Strenths
Solidarity |
The community itself is a source of strength and solidarity.The community consists of millions of kindhearted people. Many members also belong to families of supportive people and have very supportive friends. Above all, members value and believe in equality and recognition. On top of their values and drive, they are bright and original and strive to work together.
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Coping and Resiliency
Members of the LGBTQIA community work together positively to manage and get through and use various skills to do so. The community has developed many mutual resiliency strategies. Such strategies including celebrating sexual and gender diversity, resisting discrimination by building safe spaces and creating support networks or advocacy groups.
Common resilience strategies include
The Impact of Social Media
Social media has also expanded opportunities for networking or coping strategies. Blogging platforms often host LGBTQ communities and have contributed to digital campaigns such as "It Get's Better," "The Trevor Project," "NOH8," "FCKH8," and "LegalizeTrans." Social media has also created many support hashtags such as #sayhername, #thisiswhattranslookslike, and #mynameis..." and contributed in spreading awareness through nationally coordinating events like the Day of Silence, Coming Out Day, Day of Transgender Visibility, and the Transgender Day of Remembrance.
Common resilience strategies include
- attending support groups and other LGBTQ centers created by the community
- visiting gay bars
- holding drag performances or "drag queen bingo"
- attending pride fests or marching in demonstrations and parades
- getting involved in peer mentoring programs
- participating in clothing exchanges
- creating LGBTQ crisis hotlines
The Impact of Social Media
Social media has also expanded opportunities for networking or coping strategies. Blogging platforms often host LGBTQ communities and have contributed to digital campaigns such as "It Get's Better," "The Trevor Project," "NOH8," "FCKH8," and "LegalizeTrans." Social media has also created many support hashtags such as #sayhername, #thisiswhattranslookslike, and #mynameis..." and contributed in spreading awareness through nationally coordinating events like the Day of Silence, Coming Out Day, Day of Transgender Visibility, and the Transgender Day of Remembrance.
LGBTQ Focused Entertainment
Hollywood began making movies with LGBT characters after the gay rights movement but larger focused on LGB members until now. Previously, movies like The Rocky Horror Picture Show were cult classics buried in anonymity. Queer cinema began expanding in the 90s with films like Philadelphia, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Dessert, Paris is Burning, Ma Vie en Rose, and Boys Don't Cry. With the start of the millennium, Queer cinema exploded and Hollywood clamored to make LGBT movies like Hedwig and the Angry Inch, RENT, Brokeback Mountain, MILK, The Kids are Alright, Texas Dallas Buyers Club, The Danish Girl and the soon to be released About Ray.
Visibility & role Models
The LGBTQIA community has many positive role models and the transgender community specifically is gaining more visibility and recognition among celebrities.
Many role models consist of celebrities who campaign for the community or are openly active in it. A few examples:
Many role models consist of celebrities who campaign for the community or are openly active in it. A few examples:
Most media networks today are shedding light on LGBTQ issues, especially by ushering transgender celebrities into the spotlight and airing shows like "Transparent," "I Am Cate," and "I Am Jazz." Even game developers are designing transgender characters like Cremisius "Krem" Aclassi from Dragon Age: Inquisition by Bioware. Additionally, celebrities with LGBTQ children are also setting examples by embracing their child's identity. Look no further than Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's acceptance of their "gender expansive" child, John, which is hotly contested by the larger media but they haven't felt the need to publically acknowledge society's curiosity.
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Sources of Discohesion
Peer Monitoring, Gender Policing
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Intra Group Divisions
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Attitudes held by other LGBTQ individuals and the general public have also led to "not trans enough" notions popular in social media, which tie back to stringent gender expression and presentation expectations.
Below: Video by Ryan Cassata, transman & muscian |
A subset of the LGBTQIA community regularly debate who truly belongs in the community and whether the "gay" community and "trans" community should be separate because of the distinctions between sexual identity and gender identity. Many also point to the drastic gaps in visibility and public acceptance of the various groups within the community. Of course, some within the community are just plain biased and have varying degrees of homophobia, biphobia or transphobia.
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Lack of Protection for Intersectionalism Within the Community.
While the gay rights movement has made huge strides under the Obama administrations, many members are still behind the curve for full equality and experience more obstacles to achieve healthy social functioning. These include members with economic, racial and gender inequalities, such as women, transgender individuals and people of color. The most prominent inequities affect trans women of color who encounter drastic rates of assault, harassment and violence ending in death. This alone, 21 transgender women have been murdered. Below is a report released by the Human Rights Campaign in early November, documenting each tragedy.
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References
Cassata, R. (2010, March 4) I’m NOT trans enough video/love ‘round the world. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-cvfKAcZNc
Hollywood Checkpoint. (2014, December 14). Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt support Shiloh’s wish to be called John. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xb8giW4wmTU
Kitchener, S. (2014, March 19). Out And proud: The 31 best LGBT celebrity role models in showbiz today. EntertainmentWise. Retrieved from http://archive.entertainmentwise.com/photos/144075/31/Out-And-Proud-The-31-Best-LGBT-Celebrity-Role-Models-In-Showbiz-Today
LGBvoice.org (2015, November) HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN, GLAAD, Lambda Legal, The Advocate, Out magazine, HuffPost Gay Voices: Drop the T. Retrieved from https://www.change.org/p/human-rights-campaign-glaad-lambda-legal-the-advocate-out-magazine-huffpost-gay-voices-drop-the-t
Vaid, U., Duggan, L., Metz, T., & Hollibaugh, A. (2013, June 27). What’s Next for the LGBT Movement? The Nation. Retrieved from http://www.thenation.com/article/whats-next-lgbt-movement/