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Today is the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia -- against bias, bigotry and discrimination towards gay, lesbian and bisexual people and trans people.
So, what do you do to counter either or both? What do you think you or others COULD do, if you're not doing anything already?
-------------------- Heather Corinna, Executive Director & Founder, Scarleteen About Me • Get our book! Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. - Margaret Mead Posts: 63699 | From: An island near Seattle | Registered: May 2000
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Aw, y'all. Maybe with a little help getting started?
So, I: • work in sex education, and work to make it and all sex ed more inclusive of both gender and orientation. • Call out gender or orientations stereotyping when I hear it, and correct with accurate information. • Stay very publicly out, especially when I'm dating male-identified people instead of women, so people may make more assumptions or apply heterosexual privilege. • Do my best to always talk about gender and orientation in ways that make clear both are very fluid and consist of a very wide spectrum. • Support organizations which support GLBT rights and get the word out about them.
-------------------- Heather Corinna, Executive Director & Founder, Scarleteen About Me • Get our book! Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. - Margaret Mead Posts: 63699 | From: An island near Seattle | Registered: May 2000
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I call out homophobia when I hear it and stereotyping, most of the time (I am not 100% out, so sometimes I feel uncomfortable about it). I am fairly out and I do talk a lot about homophobia, as well as other issues pertaining to discrimination against any minorities. I plan to do more in the future when I am 100% out, but for now that is all.
-------------------- ~moonlight
I am ME and that is the only label I need. Posts: 828 | From: Ontario, Canada | Registered: Oct 2009
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-I am sure to ask if I am unsure of what pronoun to use, and then I use the right one to refer to the person in every situation that I speak of them. Likewise, I correct those who think the chosen pronoun should only be used when face-to-face with the person. I discourage/correct others who, when mad at trans "friends", use the incorrect pronoun. (some friends...pssh. *eye roll*)
-Like you, Heather, I do my best to make sure I talk about gender and orientation in a fluid manner.
- I question popular depiction of homosexuals and trans in the media (movies, books, tv) to try and raise awareness.
- I do my best to help newly out friends to resources, such as this site, the GLSEN (good help hotline), counseling groups in the area, and fun stuff like Pride and/or good queer friendly areas in the city
-------------------- - "And when everyone is super, no one will be."
-Syndrome, "THE INCREDIBLES" Posts: 116 | From: Olympia, WA | Registered: May 2007
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-------------------- Heather Corinna, Executive Director & Founder, Scarleteen About Me • Get our book! Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. - Margaret Mead Posts: 63699 | From: An island near Seattle | Registered: May 2000
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I make friends and hang out with people who are out and proud queers. I defend their right to be who they are when others put them down. I support people who come out to me, professionally and personally. I belong to organizations which address GLBT health disparities at a local level.
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For a long time, I thought I couldn't stand up against transphobia and homophobia without getting myself labeled as homosexual and being discriminated against.
Then, a couple months ago, It came up in conversation with my brother, and I told him my views. The conversation ended, and I didn't think it really made any impact.
Then, about a month or two later, he said after our talk, he stopped using the word "gay" to refer to things he didn't like. And it made me feel really good, because even if it was just one person, I feel like I made a difference. And hopefully I'll be able to do so again.
Posts: 430 | From: United States | Registered: Apr 2009
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-------------------- Heather Corinna, Executive Director & Founder, Scarleteen About Me • Get our book! Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. - Margaret Mead Posts: 63699 | From: An island near Seattle | Registered: May 2000
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This is awesome, I didn't see it yesterday. So for me, I:
Volunteer here to provide support and education to people who identify in many different ways sexually and in terms of gender
Am setting up a straight-inclusive LGBT society at my relatively conservative university
Campaign on my university's equality and diversity committee for better representation and services for people of diverse sexualities and gender identities
Regularly call out and correct people (nicely) who use offensive/noninclusive terms or comments to describe certain sexualities or gender identities
Use Facebook to take part in and sometimes host visible discussions of articles or difficult questions with my friends (sounds silly, but it's part of making our social network a safe space for discussing these things, right?)
The stuff everyone's doing is awesome! High fives, all!
-------------------- “In a strange room, before you are emptied for sleep, what are you. And when you are filled with sleep you never were. I don’t know what I am. I don’t know if I am or not... how often have I lain beneath rain on a strange roof, thinking of home.” Posts: 1269 | From: London, UK | Registered: Jun 2006
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I go to a performing/visual arts school, so there's not much bullying or homophobia at all. There's a large GLBT crowd there that I love to hang out with (I am questioning, but staying with bisexuality right now). Usually I try to stay away from homophobics because they make me so angry. If they approach me with hate or whatever, I tell them what I think about GLBT and gay rights, etc. We had a debate about if gay marriage should be legalized one time, and out of probably 20+ people in the room (some of which weren't even in our class), only 3 went to the other side and their arguements were poorly stated. I make a point of saying that gay relationships are just the same as straight relationships, only with same sex couples instead of opposite sex.
Posts: 11 | From: Texas | Registered: Apr 2011
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