It’s okay to be you
In this society, the common belief is that every child will grow up to be either a man or a woman who will fall in love with someone of the opposite sex, marry and build a family together.
Unless proven otherwise, a person is expected to be a cisgendered, straight individual, said Brooke Lambert, Access and Diversity LGBT programs coordinator, yet that definition doesn’t always work. Coming out as a differing sexual orientation becomes a big process full of judgment and misunderstanding.
“Living in such a heteronormative society, you know, we assume, first off, that everybody’s attracted to somebody else,” Lambert said. “And on top of that, you’re attracted to somebody of the opposite gender and then on top of that that there’s only two genders.”
Not everyone is attracted to the opposite gender, however, or identifies strictly as male or a female. Scientific studies done by the The National Center for Biotechnology Information, the Academy of Science of South Africa, the Medical University of Vienna and more have confirmed that gender isn’t simply based on physical characteristics and sexual attraction is developed before birth. The NCBI has even documented homosexual behavior among a broad variety of animal species.
Just as some people are attracted to blonde hair and pale skin while others like brown hair and dark skin, some people are attracted to the opposite gender where others prefer the same. While some people like to play sports, others are more interested in books, and so it is a person can be more comfortable being more feminine or masculine, no matter the gender they were assigned at birth.
Because of stigmas and judgement that surrounds people of different sexual orientations, it can be hard to share one’s identity with others, even family or close friends. Uncertain reactions face members of the LGBT community who tell their parents, friends and roommates about themselves and it can take a lot of courage to be true to who they are despite the reactions they experience.
Lambert said, being aware that straight is not the default orientation and understanding some of the many social issues that members of the LGBT community struggle with are a few steps in creating a safe and supportive environment that everyone can feel comfortable in.
“The biggest thing is awareness,” Lambert said, “talking about it, making sure people feel comfortable talking about it, that it is something that we can talk about. It’s not something that, you know, let’s just ignore it because if we ignore it then it doesn’t exist, you know?”
@miranda_lorenc