Belief God Supports Prejudice Agast Gays and Atheists | Psychology Today

Contents:

• WHERE DO ANTI-GAY PREJUDICE COME FROM?
• BELIEF GOD SUPPORTS PREJUDICE AGAST GAYS AND ATHEISTS
• 10 ANTI-GAY MYTHS DEBUNKED

WHERE DO ANTI-GAY PREJUDICE COME FROM?

Dpe the persistence of stereotyp that portray lbian, gay, and bisexual people as disturbed, several s of rearch and clil experience have led all mastream medil and mental health anizatns this untry to nclu that the orientatns reprent normal forms of human experience.

Helpful rpons of a therapist treatg an dividual who is troubled about her or his same sex attractns clu helpg that person actively pe wh social prejudic agast homosexualy, succsfully rolve issu associated wh and rultg om ternal nflicts, and actively lead a happy and satisfyg life. The phrase “g out” is ed to refer to several aspects of lbian, gay, and bisexual persons’ experienc: self-awarens of same-sex attractns; the tellg of one or a few people about the attractns; wispread disclosure of same-sex attractns; and intifitn wh the lbian, gay, and bisexual muny.

Th, is not surprisg that lbians and gay men who feel they mt nceal their sexual orientatn report more equent mental health ncerns than do lbians and gay men who are more open; they may even have more physil health problems. Lbian, gay, and bisexual youth who do well spe strs—like all adolcents who do well spe strs—tend to be those who are socially petent, who have good problem-solvg skills, who have a sense of tonomy and purpose, and who look forward to the future. If they are a heterosexual relatnship, their experienc may be que siar to those of people who intify as heterosexual unls they choose to e out as bisexual; that se, they will likely face some of the same prejudice and discrimatn that lbian and gay dividuals enunter.

BELIEF GOD SUPPORTS PREJUDICE AGAST GAYS AND ATHEISTS

When lbians, gay men, and bisexual people feel ee to make public their sexual orientatn, heterosexuals are given an opportuny to have personal ntact wh openly gay people and to perceive them as dividuals. Acrdg to fdgs om the survey “Discrimatn Ameri: Experienc and Views of LGBTQ Amerins, ” a majory of LGBTQ+ people have at some pot been the target of homophobic slurs and negative ments about their sexualy and genr inty, and most have been threatened or harassed or have experienced vlence at some pot bee of their sexual orientatn or genr inty.

10 ANTI-GAY MYTHS DEBUNKED

Moreover, as support for the bill creased, so too did the claims that the protectns would vlate the relig eedom of those who see homosexualy as a s, rultg the addn of relig-exemptn language versns of the bill.

For example, a 2017 survey nducted by the Center for Amerin Progrs, 8 percent of gay, lbian, and bisexual rponnts reported beg nied service by a doctor or health re provir; 7 percent reported that doctors had refed to regnize their fay, such as a child or same-sex partner; 9 percent reported that provirs had ed abive language; and 7 percent experienced unwanted physil ntact by a doctor or health re provir. For example, the Amerin Psychiatric Associatn removed homosexualy om the list of mental illns documented s Diagnostic and Statistil Manual 1973, and the Amerin Psychologil Associatn has taken a affirmative stance toward LGBTQ+ people sce 1975.

For example, 1976, when Gallup asked rponnts how they felt about protectg “homosexuals” agast employment discrimatn general, only a small majory (56 percent) supported protectns, but when they asked aga 2008, the percentage supportg protectns creased to 89 percent. For example, participants’ rpons to qutns about their fort “employg homosexuals” n vary signifintly pendg on whether the qutn foc on the fair treatment of LGBTQ+ people or the moral acceptance of homosexualy.