The Solutn to "Gay" Insults: Freedom of Speech | Psychology Today

Contents:

• AM I GAY?
• LETTERS TO THE EDOR: I’M GAY AND DON’T WANT TO PATRONIZE BIGOTS. THANKS, SUPREME COURT
• AM I GAY OR NOT QUIZ?
• AM I GAY? HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU ARE GAY?
• I LIKE GUYS BUT I DON’T WANT TO BE GAY. HOW DO I STOP BEG GAY?
• CAN SOMEONE BE HOMOSEXUAL AND NOT GAY?
• THE SOLUTN TO "GAY" INSULTS: FREEDOM OF SPEECH
• I’VE INTIFIED AS GAY FOR YEARS. NOT ANYMORE.

AM I GAY?

Wh this tt, you n fd out where you lie on the spectm of heterosexual, homosexual, allosexual, and asexual.

Jt for funI'm spic that I may be gayI've never had a csh on anyone, and am unsure where I lie on the spectm of sexualyWhat would your ial partner be if you two are gog to spend a week on an island?

But mak me unfortable to see gay upl 's a gay uple, 's fe. Havg sex wh the person I love mostCuddlg wh the person I love mostJt beg next to the person I love mostHangg out wh iends / beg aloneHow would you feel if your bt iend me out as gay? Gay - While this adjective has historilly scribed men who are attracted to other men, the term now is ed to refer to anyone who experienc romantic, emotnal, or physil attractn to people of the same genr.

LETTERS TO THE EDOR: I’M GAY AND DON’T WANT TO PATRONIZE BIGOTS. THANKS, SUPREME COURT

Sce genr inty and sexual orientatn are separate, transgenr people n intify as straight, gay, lbian, bisexual, etc. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angel Tim) To the edor: I wonr if the LGBTQ+ muny realiz that the Supreme Court lg favor of a webse signer who didn’t want to create weddg s for gay upl n work our favor as well. (“How the ripple effect of the Supreme Court’s 303 Creative cisn uld swamp civil rights, ” Opn, July 12)As a gay man, I am always ncerned if the bs where I spend my money are supportive of my muny.

AM I GAY OR NOT QUIZ?

In orr to have doubts about one’s sexual inty, a sufferer need not ever have had a homo- or heterosexual experience, or any type of sexual experience at all. If the sufferer is heterosexual, then the thought may be that they are homosexual. If on the other hand they happen to be homosexual they may obss about the possibily that they might really be straight.

” Some people’s doubts are further plited by havg such experienc as hearg other people talkg or lookg their directn and thkg that the people mt be analyzg their behavr or appearance and talkg about them – discsg how they mt be gay (or straight). For those wh thoughts of beg homosexual, part of the distrs mt surely be social orig.

AM I GAY? HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU ARE GAY?

Let’s face , gay people have always been an opprsed mory wh our culture, and to sudnly thk of beg this posn, and to be stigmatized this way, n be ighteng. I have sometim wonred if those who experience the most distrs om such thoughts as the do so bee they were raised wh more strongly homophobic or anti-gay attus to beg wh, or if is simply bee one’s sexualy n be such a basic doubt. Lookg at attractive men or women, or pictur of them, or readg sexually oriented lerature or pornography (hetero- or homosexual), to see if they are sexually excg.

I LIKE GUYS BUT I DON’T WANT TO BE GAY. HOW DO I STOP BEG GAY?

Observg themselv for evince of “lookg, ” talkg, walkg, drsg, or gturg like someone who is eher gay or straight. Compulsively reviewg and analyzg past teractns wh other men or women to see if they have acted like a gay or straight person.

CAN SOMEONE BE HOMOSEXUAL AND NOT GAY?

Readg articl on the ter about how an dividual n tell if they are gay or straight to see which group they might be most siar to. Do you thk I uld be gay (or straight)?

How n I tell if I’m really gay (or straight)? Can you sudnly turn to a homosexual (or heterosexual) even if you have never felt or acted that that way? Do I look (or act) gay (or straight) to you?

THE SOLUTN TO "GAY" INSULTS: FREEDOM OF SPEECH

If I get sexual sensatns when viewg sexual material of an oppose orientatn do mean I am gay (or straight)? A typil example would be a heterosexual man who experienc an erectn while lookg at gay eroti. This reactn is strengthened by the rrect belief that homosexual cu never stimulate heterosexuals.

Avoidg standg close to, touchg or bshg agast members of the same sex (or oppose sex if the sufferer is gay). Not readg or lookg at vios news reports books or articl havg anythg to do wh gay people or other sexual subjects.

I’VE INTIFIED AS GAY FOR YEARS. NOT ANYMORE.

Never sayg the words “gay, ” “homosexual, ” (or “straight”) or any other related term. Tryg to not look or act effemately (if a man), or a mascule way (if a woman), (or vice versa if the sufferer is gay). Not drsg ways that would make one look effemate (if a man), or mascule (if a woman), (aga vice versa if the sufferer is gay).

Avoidg associatg wh anyone who may be gay or who seems to lean that directn (if the sufferer is heterosexual). The flip si of this is when they look at thgs havg to do wh sex of an oppose orientatn and then feel aroed some way, which they then nclu to mean that they liked , which means that they are gay (or straight). Readg books by or about gay persons.