2 Jun 2021, 16:23
LGBTQ+
As many of you are well aware, we have a high concentration of LGBTQ+ members in this community. I decided to start a conversation thread I have had in the back of my mind for months, using this month as an opportunity to have a valid discussion. For those of us such as myself, the struggles members of the LGBTQ+ community are struggles that none of us will have to face. Details of our sexual lives will never be questioned. Out choice in clothes, pronouns and partners will never need to be explained. The risk of rejection, violence, criminalization, substance abuse, STDs, abuse, health (mental and otherwise) disorders impact this portion of the community disproportionately.
While we have the great fortune of being in an inclusive and accepting community, the stigma associated with gender and sexual minorities places many of our friends at risk for violence which is underreported, shame associated with the stigma of being who they are (terms such as 'disordered' and being classified as mentally ill), homelessness (either due to being kicked out of their home, being unwelcome in a community or job instability associated with their status) and high risk behaviors (such as having multiple partners, failing to discuss health problems and sexual/gender concerns with healthcare providers, and lack of education regarding relevant safety measures LGBTQ+ members should make to improve or protect their health).
Some statistics, with resources --
LGBTQ+ in the UK [Source]
I plan on discussing a few important topics over the next month that are relevant to this community but may be uncomfortable for some. This includes 'safety' in terms of physical relationships with others. While always PG13, I understand that some people are uncomfortable with these important topics.
While we have the great fortune of being in an inclusive and accepting community, the stigma associated with gender and sexual minorities places many of our friends at risk for violence which is underreported, shame associated with the stigma of being who they are (terms such as 'disordered' and being classified as mentally ill), homelessness (either due to being kicked out of their home, being unwelcome in a community or job instability associated with their status) and high risk behaviors (such as having multiple partners, failing to discuss health problems and sexual/gender concerns with healthcare providers, and lack of education regarding relevant safety measures LGBTQ+ members should make to improve or protect their health).
Some statistics, with resources --
LGBTQ+ in the UK [Source]
- Half of LGBT people (52 per cent) said they’ve experienced depression in the last year.
- Nearly two-thirds of bi women (72 per cent) and just over half of bi men (56 per cent) have experienced anxiety in the last year.
- Only half of lesbian, gay and bi people (46 per cent) and trans people (47 per cent) feel able to be open about their sexual orientation or gender identity to everyone in their family.
- More than one in ten LGBT people (11 per cent) have faced domestic abuse from a partner in the last year.
- Half of black, Asian and minority ethnic LGBT people (51 per cent) have experienced discrimination or poor treatment from others in their local LGBT community because of their ethnicity.
- A third of lesbian, gay and bi people of faith (32 per cent), and one in four trans people of faith (25 per cent), aren’t open with anyone in their faith community about their identity.
- One in eight trans people (12 per cent) have been physically attacked by customers or colleagues in the last year.
- At the university level more than a quarter of LGBT students (28 per cent) say they were excluded by other students for being LGBT.
- One in five LGBT people have experienced a hate crime or incident because of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity in the last 12 months
- Two in five trans people have experienced a hate crime or incident because of their gender identity in the last 12 months
- The number of LGB people who have experienced a hate crime or incident in the last year because of their sexual orientation has risen by 78 percent since 2013
- Four in five LGBT people who have experienced a hate crime or incident didn’t report it to the police
- Around 40% of homeless youth are LGBT.
- Research has shown that LGBTQ+ youth who experienced stronger familial rejection regarding their sexuality or gender identity were 8 times more likely to have tried to commit suicide, 6 times more likely to report high levels of depression, 3 times more likely to use illegal drugs, and 3 times more likely to have risky sex.
- September 27 since 2008 the National Association of People with AIDS launched this observance day to recognize the disproportionate impact of the epidemic on gay men.
- Of the 37,968 new HIV diagnosis's in 2018 in the US, 69% were among gay and bisexual men.
- As of July 2014, same-sex marriage is legal in 19 states plus the District of Columbia.
- The “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, which restricted lesbians, gays, and bisexuals in the military from openly serving, was lifted in 2011. People who are transgender are not permitted to serve openly yet.
- In July 2009, the Senate approved the Matthew Shepard Act, which outlaws hate crimes based on both sexual orientation and gender identity.
- The Employment Nondiscrimination Act passed Congress in 2007 is the act that prohibits discrimination of sexual orientation in the workplace, specifically during hiring.
- In 1973 the American Psychological Association removed the diagnosis of “homosexuality” from the second edition of its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM). [Source]
- With the publication of DSM–5 in 2013, “gender identity disorder” was eliminated and replaced with “gender dysphoria.” This change further focused the diagnosis on the gender identity-related distress that some transgender people experience (and for which they may seek psychiatric, medical, and surgical treatments) rather than on transgender individuals or identities themselves. [Source]
- 72 countries criminalize same-sex relationships (and in 45 the law is applied to women as well as men)
- The death penalty is either ‘allowed’, or evidence of its existence occurs, in 8 countries
- In more than half the world, LGBT people may not be protected from discrimination by workplace law
- Most governments deny trans people the right to legally change their name and gender from those that were assigned to them at birth
- Between 2008 and 2014, there were 1,612 trans people were murdered across 62 countries - equivalent to a killing every two days
- A quarter of the world’s population believes that being LGBT should be a crime
- In 1990, the World Health Organization removed homosexuality per se from the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) [Source]
- Denmark was the first country to declassify "gender dysphoria" as a mental disorder in 2017. [Source]
- The World Health Organization (WHO) announced in 2018 plans to remove "gender identity disorder" from its global manual of diagnoses [Source], this has an anticipated deadline of January 1, 2022 [Source].
- What Parents Should Know
- It Gets Better Project
- American Psychological Association regarding LBGTQ
- GLSEN.org - Gat, Lesbian & Straight Education Network
- GSA - Gay Straight Alliance Network
- PFLAG - Parents, Families, Friends and Loved Ones of Lesbians and Gays
I plan on discussing a few important topics over the next month that are relevant to this community but may be uncomfortable for some. This includes 'safety' in terms of physical relationships with others. While always PG13, I understand that some people are uncomfortable with these important topics.
There is something about ambition, how it not only propels you but also defines you.
2 Jun 2021, 16:41
LGBTQ+
This is so amazing that you are informing people about this. I myself am questioning my gender identity and sexuality even at a younger age. I really hope this helps people that do not understand the LGBTQIA+ community for what it is.
Sta: 6 | Eva: 7 | Str: 4 | Wis: 7 | Arc: 5 | Acc: 6
"Maybe if we start telling people the brain is an app
they´ll start using it" - unknown
2 Jun 2021, 21:36
LGBTQ+
3 Jun 2021, 08:09
LGBTQ+
The way you make this site as safe as possible warm my heart. As a LGBTQ+ person who lived in one of those Asian country, I'm so glad that you post this thread. For that I want to say thank you for your time to educated and informed us with all of this.
What you do is above and beyond
What you do is above and beyond
| sta • 10 | eva • 10 | str • 10 FROM ASHES WE RISE wis • 8 | arc • 8 | acc • 10 | PA | OS | PM Y3 THROUGH⠀THE⠀YEARS ability | PM Y5 | ability |
3 Jun 2021, 22:21
LGBTQ+
Thank you so much Lear for looking out for our community, you make us all feel safe and welcome regardless of our gender or identity. The education and recognition of our struggles is super important so again a huge thank you for this! 
♡ Life is just a trip, don't let it trip you up - Cash Campbell
5 Jun 2021, 04:47
LGBTQ+
[quote]
Some Canadian specific supports:
LGBT Youthline - Confidential peer support for youths.
The Lifeline Canada Foundation - This organization focuses on mental health and suicide prevention
The Canadian Center for Gender and Sexual Diversity
The ArQuives - An archive for documenting LGBTQ history in Canada
Some Canadian specific supports:
LGBT Youthline - Confidential peer support for youths.
The Lifeline Canada Foundation - This organization focuses on mental health and suicide prevention
The Canadian Center for Gender and Sexual Diversity
The ArQuives - An archive for documenting LGBTQ history in Canada
Don't confuse my attitude with my personality. My personality is who I am; my attitude depends on who you are.
5 Jun 2021, 16:46
LGBTQ+
Keeping the conversation going -- Pride Month is not really about flaunting sexuality or gender identity, it is a celebration of diversity and it is an opportunity to educate others regarding this population in the hopes that stigmas are removed and people get the help that they need.
On the subject of celebrating -- members of the LGBTQ+ community have had roles in science, politics, entertainment and even been war heroes. There is no sterotype when it comes to members of this community but it is a facet of who they are.
George Washington Carver (1864-1943)
George Washington Carver was born into slavery in southwestern Missouri during the Civil War. A sickly child, Carver threw himself into education and was admitted to Iowa's Simpson College as the only African-American student, eventually joining the faculty after graduating. He would then head the agriculture department at Tuskegee University, where he devised agricultural innovations, including new uses for peanuts and sweet potatoes, including oil, flour, and ink. His work paved the way for modern advances in biofuels and cleaning products. Gay rumors followed Carver at Tuskegee, which were not dispelled when he and his research assistant, Austin Wingate Curtis, Jr., began living together. Curtis worked hard after Carver's death to preserve his companion's legacy. [Source]
Hans Scholl (1918-1943)
Hans Scholl was a founding member of the White Rose movement in Nazi Germany in the 1940s, leading opposition to Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party. The group produced six political resistance leaflets that demanded freedom for the German people, called Hitler a murderer, and encouraged resistance and revolt against his regime. The White Rose leaflets, distributed throughout Germany, became a rallying cry, and anti-Hitler graffiti began appearing in Munich, Scholl's home. The Gestapo was on the hunt for the leaflets' authors and Scholl, his sister Sophie, and the other founders of White Rose were discovered in February 1943 and immediately executed; Scholl's last words were "Long live freedom!" Prior to beginning the White Rose movement, Scholl was arrested and tried under the German code that criminalized homosexuality. [Source]
Leonardo da Vinci
Known as one of the greatest painters in history, the man behind the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper was more than just an artist. He was the preeminent mind of the Renaissance, intrigued by anatomy, technology, and alternate energy sources, subjects he advanced with his studies and drawings. da Vinci was also very human; at the age of 24, he was charged with sodomy (accusations later dropped because, allegedly, the men charged with him were from wealthy families). Though the television drama Da Vinci's Demons included some of the artist's gay relationships, no mainstream film has done the same. [Source]
Florence Nightingale (1820–1910)
While Florence Nightingale is most known as a nursing pioneer, she was also a trailblazing statistician whose prowess for numbers literally saved lives. She even made important contributions to data visualization — if you've ever seen a Coxcomb diagram, you've seen her handiwork. Nightingale is known to have had two passionate relationships with women during her life. One was with her aunt Mai Smith, who nursed her back to health during a serious illness and "became her protector, interpreter, and consoler." The other was an unrequited infatuation with a cousin named Marianne Nicholson, of whom Nightingale wrote, "I have never loved but one person with passion in my life, and that was her." [Source]
Alan Turing (1912–1954)
Alan Turing's story might be the best known in the history of LGBT scientists, and the saddest. Even if you don't know his story, you know his work — you're using it right now. Alan Turing is the namesake behind the Turing machine, which is the basis for all computers. He was also responsible for breaking the Nazi Enigma code during World War II, a feat highlighted in the 2014 film The Imitation Game. While the societies of some of the other scientists on this list may have accepted their unorthodox lifestyles, or at least looked the other way, homosexuality was a crime in mid-century England. Despite this, Turing was open with his friends at King's College in Cambridge and pursued relationships with men beyond that circle of safety. He was arrested for "indecency" in 1952, pled guilty, and was punished via hormone injections that left him impotent. Two years later, he's believed to have killed himself by eating a cyanide-laced apple. It wasn't until 2013 that the British government granted a posthumous pardon to this computing pioneer and war hero. [Source]
Willem Arondeus (22 August 1894 – 1 July 1943)
William was a Dutch artist and author who joined the Dutch anti-Nazi resistance movement during World War II. He participated in the bombing of the Amsterdam public records office to hinder the Nazi German effort to identify Dutch Jews and others wanted by the Gestapo. Arondeus was caught and executed soon after his arrest. Yad Vashem recognized Arondeus as Righteous Among the Nations. Arondeus was openly gay before the war and defiantly asserted his sexuality before his execution. His final words were: "Tell the people that homosexuals are not by definition weak." [Source]
Article regarding STEM and the LGBTQ+ Community - Link
For those that are interested in LGBTQ+ celebrities' - Link
On the subject of celebrating -- members of the LGBTQ+ community have had roles in science, politics, entertainment and even been war heroes. There is no sterotype when it comes to members of this community but it is a facet of who they are.
George Washington Carver (1864-1943)
George Washington Carver was born into slavery in southwestern Missouri during the Civil War. A sickly child, Carver threw himself into education and was admitted to Iowa's Simpson College as the only African-American student, eventually joining the faculty after graduating. He would then head the agriculture department at Tuskegee University, where he devised agricultural innovations, including new uses for peanuts and sweet potatoes, including oil, flour, and ink. His work paved the way for modern advances in biofuels and cleaning products. Gay rumors followed Carver at Tuskegee, which were not dispelled when he and his research assistant, Austin Wingate Curtis, Jr., began living together. Curtis worked hard after Carver's death to preserve his companion's legacy. [Source]
Hans Scholl (1918-1943)
Hans Scholl was a founding member of the White Rose movement in Nazi Germany in the 1940s, leading opposition to Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party. The group produced six political resistance leaflets that demanded freedom for the German people, called Hitler a murderer, and encouraged resistance and revolt against his regime. The White Rose leaflets, distributed throughout Germany, became a rallying cry, and anti-Hitler graffiti began appearing in Munich, Scholl's home. The Gestapo was on the hunt for the leaflets' authors and Scholl, his sister Sophie, and the other founders of White Rose were discovered in February 1943 and immediately executed; Scholl's last words were "Long live freedom!" Prior to beginning the White Rose movement, Scholl was arrested and tried under the German code that criminalized homosexuality. [Source]
Leonardo da Vinci
Known as one of the greatest painters in history, the man behind the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper was more than just an artist. He was the preeminent mind of the Renaissance, intrigued by anatomy, technology, and alternate energy sources, subjects he advanced with his studies and drawings. da Vinci was also very human; at the age of 24, he was charged with sodomy (accusations later dropped because, allegedly, the men charged with him were from wealthy families). Though the television drama Da Vinci's Demons included some of the artist's gay relationships, no mainstream film has done the same. [Source]
Florence Nightingale (1820–1910)
While Florence Nightingale is most known as a nursing pioneer, she was also a trailblazing statistician whose prowess for numbers literally saved lives. She even made important contributions to data visualization — if you've ever seen a Coxcomb diagram, you've seen her handiwork. Nightingale is known to have had two passionate relationships with women during her life. One was with her aunt Mai Smith, who nursed her back to health during a serious illness and "became her protector, interpreter, and consoler." The other was an unrequited infatuation with a cousin named Marianne Nicholson, of whom Nightingale wrote, "I have never loved but one person with passion in my life, and that was her." [Source]
Alan Turing (1912–1954)
Alan Turing's story might be the best known in the history of LGBT scientists, and the saddest. Even if you don't know his story, you know his work — you're using it right now. Alan Turing is the namesake behind the Turing machine, which is the basis for all computers. He was also responsible for breaking the Nazi Enigma code during World War II, a feat highlighted in the 2014 film The Imitation Game. While the societies of some of the other scientists on this list may have accepted their unorthodox lifestyles, or at least looked the other way, homosexuality was a crime in mid-century England. Despite this, Turing was open with his friends at King's College in Cambridge and pursued relationships with men beyond that circle of safety. He was arrested for "indecency" in 1952, pled guilty, and was punished via hormone injections that left him impotent. Two years later, he's believed to have killed himself by eating a cyanide-laced apple. It wasn't until 2013 that the British government granted a posthumous pardon to this computing pioneer and war hero. [Source]
Willem Arondeus (22 August 1894 – 1 July 1943)
William was a Dutch artist and author who joined the Dutch anti-Nazi resistance movement during World War II. He participated in the bombing of the Amsterdam public records office to hinder the Nazi German effort to identify Dutch Jews and others wanted by the Gestapo. Arondeus was caught and executed soon after his arrest. Yad Vashem recognized Arondeus as Righteous Among the Nations. Arondeus was openly gay before the war and defiantly asserted his sexuality before his execution. His final words were: "Tell the people that homosexuals are not by definition weak." [Source]
Article regarding STEM and the LGBTQ+ Community - Link
For those that are interested in LGBTQ+ celebrities' - Link
There is something about ambition, how it not only propels you but also defines you.
5 Jun 2021, 23:14
LGBTQ+
A small note of interest that might fit into the latest post, Alexander's namesake, Alexander the Great, was possibly bisexual.
Link
He was known to have married three times (all of them women), of whom two were said to be marriages for political gains and one that was based on love. It is suggested by modern Historians that he had a romantic relationship with one of his generals, Hephaestion. Link. They were raised together since youth and one of their tutors describe the two as 'one soul in two bodies'. Though some of this info can be interpreted as a very close friendship.
Link
He was known to have married three times (all of them women), of whom two were said to be marriages for political gains and one that was based on love. It is suggested by modern Historians that he had a romantic relationship with one of his generals, Hephaestion. Link. They were raised together since youth and one of their tutors describe the two as 'one soul in two bodies'. Though some of this info can be interpreted as a very close friendship.
Memory is all we are. Moments and feelings, captured in amber, strung on filaments of reason. Take a man’s memories and you take all of him. Chip away a memory at a time and you destroy him as surely as if you hammered nail after nail through his skull
22 Jun 2021, 01:58
LGBTQ+
Wow! This was extremely informational. I am a little terrified of the stats from the USA for LGBTQ+ ;(
But overall, I have now understood the rumors for George Washington Carver. Thank you Lear
But overall, I have now understood the rumors for George Washington Carver. Thank you Lear
"I wish nothing but the best for you." - Adele
22 Jun 2021, 02:08
LGBTQ+
A fun fact:
Alexander Hamilton possibly had a intimate relationship with John Lauren’s, we believe this because of letters between the two.
Happy pride month everyone, keep safe.
Thank you for taking the time to do this Lear.
Alexander Hamilton possibly had a intimate relationship with John Lauren’s, we believe this because of letters between the two.
Happy pride month everyone, keep safe.
Thank you for taking the time to do this Lear.
“ Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.”
-Neil Gaiman, Coraline.