy, 80 percent of non-religious people, 66 percent of religious people in Brazil, and 76 percent of people who are not see homosexuality as a part of society.

while 19 percent of those defining homosexuality as a pious religious people in Turkey while seeing itself as part of society finds 45 percent. In the USA, this situation is at the level of 57 percent and 86 percent.

A total of 38 thousand 426 people from 34 countries participated in the study, which covered the period of May and October 2019.

Lesbian & Gay Quotes

Here are those quotes…

My mother took me to a psychiatrist when I was fifteen because she thought I was a latent homosexual. There was nothing latent about it. ~Amanda Bearse

Let me live my life as I want, for at its end it is I who must die. ~Tigress Luv

It always seemed to me a bit pointless to disapprove of homosexuality. It’s like disapproving of rain. ~Francis Maude

While many minority groups are the target for prejudice… and discrimination… in our society, few persons face this hostility without the support and acceptance of their family as do many gay, lesbian, and bisexual youth. ~Virginia Uribe and Karen Harbeck

If male homosexuals are called “gay,” then female homosexuals should be called “ecstatic.” ~Shelly Roberts

What is ‘normal’ other than our perceived notion of it. And what is acting ‘normal’ other than our pretense to do so as to be considered ‘normal’. Now, normally I wouldn’t be ‘normal’. I mean, who would? ~Amy Birdsong

The one bonus of not lifting the ban on gays in the military is that the next time the government mandates a draft we can all declare homosexuality instead of running off to Canada. ~Lorne Bloch

People sometimes think I’m gay because I once played a gay in a movie. It’s funny. Audiences don’t think you’re a murderer if you play a murderer, but they do think you’re gay if you play a gay. ~Perry King

Let my lusts be my ruin, then, since all else is a fake and a mockery. ~Hart Crane

We are not heterosexual, homosexual, nor nonsexual. We are simply sexual. Deal with it. ~Amy Birdsong

Every gay and lesbian person who has been lucky enough to survive the turmoil of growing up is a survivor. Survivors always have an obligation to those who will face the same challenges. ~Bob Paris

You know, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender – people are people. ~Judith Light

When I was in the military they gave me a medal for killing two men and a discharge for loving one. ~Epitaph of Leonard P. Matlovich, 1988

There’s this illusion that homosexuals have sex and heterosexuals fall in love. That’s completely untrue. Everybody wants to be loved. ~Boy George

Bisexuality immediately doubles your chances for a date on Saturday night. ~Woody Allen

I am very sensitive about that topic – films like Chasing Amy, where Ben Affleck seems to be the cure-all for lesbians, irritate me more than anything, because as a lesbian who passes as straight, I have enough heterosexual men hitting on me. ~Jill Bennett

Jackie Biskupski is running for a seat in the Utah Legislature, and she’s attracting a lot of attention because she’s a lesbian. Her Republican opponent, Dan Alderson, is a staunch Mormon, and is running a negative ad campaign calling her lifestyle abnormal and deviant. His six wives agree. ~Rick Mercer

No government has the right to tell its citizens when or whom to love. The only queer people are those who don’t love anybody. ~Rita Mae Brown

There may or may not be a lesbian comedy boom, but there certainly is a lescom circuit. Gay Pride Month, formerly known as June, is like a rolling trade show for us. ~Kate Clinton

I could care less who marries who. After all, do they care about what brand of coffee I keep in my cabinet? ~Amy Birdsong

The Christian Civic League’s effort to invade the privacy and destroy the careers of Maine’s gay and lesbian citizens is an offense of the highest order deserving all of the condemnation I can muster. ~John Baldacci

Some women can’t say the word lesbian… even when their mouth is full of one. ~Kate Clinton

Straight Americans need an education of the heart and soul. They must understand – to begin with – how it can feel to spend years denying your own deepest truths, to sit silently through classes, meals, and church services while people you love toss off remarks that brutalize your soul. ~Bruce Bawer

The white light streams down to be broken up by those human prisms into all the colors of the rainbow. ~Charles R. Brown

God made us who we are. So did science. Therefore, no explanation should be demanded of us for who we are. ~Amy Birdsong

I can’t help looking gay. I put on a dress and people say, “Who’s the dyke in the dress?” ~Karen Ripley

My father taught me one thing. My mother taught me all the rest. ~Amy Birdsong

My lesbianism is an act of Christian charity. All those women out there praying for a man, and I’m giving them my share. ~Rita Mae Brown

I tell them that I’m a lesbian but doesn’t seem to matter to them – they see in the media is that we haven’t met the right guy yet, or that we’ve been raped or abused by our daddies and we’re just waiting for Mr. Right to come sweep us off our feet, and I’m really tired of seeing that. ~Jill Bennett

If homosexuality is a disease, let’s all call in queer to work: “Hello. Can’t work today, still queer.” ~Robin Tyler

War. Rape. Murder. Poverty. Equal rights for gays. Guess which one the Southern Baptist Convention is protesting? ~The Value of Families

I am reminded of a colleague who reiterated “all my homosexual patients are quite sick” – to which I finally replied “so are all my heterosexual patients.” ~Ernest van den Haag, Psychotherapist

Deep down, my mom had long suspected I was gay… Much of her anger and hurt came from her sense of betrayal that she was the last to be told. ~Chastity Bono

Who could possibly know me better as a woman, than another woman? Men just don’t have a clue. They are too one dimensional – themselves being that one dimension. ~Amy Birdsong

Why is it that, as a culture, we are more comfortable seeing two men holding guns than holding hands? ~Ernest Gaines

Everybody’s journey is individual. If you fall in love with a boy, you fall in love with a boy. The fact that many Americans consider it a disease says more about them than it does about homosexuality. ~James Baldwin

There is so much work to be done to treat gays and lesbians and gay and lesbian couples with the respect that they’re entitled to. They deserve, in my judgment, partnership benefits. They deserve to be treated fairly when it comes to adoption and immigration. ~John Edwards

Yesterday Senator John Kerry changed his mind and now supports the ban on gay marriages. I’m telling you this guy has more positions than Paris Hilton. ~David Letterman

Labels are for filing. Labels are for clothing. Labels are not for people. ~Martina Navratilova

Not all of our life’s choices are optional. Sometimes we lean in the direction of our own tower, in order not to crumble and fall. ~Amy Birdsong

Lesbian Ninjas: first they kick ass, and then they lick ass. ~Graham Hill

I never thought to myself, I’m going to grow up and fall in love with a man or I’m going to fall in love with a woman because my mother is a lesbian. ~Ally Sheedy

Why can’t they have gay people in the army? Personally, I think they are just afraid of a thousand guys with M16s going, “Who’d you call a faggot?” ~John Stewart

I’ve never worked where it was hard to be gay. Besides, being gay is a spectacular irrelevance to getting on with your life. ~Clive Barker

What are you trying to protect heterosexual marriages from? There isn’t a limited amount of love in Iowa. It isn’t a non-renewable resource. If Amy and Barbara or Mike and Steve love each other, it doesn’t mean that John and Mary can’t. ~Ed Fallon

My cousin is an agoraphobic homosexual, which makes it kind of hard for him to come out of the closet. ~Bill Kelly

Tom Cruise’s attorney said he is going to sue anyone who claims he is gay. In a related story, Ricky Martin’s attorney has been hospitalized for exhaustion. ~Conan O’Brien

The angry lesbian stereotype is true – I’m one of them – but underneath that there is fun and frolic and we need to show that a little bit more now. ~Jill Bennett

I love the feel of a woman’s skin. I think it all started when as a child I would kiss my mother’s soft, velvety cheek good night. Find me a man with a woman’s skin and I might become heterosexual. No, on second thought, I wouldn’t. ~ and He knows I’m gay. ~Reverend Troy Perry

If God had wanted me otherwise, He would have created me otherwise. ~Johann von Goethe

I’ve met very few dumb gay guys. It takes some intelligence and insight to figure out you’re gay and then a tremendous amount of balls to live it and live it proudly. ~Jason Bateman

Jesse Helms and Newt Gingrich were shaking hands congratulating themselves on the introduction of an antigay bill in Congress. If it passes, they won’t be able to shake hands, because it will then be illegal for a prick to touch an asshole. ~Judy Carter

If you were as I and I were as you, who would we be? ~ Amy Birdsong

If I see one more like willy-nilly straight girl running around with her long fingernails and high heel shoes trying to be gay.. Not to say that there aren’t lesbians that are that way, but it’s frustrating when that’s all you see on film. ~Jill Bennett

Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one’s definition of your life; define yourself. ~Harvey Fierstein

All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on. ~Havelock Ellis

If you aren’t going all the way, why go at all? ~Joe Namath

I used to treat those who did me wrong with disdain and unacceptance. I was afraid that if I were to treat them nicely it would mean that I was giving them the ‘go-ahead’, ‘thumbs-up’, to hurt me again. Little did I know that I was only reaffirming that their choice to hurt me to begin with was the right choice. ~Tigress Luv

Because I write about gay sex, straight readers often feel discomfort. I am asking them to realize that the connection between two men is equivalent to the one between partners of different sexes. ~John Barton

To hear two American men congratulating each other on being heterosexual is one of the most chilling experiences – and unique to the United States. You don’t hear two Italians sitting around complimenting each other because they actually like to go to bed with women. The American is hysterical about his manhood. ~Gore Vidal

Bullies lie everywhere. Especially in court. ~Amy Birdsong

There is nothing wrong with going to bed with someone of your own sex. People should be very free with sex, they should draw the line at goats. ~Elton John

I just met Eddie Izzard the other day; I realized he’s probably the perfect guy for me. He’s a straight guy but he’s a lesbian. He’s an action transvestite. ~Gina Gershon

I was certainly open for something being on the edge of a nervous breakdown, perplexed by my own sexuality. I was gay. ~Lionel Blue

I’m a supporter of gay rights. And not a closet supporter either. From the time I was a kid, I have never been able to understand attacks upon the gay community. There are so many qualities that make up a human being… by the time I get through with all the things that I really admire about people, what they do with their private parts is probably so low on the list that it is irrelevant. ~Paul Newman

If you are ashamed to stand by your colors, you had better seek another flag. ~ Unknown Origin

The diagnosis of homosexuality as a “disorder” is a contributing factor to the pathology of those homosexuals who do become mentally ill…. Nothing is more likely to make you sick than being constantly told that you are sick. ~Ronald Gold

They say that hardened bikers and tough cops are just the resulting adults sprung from a childhood of being belittled and bullied. I disagree. It is the gays and lesbians. No stronger souls exist in this world today. ~Amy Birdsong

Many believe that sexual identity is a learned response, a charge too often made against gay men and lesbians about their sexual orientation. ~John Barton

By definition, gay is smart. I see plenty of macho heterosexual idiots, but nine times out of 10 you can have a great conversation if you find a gay guy. ~Jason Bateman

I worry that somewhere, some late-blooming lesbian will postpone coming out because she doesn’t think she can do well on Larry King. ~Kate Clinton

God made our arms just long enough to embrace ourselves: go ahead, try it – nobody’s watching. ~Tigress Luv

It’s hard enough to be taken seriously in the struggle for gay rights without having a bunch of straight girls running around kissing each other to get the attention of boys and videocameras. ~M. Robin D’Antan

We can give our dogs a wedding and it’ll make the local news as being ‘cute’, but two-loving people wedding is considered ugly if they aren’t man and woman. ~Amy Birdsong

The Bible contains six admonishments to homosexuals and 362 admonishments to heterosexuals. That doesn’t mean that God doesn’t love heterosexuals. It’s just that they need more supervision. ~Lynn Lavner

Negative feelings are nocturnal animals. They only dwell in the darkest of places. ~Tigress Luv

Every now and then we need to stir the pot, otherwise the world would get too Norman Rockwellish. ~Amy Birdsong Last year, at a college Pride celebration, I was introduced by the co-chair as a Stonehenge lesbian. In an odd way the label fit. ~Kate Clinton

When I was young, I played with girls. Now, as an adult, I only wish I could. ~Amy Birdsong

To know what you prefer, instead of humbly saying “Amen” to what the world tells you you ought to prefer, is to keep your soul alive. ~Robert Louis Stevenson

Well, actually, I’m a bisexual lesbian in a man’s body… but it’s more complicated than that. ~Tony Parker

Women who love women are Lesbians. Men, because they can only think of women in sexual terms, define Lesbian as sex between women.~ Rita Mae Brown

People who can’t think of anything else but whether the person you love is indented or convex should be doomed not to think of anything else but that, and so miss the other ninety-five percent of life. ~Robert Towne

As a standup, I try to change the world. As an entertainer, I try to entertain. And as a lesbian, I try to pick up the prettiest girl in the room. ~Lea DeLaria

Marriage hasn’t been my thing. But gay people, knock yourselves out! ~Ben Affleck

Gay marriage? With unprotected borders, rampant road-rage, and high schools made up of gangstas instead of children, who really cares if two peaceful, loving souls want to be united by the blessing of God? ~Amy Birdsong

We can make sexual orientation a non-issue for the Republican Party, and we can help achieve equality for all gay and lesbian Americans. ~Mary Cheney

If I have to be ‘perfect’ to be accepted by society, then I’d rather just go dig a hole somewhere and hide inside. Perfect is an impossible state. ~Amy Birdsong

The most important political step that any gay man or lesbian can take is to come out of the closet. It’s been proven that it is easier to hate us and to fear us if you can’t see us. ~Amanda Bearse

I get sick of listening to straight people complain about, “Well, hey, we don’t have a heterosexual-pride day, why do you need a gay-pride day?” I remember when I was a kid I’d always ask my mom: “Why don’t we have a Kid’s Day? We have a Mother’s Day and a Father’s Day, but why don’t we have a Kid’s Day?” My mom would always say, “Every day is Kid’s Day.” To all those heterosexuals that bitch about gay pride, I say the same thing: Every day is heterosexual-pride day! Can’t you people enjoy your banquet and not piss on those of us enjoying our crumbs over here in the corner? ~Rob Nash

Who would give a law to lovers? Love is unto itself a higher law. ~Boethius, The Consolation of Philosophy, A.D. 524

I’d rather be black than gay because when you’re black you don’t have to tell your mother. ~Charles Pierce

LGBT+ Historical Influence on Culture

Lately it seems that whenever the LGBT+ community comes up the next thing that someone says has something to do with homophobia. Negativity abounds everywhere.

Evangelicals that oppose homosexuality. The LGBT+ community has really contributed a lot more to the history of our culture than nasty political battles. Although some people try to turn the tables on the LGBT+ community with exasperating stereotypes, it has given modern culture a lot of art. The world of poetry and literature would truly not be the same without Lord Byron, Tennessee Williams, Oscar Wilde, W.H. Auden, Walt Whitman, Audre Lorde, and reputedly Michelangelo as well. Wikipedia has a voluminous listing of gay, lesbian, and bisexual writers that can be referenced at your discretion if you ever feel the urge to guide a conversation about homosexuality away from debate territory.

Inevitably there are bound to be snags in any coffee table discussion of gay contributions to the arts. The more prudish amongst your friends may have objections to gay media stores because collections often include pornography. You’ll have to remind them that most small towns traditionally include an adult video store, and the demand for gay adult media just isn’t as high.

Then of course there are horror stories that come up now and then, like the purported lover’s spat between Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Gauguin that ended with Van Gogh removing his ear. Alternate stories about the ear exist, and the art world has always been known for its eccentrics. When straight artists like Jackson Pollack who killed himself and several other passengers in a drunk driving accident still get counted among the best, using Van Gogh’s unrequited love for Gauguin against him is just callous anyway.

Though this probably receives more attention than it should, let’s not forget that LGBT+ culture has influenced fashion. Hyper-feminine styles adopted by cross-dressers have a history of finding their way into mainstream fashion with new life thanks in large part to the LGBT+ community. Many fashion designers are themselves gay or bisexual; Wikipedia has another list for this that goes from Armani all the way to Jeffrey Williams. It’s not uncommon for designers to be thoughtlessly lumped as anti-woman self-hating homosexuals…evidently many straight men have trouble understanding their taste in female models. Not everyone is pin thin or in the closet.

American Thinker has a couple more wins and milestones that the LGBT+ community has to be glad for but reminds us that Gay Pride (and other LGBT+ cultural movements) is at the foundation of all of the progress. AIDs/HIV awareness is a vital cause to support, but dwelling on the negative aspects of LGBT lifestyles is the last thing the LGBT+ community should want to do now.

Asexual Flag

Asexuality, lack of sexual attraction towards anyone, or low or absent interest in sexual activity. It can be thought of as a lack of sexual orientation or as a fourth variation next to homosexuality…

In a study conducted in 2004, the prevalence of asexuality was found to be 1%.

Asexuality is distinct from sexual abstinence and celibacy, in which factors such as behavioral and often an individual’s personal or religious beliefs have an effect; Unlike sexual behavior, sexual orientation is believed to be permanent. Some asexual people may engage in sexual activity for a variety of reasons, such as the desire to please their romantic partner or the desire to have children, despite the lack of sexual attraction or desire for sex.

The acceptance of asexuality as a sexual orientation is still quite new in terms of scientific research, it has begun to develop as a growing field of research in terms of both sociology and psychology. Although some researchers argue that asexuality is a sexual orientation, some researchers disagree.

Various asexual societies have started to form since the advent of the internet and social media. The fastest growing and best known of these communities is The Asexual Visibility and Education Network (AVEN), founded by David Jay in 2001.

In a survey conducted in August 2010, based on voting and opinions, outside of AVEN and without being bound by English; The current flag has been adopted to raise awareness of asexuality. The flag was chosen from a non-AVEN website and was chosen as the first with 41.1% of the votes and 10.4% of this voting were in favor of not having a flag for asexuality.

The flag has 4 horizontal stripes and is similar to other sexual orientation flags. It is regarded as a symbol of asexuality.

Symbols and their meanings
Black: Symbolizes asexuality.
Gray: Gray-symbolizes asexuality and demisexuality.
White: Refers to the sexual cut.
Purple: Refers to the asexual community.

Pansexual Flag

People with this orientation may be attracted to all kinds of genders. Although pansexuality is sometimes confused with bisexuality, the difference between them is that unlike bisexuals, pansexuals are also attracted to other genders such as agender, bigender.

The Pansexual Honor Flag is designed to increase the visibility and awareness of the pansexual community and to separate pansexuality from bisexuality.

Pansexual Flag Design

It consists of pink, yellow and blue horizontal bars. Pink, felt to women; Blue is felt to men; Yellow represents the love felt for people other than men and women.

LGBTQ Tiktok Videos

I’ve selected some “lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer” LGBTQ+ tiktok videos for you.
If there are Tiktok videos you want to be added to the list, you can comment.

https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js

https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js

https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js

https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js

https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js

https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js

https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js

https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js

Pride March from the Stonewall Riots to Today

As a result of the police trying to contain the incident with pressure, a large crowd gathered outside the bar and prolonged clashes took place. This incident was the first time homosexuals spoke en masse against the oppression and violence against sexual minorities, and was regarded as the first spark of LGBTI movements, which will grow stronger afterwards.

The first Pride Parade was held in New York on the first anniversary of the Stonewall uprising. This march was held with great crowd, enthusiasm and the solidarity of the shoulder-to-shoulder resistance in the Stonewall Uprising.

After the first march, Pride Week started to be celebrated in various countries around the world, and discrimination, bullying, violence, exclusion and abuse against LGBTI individuals were protested with various activities. The march, which took place on the last day of Pride Week, coinciding with Sunday, has been held in our country since 2003 with an increasing number of participants.

Should You Take PrEP?

When we first learned how to combat the HIV/AIDS epidemic of the 80’s and 90’s, safe sex was the only surefire answer to prevent HIV infection. PrEP or Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis is a new recent development you can take to avoid contracting HIV. It must be taken daily, but it has been proven effective according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Remember to continue using condoms; PrEP does nothing for STD’s like chlamydia, syphilis and others diseases on the rise.

Truvada is the brand name of this medication, which combines two anti-retroviral drugs. If not taken daily the chances of contraction rise greatly. When talking to your doctor about PrEP, be honest as to whether you can reliably take this medication every day. Taking it one time before a particular act does not mean it will prevent the spread of HIV.

If you believe you are at risk, follow these guidelines to help ensure you stay HIV free:

If you have a relationship with a partner who is HIV positive, you should ask your doctor about PrEP.
Anyone who is not in a monogamous relationship and is gay or bisexual who has had an STD within the last six months or has unprotected anal sex should take PrEP.
Anyone who has unprotected sex with more than one partner whose HIV status is unknown, those who use intravenous drugs, sex workers or those that have bisexual male partners should use PrEP.
A patient must get a doctor’s prescription before going on PrEP. Those who are prescribed PrEP must have normal kidney function, have a negative HIV test, show no signs or symptoms of HIV and have never had hepatitis B or have taken the vaccination against it.
After receiving a prescription and taking it daily, a patient must have a checkup once every three months for counseling on how they are doing and how well they are adhering to the medication, assessments of side effects, HIV testing, kidney function check and more.
Even though you are on PrEP, no method is 100% effective. One should still continue to get tested for HIV. A Truvada prescription costs between $1,300 to $1,700 for a month’s worth of pills. If you are considering PrEP, check with your insurance company and physician or urologist to see if the medication is covered. To avoid HIV practice safe sex and limit your number of partners. Protect yourself; you are worth it.

Dr M. Mirza
lgbt health wellness .com – 2014

Understanding Sexual Orientation Amongst Young Males

When it comes to understanding sexual orientation among youth, most research focuses on health, social work and psychology. They look at the youth’s vulnerability to various types of health issues: sexually transmitted diseases, school climate and bullying, sexual assault, abuse and suicide. However, the sociological process that drives individuals to call themselves gay or bisexual has had less focus, until now.

Researcher Mary Anne Robinson of the University of Colorado at Boulder decided to analyze “sexual selfhood” and the process of sexual socialization through a qualitative method and from the point of view of adolescent males.

Her study focused on 18 life-history interviews. Robinson volunteered at Spectrum for 16 months. Spectrum is an urban center that welcomes any youth between the ages of 13 and 22 who identify with the LGBT community. It predominately serves young adults of lower socioeconomic status. Robinson decided to direct the focus of her study on male youth who were born male. The population at the center was mostly male, and she didn’t want to assume all experiences among the other genders.

Robinson’s research led her to identify four processes of sexual identity formation. They are: violating compulsory heterosexuality, seeking out an explanation for their differences, exploring sexuality and negotiating identity.

Compulsory behavior occurs in a social system where all persons are assumed to be heterosexual and heterosexuality is reinforced by gender norms, like masculine and feminine. According to Robinson’s study, the young males would recount stories of how others marked them as being different because they did not conform to typical male behavior. Once the individual was marked for their difference by either themselves or others, they sought out an explanation for why. Initially many of the participants revealed that they didn’t have a language to name how they felt.

Upon recognizing themselves as gay or bisexual, the young men took steps toward embracing their sexuality through relationships. Many of the young males had opportunities to have sex, but did not. In fact, many of the participants identified themselves as virgins. Robinson believes this is significant because it shows that being gay or bisexual doesn’t depend on having sex.

Last, although many face pressure to choose a sexual identity, many youths today are ambiguous about what that identity is. Robinson found that while the boundaries of identity are expanding, sexual identities are becoming more prominent and meaningful, even though not all sexual and gender identities are viewed with legitimacy.

Dr. M. Mirza, LGBT Health Wellness – 2014

Are LGBT Students More Likely to Abuse Substances?

Members of the LGBT community typically report a higher level of psychological discomfort and complications in their lives. America may be accepting of sexual minorities in some areas, but not completely across the board. Many, including heterosexuals, turn to drugs to cope with the difficult situations they are presented. Two studies (Substance use of lesbian, gay, bisexual and heterosexual college students and Neighborhood-level LGBT hate crimes and current illicit drug use among sexual minority youth) have recently been published, confirming that LGBT college and high school students typically report higher levels of drug use.

Substance use of lesbian, gay, bisexual and heterosexual college students compared how self-identifying lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) college students and heterosexual use alcohol, tobacco and other drug and alcohol. What they found was that LGB students were more likely to drink in excess. Bisexual college students on the other hand had greater odds of using other illicit substances, with bisexual women reporting the highest.

Drinking and tobacco use already run rampant in Universities. College is an exciting time with new opportunities for socialization and people want to be part of the fun. However, the pressures of campus life and school work combined with the anxieties of leaving home can be depressing for many; especially LGBT communities who report higher levels of discrimination. In Neighborhood-level LGBT hate crimes and current illicit drug use among sexual minority youth, they found cities with high reports of hate crimes towards sexual minority youth also have higher rates of consumption of illicit substances. This proven connection between physical and substance abuse should be raising alarms.

That is not the only contributing factor. Members of sexual minorities also report feeling a greater sense of loneliness and disconnection than their straight counterparts. It’s one thing to feel discomfort moving away from home, but to have nobody to turn to can magnify these emotions. Being lonely is depressing and people that are depressed are more likely to drink. These issues aren’t limited to college life either. LGBT youths in high school, while not as great, report similarly regarding substance abuse.

The problem, as studies seem to show, look more like a social issue than biological. Sexual preference is not something people can be told to make, so adjustments really need to be made towards the treatment of gay communities if these numbers are to be lowered. LGBT groups in colleges are definitely a beneficiary to their members, providing people to confide in for their members but is that really enough? The ideology that we should be treated differently because we have different preferences in the bedroom needs to be erased from society. Nobody should worry about being physically abused just as nobody should need to feel alone.

Dr. M. Mirza, LGBT Health Wellness – 2014

How Many Americans Are Bisexual or Homosexual?

A recent survey (the annual National Health Interview Survey) by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention asked about sexual orientation for the first time. While the majority of candidates reported being heterosexual, of the 34,557, 1.6 percent claimed to be homosexual and 0.7 claimed to be bisexual. While many other surveys have claimed much higher numbers, it is important to keep in mind that this is a very difficult number to pinpoint.

You may be asking why. To start, the survey is more or less showcasing results for how those who have taken it identify themselves. Whether or not it factually identifies all participants based on societal definitions of sexuality is too complicated a question to test without further research. Keep in mind that many people do not care to share their sexuality, possibly due to shame, misidentification with how they feel inside, or simply not wanting to release that information. It’s a complicated subject; proclaiming you are gay or bisexual carries many social stigmas.

Questions were provided to surveyors via computer, which they personally asked participants who then answered by showing flash cards. This person to person questioning may help comfort, but still, it does nothing to encourage people to discuss their true indentity. Furthermore, the survey asked nothing regarding transexuals, whose sexuality may be very difficult at times to define.

These statistics may help narrow and target treatment for sexual minorities, which is good, but they still lack accuracy. Without societal reform, it may be impossible to get information that is, figuratively, hidden in the closet.

September 2014

Crossdressing Transformation

When you decide to permanently dress cross gender dress, a cross dressing transformation will take place. But to have a cross dressing transformation will mean that you have taken several steps towards the goal of dressing like the opposite sex. That might sound easy but trust me, it’s harder than you think. Of course any man can go toss on a dress and away they go but to have him actually look as though he could be a woman, that takes some work.

When you begin your cross dressing transformation you will need to find clothing that will work for your body style and make it look great. For a man that wishes to dress like a woman it would be best for them to look in clothing stores that cater to those who are cross dressers. Reason being that they have their store full of clothes that are made specifically for those who have decided to undergo this mtf transformation.

Something that men might have a problem with when they go looking in any store for clothing is that many tops are made to accommodate breasts. Fortunately if you find that perfect top and you just need the breasts to complete the ensemble there are many bras that are made to both look and feel like they have actual breasts in them. That bra would actually enable you to shop at most any store that sold women’s blouses leaving no cap on what you could wear.

When picking out clothing for your cross dressing transformation no doubt that if you are a man you will want to try the ever classy high heels. Problem with those high heels is that many women have a hard time wearing them leaving it even harder for a man. Not because a man is any less talented than a woman but because of the difference in their size, shape and feet. It’s hard to balance on high heels but to get the practice you need simply wear them around your house before you take the plunge and wear them shopping. Best part is that you will be able to look silly or fall and no one will be there to see you if you practice in your home. But anybody can point out the man who is cross dressing when he goes strutting through the store with no practice.

A very important part of the cross dressing transformation is makeup. Makeup is wonderful as it can soften even the most masculine features. Many men who wear makeup for the first time tend to overdo their makeup a little as they see what they like on a woman and try to imitate it. A way that you can get makeup tips would be to go to your nearest makeup counter and ask them for help. They are trained to be able to help a customer find the best shade to fit their skin. Great makeup can complete the cross dressing transformation so that it will be hard to tell if you are cross dressing or were born that way.

There are many things to consider when you undergo a cross dressing transformation so that everything blends together. By reading these tips you can blend them so that life is a little easier.

crossdressingcafe.com – 2012

Crossdressing Makeup

When a man decides to begin cross dressing one of the things that he will have to master is the art of makeup. Cross dressing makeup can be difficult for a man unless he takes the time to learn that there is more to makeup than just tossing some on your face. There is preparation that needs to be done so that the finished product is smooth and flawless.

One of the things that will inhibit how flawless your cross dressing makeup can be is facial hair. There are procedures that you can have done that will actually eliminate all traces of facial hair. That would mean never having to shave again and definitely never having to worry about the shadows that can form where your beard should be. But if a procedure of that form is not something you can do at the time, at least buy the best razor there is to get the hair as short as possible or maybe even wax the hair off.

Once you have fixed the problem of facial hair you will need to think of what you can do to make your face as smooth and soft as can be. The reason that is important is because once you apply the makeup it can be obvious where there was dry skin or anything of that nature. To help cleanse and soften the skin there are some wonderful facial cleansers available that help with other stuff such as acne as well. Once you’ve washed the face, simply apply facial lotion to everywhere but the eyes of course.

Even though men have more facial hair, it seems that they don’t always get blessed with the best eyelashes. If that is the case then there are fake eyelashes that you can use that will save you from having to worry about bothering with mascara. All you need is some fake lashes and some lash glue that will help hold them on until you’re done with them. It’s best to buy lashes that have the little spaces between each lash as they will conform to your eyelid much better.

Now that your face is shaved and moisturized you can begin worrying about applying your cross dressing makeup. If there is still hint of a beard after you apply your foundation you can simply cover it with some orange lipstick, some camo paint (used by hunters and such) or simply beard concealer. Once you’ve covered your face with foundation and covered your beard in whichever way works best for you, you will need to cover your face with powder. Make sure when you purchase the powder that you match the shade to the color of your skin.

With the base of the makeup now in place you can finish up the look by adding some eye shadow, blush and lipstick. Picking out any one of those three can be very difficult as there are so many to pick from. When you do, keep in mind what kind of look you are going for. If you want glam, pick some dramatic colors. If you are simply going shopping, softer tones would work best. Lipstick is nice if you can buy the stuff that you can wear all day because then you just need some shimmer gloss to keep your lips fresh all day.

Crossdressing makeup is something that can add interest to even the simplest of outfits. Have fun with it.

crossdressingcafe.com – 2012

Crossdressing Tips

Cross dressing tips are very valuable to those that have decided to start cross dressing. But finding cross dressing tips aren’t always easy to find as many don’t understand the lifestyle. Fortunately for those needing cross dressing tips I will list a few for you that can make the whole new venture a little more interesting.

Clothing is very important as one of the cross dressing tips. I know that some will look at the outfits that the opposite sex wear and have something in mind that they want to try for themselves. But for those men that wish to wear women’s clothing you might find it hard to find a top that will fit you right. Main reason being something very obvious that women have and men don’t, breasts. When clothing designers make blouses and tops they make them so that they can fit breasts into them. There are designers that cater to those who wish to cross dress and can make tops that will look like they belong on a woman but can be worn by a man. Easiest way to fix that problem so that you can shop anywhere would be to purchase a bra that looks and feels like it has real breasts in it. Companies are making them specifically for those who wish to look as if they have breasts when they don’t or simply have bigger ones then they really do. A way for you to start the transition into women’s clothing would be to purchase a pair of women’s jeans. Start wearing those around and get yourself comfortable in them.

Most men who wish to dress like women will at some point in time wish to try high heels. This is one of the cross dressing tips that I really want to emphasize is that men in general have a hard time with high heels. Not just because of the height added to someone but also because men are just built differently. They have bigger calves than most women, bigger feet and an overall bigger frame. To wear high heels is hard for some women to do but for a man, it takes practice. If you really want to be able to wear high heels in public that’s fine, just practice in private first. Walk around your house in high heels so that if you look silly or maybe fall, nobody is there to laugh or tease you. Takes a lot of the stress out of it.

Makeup is a hard thing for men to be able to apply correctly to themselves when they first learn to cross dress. Mainly because they see something they like on a woman and try to copy it. But what they don’t take into consideration is that just because it looks good on a woman doesn’t mean it will on a man. Before you apply your makeup and head out for a night on the town you might want to get some pointers. Head to the local makeup counter and ask them to help you find the best makeup for you. Colors, shades and what foundation would be best are all things that they will be able to help you with.

By combining all of my cross dressing tips you can now have that perfect look that will make everything fall into place.

crossdressingcafe.com – 2012

How to Cross Dress

Millions of people each day wake up and decide that they want to try something new. For some it will be to go to the salon for a new hair do. For others it might be something completely different such as they want to learn how to cross dress. There are different levels of extremity that you can take when you learn how to cross dress, each one step further into the role of another gender. But to step into the role of cross dressing you can learn how to cross dress so that you can make the transition smoothly and with less commotion.

If you are a man wishing to dress like a woman something that you should keep in mind when you learn how to cross dress is that what looks good on a woman won’t necessarily look good on a man. Women are made differently and so therefore, so are their clothes. Companies have realized that and have made a few things that someone can purchase to make a man look far more feminine. There are bras made to look and feel like a real breast that you can buy to make that beautiful shirt look just right. Makes it nice if there was a shirt that you really wanted that just didn’t look right without the breasts to complete the ensemble.

For those men that wish to learn how to cross dress makeup is something you will wonder about sooner or later. Thing with makeup is that not all men know the right way to apply makeup. What you might think looks great on someone else might not be the way that your makeup is shown to others. If you really want to wear makeup the best way to learn how to apply it would either be to go to ask for help from someone you know or to go to the makeup counter to have them show you. Those people are paid to know how to best apply makeup and so can give you some of the best tips there are to get the look you want.

Wearing high heels is something that most men will try to figure out when they learn how to cross dress. Heels are at times a problem for many women let alone a man who is shaped differently, is usually taller, and has differently shaped feet than most ladies. Before you go out in public wearing heels you might consider walking around your home in them so that you have the process down. That way if you fall or look silly, no one else is there to point it out to you.

When you learn how to cross dress you will likely want to try everything you’ve learned when you go to town. Keep in mind that not everyone is going to accept your new look and be prepared for how you will react. People have an uncanny knack for making others feel bad about something that they really enjoy. If you already have prepared what you will say or do, it will make it a lot easier on yourself.

Now that you know how to cross dress go out and enjoy the world from a different point of view.

crossdressingcafe.com – 2012

MTF Crossdressing

Male to female crossdressing, also known as MTF crossdressing, is something that is gaining in popularity. Many men today are trying this trend and actually have been able to give the look of being a true woman. There are many things that help them to do that including the clothing they use, the hair they wear and the makeup they choose. All of these things make the MTF cross dressing experience more like male to femme transformation. I’ve actually seen many crossdressers before and have had to take a second look to see if that was really a man dressed as a woman. But the people who have been able to accomplish this have mastered the art by following a few simple guidelines that helped them make the transformation complete.

When one decides that they want to try MTF crossdressing they need to understand that just because you want to look like a woman, not everything that is made for a woman will look right on a man. Annoying but it’s true. Most all women’s tops and blouses are made to accommodate breasts which let’s face it, men just don’t have. If you want to make your venture permanent then yes, you can have breast augmentation so that you have breasts permanently there. But if you are simply trying out MTF cross dressing then something that you might try is buy a bra that makes you look as though you have breasts. There are several on the market that can make you look as though you have very natural looking breasts. They will give you not only the look of real breasts but the feel as well.

When shopping for clothes, you might try looking in a store that caters to those that like to crossdress. They will have clothing in their store that is made to look good on a man that wants to look like a woman. Clothing designers know that there is a market for that particular type of clothing need and have tapped into it making stores like this easier and easier to find. Also there are many online stores that you can visit that will have exactly what you are looking for.

Makeup is something that can complete any person that is trying MTF crossdressing. It can give you a look of true femininity but you must know how to apply it. One of the number one problems for men that chose this lifestyle is that they will see a look in a magazine or on someone else and try to imitate it whether it is a look for them or not. They like it so they try it. But what looks spectacular on one person can make another person look as though a clown rubbed faces with them. To avoid that ever happening, try having someone show you how to purchase and then apply the right makeup for you. If you don’t know anybody that can help you then try talking to someone at the nearest makeup counter as they are paid to know what looks good.

Keeping all of these things in mind will make MTF cross dressing something that holds fun as well as creativity.

crossdressingcafe.com – 2012

The Spirit & The Flesh: Sexual Diversity In American Indian Culture

American Historical Review 93 (February 1988):218-219

By skillfully integrating historical and anthropological literature with the results of his own unique cross-cultural fieldwork among contemporary berdaches, Williams provides an extraordinarily perceptive study of the berdache and the most comprehensive treatment of this controversial topic to date. One of the goals of this work is to “allow Indian people to speak for themselves” (p.7). The most effective use of quotations occurs in part 1, which explores the character of the berdache… Particularly valuable insights are conveyed by various traditionalists…. This is a provocative book that will undoubtedly rattle a number of cages. It will also prove to be an essential tool for scholars engaged in gender studies and an extremely useful source for ethnologists, historians and others interested in the human condition. There is a wealth of information in the book.

American Anthropologist 89 (December 1987): 978-979.

Walter Williams produced a detailed study of the sexual diversity among American Indians in six years, 1980-1986. “The Spirit and the Flesh” achieves an important place in anthropological literature regarding berdaches or transvestites and homosexual behavior among American Indians by means of finding and interviewing berdaches.

The recent general sexual revolution in the United States and the gay liberation movement contributed greatly to the production of Williams’s wide-ranging and fully documented book. It will surprise some, shock some, but almost everyone can learn something new from it.

Journal of the American Academy of Religion 57 (Autumn 1989): 607-615.

Walter Williams explores both the extensive literature and the berdache phenomena in considerable depth in a volume that is a decided contribution to the discussion and understanding of complex issues. It becomes essential reading for all of us who would engage in an ongoing study, as well as for those busy academicians who would hope for at least some knowledge of the subject. They will find Williams’ style eminently readable and at the same time well documented….

Williams would push us to move beyond a commonly cited definition to think of berdachism as representing a third, distinctive gender, a ‘mixing’ of the two biologically obvious genders…. Williams perfers ‘gender mixing’ as a more appropriate description of berdaches as an in-between gender…. Williams does a good job of surveying a great variety of ethnographic, anthropological and historical reports… Williams does put the ethnographic evidence into a new interpretive framework. This much alone insures that his work will be in the center of academic discussion about berdache traditions. It should be added that he has also done rather broad field work assessing the state of the issue in contemporary tribal situations….

The analysis of the shifts in contemporary Indian cultures, as we have noted, is one of Williams’ intended contributions…. He advances far beyond other interpreters, although there are certain problems. The strength of Williams’ interpretation of the contemporary context and also the problematic is in the reporting of his field work, namely his broad based conversations with a variety of modern berdaches / gay Indians from very differing tribal traditions. While his treatment is not and probably could not yet be thoroughly systemic, he attempts to move beyond treatment of berdaches as merely a historical phenomenon…. At the very least, evidence from Native America will emphasize that it is simply not the case that the despising of homosexual individuals is a human universal.

Ethnohistory 37 (Autumn 1990):449-451.

Already a classic, this prodigal, prizewinning ethnography about cross-cultural sexual variation remedies serious empirical deficiencies even as it contains important interpretive problems of its own. The many and overwhelming data it presents confirm not only the presence of sanctioned homosexuality but its diverse institutionalization in indigenous and contemporary Native American cultures. Focused largely on male homosexuality, this book draws on Williams’ fieldwork in North America, Central America, and Hawaii and on his exhaustive excavation of the ethnographic and historical literature….

Most of the evidence for the berdache’s social legitimacy is strikingly convincing… yet at times the book’s argument does not seem to register the contradictory evidence which, to its credit, it actually cites…. The narrative and theoretical voice is stronger in the second, historical section of the book, which uses a dialectical model of colonial domination to examine the transformation of the berdache tradition since European contact…. [It] illustrates very powerfully how domination, by contradictorily facing in as well as out, generates resistance: the recent gay liberation movement among whites, having drawn symbolic nurturance from the surviving berdache tradition, has in turn helped to energize that tradition as a symbol and catalyst of its own culture’s revitalization….

The last chapter surveys data that suggest a wide cross-cultural range of sexual diversity. The concluding paragraphs rightly chastise social constructionists like Foucault and Weeks for their ethnocentric ignorance of emics, which prevents them from fully comprehending variant models of sexuality and gender or imagining truly revolutionary ones. While the book’s own use of etics is a bit random (the first section’s grab-bag functionalism posits now reproductive survival, now social leveling, now biopsychological need, as the telos of social custom), its description and evocation of emic categories admirably begin the task for whose continuation it calls.

Journal of American History 77 (June 1990): 308.

For decades anthropologists and historians have mentioned or provided brief discussions of the role of the berdache within traditional native American cultures, but this volume by Walter L. Williams, a professor of ethnohistory in the Program for the Study of Women and Men in Society at the University of Southern California, provides the first in-depth, systematic examination of this institution and its relationship to both Native American and Euro-American cultures. Combining extensive research in travel accounts, personal narratives, and anthropological reports with his own field research, Williams argues that the institution was prevalent throughout most of the western tribes, and that berdaches played prominent social, economic, and spiritual roles within tribal societies….

This is a well-researched, well-written study. Williams admirably blends his fieldwork with more traditional historical research, and the volume will unquestionably remain the standard reference work on this subject for the forseeable future. Unfortunately, however, Williams’s arguments for the legitimacy of the berdaches and his condemnation of Euro-American attitudes toward gay and lesbian sexual behavior occasionally border upon advocacy. In addition, his chapter arguing for the prevalence of clandestine homosexual behavior among such socio-economic groups as pirates or cowboys detract from his primary thesis. These shortcomings aside, this volume should be welcomed by historians and anthropologists studying Native Americans. It should also be well received by historians of sexuality.

by Walter L. Williams. Boston: Beacon Press, 1986 and revised edition 1992.

transgender.org – 2011

What is Gender Identity?

Gender is a primary category in which individuals both identify themselves and are identified by others. Gender is not a set of binary categpries, but rather a spectrum. The concept of gender can be restrictive in many ways. People are generally expected to identify as a particular gender, the one which has been assigned to them, and act in specific ways deemed accordingly. While gender roles are the expectations a culture has of one’s behavior as appropriate for male or female, gender identity is, the individual’s actual subjective sense of belonging to the female or male category or neither of the two.

Some people discover that their gender identity does not match the gender role they have been assigned, a condition traditionally referred to as gender dysphoria. In other circumstances, children may be born with both sets of genitalia, a condition referred to as being intersexed.

However, bipolar definitions of gender with the assumption of them matching one’s biological sex can create an either/or situation in which people fail to see the existence of an in between. There are severe ramifications. People who do not identify as the gender they have been assigned face the threat of violence, actual physical attacks, verbal assaults, in the worst cases murder, and at the very least mockery and scrutiny.

Interpretations of Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation

Various research and theoretical writing from people such as Kate Bornstein and John Money have examined the notion that gender is a fluid category with room for movement. (Crooks and Baur1998 and Bornstein, 1994) Bipolar definitions, for the most part, require that the gender roles for both men and women involve heterosexuality. This is not always the case. Gay men and lesbian women continue to define themselves as men and women while maintaining primary interest in people of the same gender. There is a conceptual middle ground, almost a crossing between the continuum of gender and sexuality. The existence of people who openly cross this line is certain. Gender identity theories are complex and explanations range from those rooted in psychological, sociological, and biological interpretations, to the personal anecdotes of those whose life experiences have led them to examine the concept of gender. Gender Assignment

Sex is generally referred to as the biological category involving the existence of certain genitalia and reproductive capabilities. Many times people attribute the word “natural” or “normal” to that which exists biologically. Gender is a category which currently maintains two supposed distinct and opposing components. The truth is that many variations in sex exist on a purely biological level. For example, turner’s syndrome involves the existence of female reproductive internal and external structures (Crooks and Baur 1998). Most people with this identify as female however they do not develop breasts nor are they fertile. Klinefelter’s syndrome involves the development of small testes, male reproductive internal structures but also may result in feminization of secondary sex characteristics such as breast development and rounded body contours(Crooks and Baur, 1998). People with Klinefelter’s vary in their gender identity. Androgen insensitivity syndrome involves a lack of set of either male of female internal structures (Crooks and Baur 1998). Puberty may result in breast development but menstruation does not occur. Although they have XY chromosomes, these people mainly identify as female. Several other examples of “natural,” biological contradictions to the binary definitions of sex exist. Suzanne Kessler discussed several problems in choosing the gender of “intersexed infants…babies born with genitals that are neither male nor female.” (Kessler, 1990 ) She notes that the ground on which the determination of a biological male or female is made are socially rooted in “…such cultural factors as the ‘correct’ length of the penis and the capacity of the vagina.” (Kessler, 1990) This sex assignment by persons other than the individual him/herself can cause conflict later in life. If one thing is clear, it is the idea that whatever the root of an individual’s gender identity, it should be a personal decision.

It is important, therefore, to remember that gender identity could have biological roots, but it does not necessarily have to. Many people maintain a gender identity which opposes the gender role they are assigned without having a biologically identifiable root to their gender identity. Gender is a fluid category involving a spectrum of attributes which contribute to gender identity. In the biological respect, there are examples of chromosomal and hormonal combinations in which an individual cannot strictly be deemed a man or woman. In this respect, there are as many sexes as there are humans. On the psychological and social level, several people do not feel that they fit in with other people of the same gender as themselves- they do not feel a part of the gender that they have been assigned without any identifiable biological (hormonal, chromosomal) distinctions between themselves and other people of the same gender. Gender and sex do not necessarily coincide, nor do gender assignment and gender identity. Often times the concepts of gender identity, gender role, and sexual orientation become mixed. But, each is separate and not necessarily a determinant of the next.

Transgender People

The notion of a gender continuum becomes a reality by examining the existence transgender people. The broadest definition of people who identify as transgender includes “anyone who bends or challenges traditional gender roles” (Youth Resource Library). Transgender people contest gender norms “by wearing clothing not generally associated with their own sex and in some cases by modifying their bodies to be more like those of the other sex”(Youth Resource Library). This definition encompasses a large number of people including: intersexed people, transvestites, drag queens/kings, transexuals, and androgynes.

Intersexed people, as mentioned before, are born with genitals “which show characteristics of both sexes” (Youth Resource Library). Transvestites or crossdressers wear clothing traditionally worn by the other gender on occasion, but do not have the desire to change their sex. It is estimated that the percentage of crossdressers in the heterosexual and homosexual communities is about equally at 10% (Crooks & Baur, 1998). This means that 90% of transvestites are heterosexual (Crooks & Baur, 1998). Drag queens/kings present exagerated images of men and women using stereotypes mainly for entertainment. Transexuals feel trapped in the body of the wrong sex. Many transexual people develop a sense of inconformity with their genital anatomy at a young age; some recall identifying strongly with characteristics of the other sex as early as five, six, or seven tears of age (Crooks & Baur 1998). Most transexual people lead heterosexual lifestyles and “…prefer to have sexual relations with a member of the other sex.” – meaning other than the gender they identify as (Crooks and Baur 1998). About 50% of those who have sex changes are female to male transexuals (FTM) (Crooks &Baur;, 1998). The other half are male to female (MTF) (Crooks & Baur, 1998). The number of people living as the gender other than the one they were assigned range from 50,000 to 75,000 and an estimated 25,000 Americans have sex-changing surgery (Brook, 1998). Androgynes or gender blenders “merge the characteristics of both sexes” (Crooks and Baur,1998).

Being transgender has no determinable correlation to being homosexual. Apart from sexuality, transgender people confront gender roles and act in opposition to them. Although they are distinct and unique, each of the above categories challenges gender roles.

The Impact of Gender Identity

The gender identity of an individual can have an incredible impact on his/her life experiences. For example an individual might maintain the gender identity which conflicts with the gender role s/he is assigned. In this case gender, one category generally perceived as simplistic and bipolar, becomes an area of extreme confusion and discontent. Aside from genitalia, which remains generally unexposed, society maintains certain expectation of what each gender should look, sound, and act like. Any deviation from these rigid models opens a person up to at the very least ridicule. Challenging gender roles is often the source of harrassment. Adolescence is a period of growth and development already filled with feelings of awkwardness. Understanding of these concepts open doors to a world of greater understanding and possibly even compassion. Presently, there is little space for those who do not fit within a specific set of gender definitions and regulations. There is a need to look beyond what we see or think we know about other people and start listening to what they know about themselves.

References

Bornstein, K., Gender Outlaw: On Men, Women, and the Rest of Us. Vintage Books, 1994
Brook, J., Sex Change Industry a Boon to Small City. New York Times November 8, 1998
Crooks, R. & Baur, K., Our Sexuality: Seventh Edition. Brooks/ Cole Publishing Company, 1997
Kessler, S., “The Medical Construction of Gender: Case Management of Intersexed Infants” in Signs. Division of Natural Sciences, State University of New York College at Purchase, 1990
Stoltenberg, J., “How Men Have (a) Sex.” in Reconstructing Gender: A Multicultural Anthology. Mayfield Publishing Company, 1997
Youth Resource Library Transgender: What is it? youthresource.com/library/trans.htm

youthresource.com/feat/trans/art_gen.htm – 2004