Pride month, a month-long celebration of LGBTQ+ rights, increasing the visibility and affirmation of these individuals as a social group, raises the ire of some and the approval of others. Stories of how a person is minimised or disregarded if they do not identify as being heteronormative is not uncommon. A regular person, working hard, paying their taxes, being a productive member of society, can be demonised and discriminated because of their sexual orientation. Living in the shadow of discrimination and condemnation for an aspect of oneself can cause immense harm to the individual.
Current progress
As a society, we have made some progress and there are more discussions on equal rights for queer folks. People have also become more accepting of the LGBTQ+ community. In Singapore, comparing results from the Race, Religion, and Language survey conducted by the Institute of Policy Studies in 2013 and 2019, there was a drop in the percentage of people who believed that sexual relations between same sex is ‘always wrong’ or ‘almost always wrong’ (i.e. from approximately 80% to 63.6%). Moreover, respondents between the ages of 18 - 25 years old are more liberal as compared to respondents aged 65 and above. Interestingly, the results reviewed that conservative attitudes towards various socio-political issues (i.e. gambling, infidelity, and freedom of speech) is a predictor of being conservative on LGBTQ+ rights. However, as a whole, the results from these surveys revealed that Singapore society remains to be fairly conservative. Hence, discrimination and stigma still exist in this part of the world today.
Impact of homophobia/transphobia
In an environment that denies one from living their authentic self and promotes change to fit into the norm, the experience can severely impact the self-esteem of queer folks. As with all learning, when we are repeatedly presented with a piece of information, we learn to believe that it is true. As such, in an environment where associations to LGBTQ+ is negative and the belief that homosexual relationships are not equal to heterosexual relationships, queer folks might start to believe that they do not deserve the same rights as their heterosexual counterparts. Moreover, when derogatory remarks are used to describe the community and is not disputed, it contributes to the belief that there is something wrong with people in the LGBTQ+ community and that it is socially acceptable to hold negative beliefs about them and treat them as such. Therefore, queer folks may develop internalised homophobia/transphobia overtime which is highly detrimental to their mental health as they feel bad about being who they are. This may lead to their self-loathing beliefs which impact self-worth. Furthermore, for heterosexual folks, they can also develop negative attitudes and discriminatory behaviour towards the queer community over time.
Coming out
As being queer is still an issue in today’s society, queer folks still have to go through the process of coming out – where one chooses who to disclose their authentic self to. This process can be very stressful and difficult as there is a chance that the other party reacts negatively and it might change the dynamics of the relationship that you have with the other person. On the other hand, it can be an empowering and liberating process for the individual as they will be able to speak their truth and be themselves.
Risk and protective factors
Based on various research globally, queer folks are at higher risk of mental health disorders like depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders due to the interaction between genetic factors and stress associated with membership in a sexual minority group. These added risks are prevalent in queer folks of all ages. Studies across western and eastern societies found that sense of belonging and family support acted as protective factors against mental and physical health risks for queer youth. Conversely, youth who has experienced peer victimization, homophobic bullying, or had been through sexual violence was found to associate with suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. Through these studies across different cultures, youth who do not identify as heterosexual are more likely than their heterosexual identifying counterparts to exhibit suicide-related behaviours like suicide ideation, planning, and suicide attempts. These behaviours can sometimes lead to fatal consequences.
Being an ally
In a fairly conservative society like Singapore, it is common for queer folks to be fearful of the repercussions of disclosing their sexual orientation as people may hold prejudices against them. Queer folks can be forced to hide in both professional and personal setting. Hence, they are not able to be their authentic self even with the people who they love and who love them. Through the research, we have seen the harm that discrimination can bring. Thus, it is crucial that as a society, we look to reduce the hurt that we can cause.
First and foremost, we have come a long way from the past. The past stigma and misconceptions should not be further perpetuated in the discussions today. Concerns from different groups are relevant and valid. One must differentiate opinions from facts and sound alarms when untruths are brought up to these discussions as it only hinders the process of real conversations happening. Untruths that are easily sensationalised and when repeated, it plays on people’s emotions. This creates fear which would likely lead to even more stigma and discrimination.
Secondly, one of the most basic rights that everyone deserves is a safe space to be their authentic self without being discriminated against or having to experience microaggression – where derogatory remarks are made under the disguise of a joke. It is not uncommon for minority groups to experience microaggression in our society. Minority groups include not just the queer community, but also people from different races or gender. Having a safe space for people in general is a step towards humanity and equality.
Lastly, in order to examine possible prejudices you might hold against the queer community, it is important to listen and keep the conversations open. Without conversations, there will be no progress. Hence, for everyone, in and outside of the community, even though it can be hard to hear opposing points from your beliefs, seek to understand and if you disagree, do so respectfully.
For the queer community
There may be times where things feel difficult and too much to handle, you are not alone. Seek people who understand and give you comfort and safety. You are worthy and you deserve to live the life you desire. If things are hard, reach out. You do not need to face it all by yourself. We will provide you with the safe space that you so deserve.
Interesting reads
https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/lgbt.2020.0323
https://img3.reoveme.com/m/3c687cf1bdd51716.pdf