Jiselle Reyes - LGBTQ Underrepresentation

The Issue

I chose to discuss the lack of representation of the LGBTQ, especially for the youth. The LGBTQ youth need positive role models, safe, supportive spaces, and knowledge during their adolescence. They begin to form their identity outside of family and friends, but who can they talk to if they do not know someone to ask. While this issue has been in the public eye for years and has made progress, it is still a problem today. The LGBTQ community is still one of the most discriminated groups in the world. Today's youth need to be exposed to this community when they are questioning because this confusion can turn into a depressing and confusing downward spiral. A frightening statistic from The Trevor Project website is the LGBTQ youth are five times more likely to commit suicide than acceptable heterosexual youth. These are some of all consequences from the lack of representation and proper education of the community.

    Since youth spend most of their time at schools, the change for the better needs to start. Schools must introduce and educate about the LGBTQ community, and the people within are just ordinary people who should be respected. Schools must also educate LGBTQ youth about health and safety to not be clueless out in the real world. They can learn about the difference between gender identity and sexual orientation. They can learn about the people who identify outside of the binary system and ask about preferred pronouns. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, "... LGB youth are more likely than their heterosexual peers to experience negative health and life outcomes." By providing them with knowledge and proper representation of the community, every new generation will become more inclusive and welcoming to everybody. There are many resources for everyone to gather information and explore the vast community of the LGBTQ from videos of clarifying differences, common questions asked which are answered by psychology, and personal stories of other youths to help those who feel lost.  

Why it matters to me?

I chose this issue because, as I grew up, I did not know anything about the LGBTQ community during my high school years, where I was questioning my sexual orientation. During those four years, I often asked myself the "Am I gay?" question, which I could not answer. It was the most awkward and confusing time of my life. There was an LGBTQ club at my high school, but I was always too afraid to go for information about the club or even talk to someone about it. I did come out to my family on my twenty-first birthday/community college graduation party because it was there that I felt confident to answer the question. In my community college time, I found out more useful information and resources to answer my questions and meet people within the community who were very supportive. Growing up in a Hispanic family with strong religious beliefs, I did not always hear positive remarks about the LGBTQ community. However, I usually never listen since they were just drunken rants from traditional family members. In my past experiences, I was never told about the community, but I was told about their suffrage, which helped me develop my mind to become sympathetic. If I were taught about the LGBTQ community or even just exposed to it, I would not have been afraid and confused about my identity.

 

Resources:

“2018 LGBTQ Youth Report.” HRC, www.hrc.org/resources/2018-lgbtq-youth-report.

“Facts About Suicide.” The Trevor Project, 20 Sept. 2017, www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/preventing-suicide/facts-about-suicide/.

“LGBT Youth.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 21 June 2017, www.cdc.gov/lgbthealth/youth.htm.