LGBTQIA stand for

L means Lesbian

G means Gay

B means Bisexual

T means Transgender

Q means Queer

I means Intersex

A means Asexual

Belonging to any of the LGBTQIA identities was referred to as a criminal offence in India. But with the years long battle a verdict finally came on 6^th September, 2018 in which the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India unanimously scrapped down the article 377 giving the rainbow pride a great deal to celebrate for.

Imagine, how hard it must have been before article 377 was scraped. People were considered performing “illegal tasks” based on their sexual preferences, the ones they are born with, the things which we have no control, the things which are completely natural! Should it ever be termed “illegal”? The answer is a big “NO”

When people are not judged for their movie preferences or food preferences then why for their sexual preferences? It is their personal choice, their right and they should not be judged on the basis of their sexual preferences. It is high time we break the stigma associated with the LGBTQ community and treat them with respect and dignity that they deserve. But, these discriminations are so deep rooted that we end up treating the members of the LGBTQ community differently and sometimes even judge them! To learn more, connect with the best Psychologist near me at Talk to Angel.

Is it illegal to express love for an individual of the same sex? No, it is not, it is considered “normal” and a crucial part of our lives.  When expressing love for an animal or an individual of the opposite sex is natural, so should be the case with the LGBTQ community. They should not be bullied or looked down upon, they are human beings too, just like you and I, it’s time to widen our horizons and accept people and their choices!

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The problem starts when the terms used for the LGBT community are used as curse words or in a derogatory way. People often get offended when someone uses these terms for them or use these terms “just for fun” to offend their peers. The sad part is that people do not realize that these aren’t derogatory terms, these terms are used to refer to a particular community who are as normal as everybody else. And we wonder, why is that a problem? It is a problem because the terms used for the members of the LGBTQ community, should not be thrown around in a derogatory way, to make the other individual “feel bad”… Why are these words thrown around wrongly? Is it fair?

It is time that we break the shackles of stereotypes associated with the LGBTQ community, respect them, value them and treat them as normal individuals like you and I. Like every other individual , their choices are different and beautiful in their own unique way. They should be able to hold their heads high and we should be supportive and not look down upon them.

The negative judgements and stereotypes associated with the LGBTQ community makes it hard for them to come out, and they have to keep the secret to themselves because they may be judged by their peers or may not be accepted by their families. They have to live with the burden of the “big secret” and the anticipatory fear of what will happen once they come out. This significantly affects their mental health and they tend to suffer from anxiety, depression and in extreme cases, may also have suicidal ideations.

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What can we do to support members of the LGBTQ community?

• Members of the LGBTQ community should be accepted as they are and should be treated with dignity as any other individual.
• Negative thoughts such as “something is wrong with you” should not be injected in their minds, they should be told and should themselves believe that they’re perfectly normal the way they are.
• They should be given opportunities for education and employment, just like any other individual.
• They should not be forced to go for “conversion therapy” to be accepted by the society.
• It should be normal to come out. They should not be ridiculed or looked down upon, especially by family members for coming out. They should be treated with respected.

Sometimes we may express “pity” unknowingly towards someone who comes out, or treat them differently just go prove “we are okay with it”, which may come across wrongly and make them feel vulnerable. The right approach is to treat them, just how we treat every other peer. Do not “pity” them or “feel bad” for them.

Some tiny transformations in our attitude and outlook, can help break the stereotypes associated with the LGBTQ.

All we need to keep in mind is that the only way they are different from us, is in terms of their sexual preferences which is completely normal! As much as others feel free to express their feelings towards members of the opposite sex, members of the LGBTQ community should also be okay with expressing their feelings openly and without the feeling of being judged and such changes can be brought about with changes in our mind-set.

For more information on LGBTQ community, feel free to seek Online Counselling at TalktoAngel.

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