1. Lesbians are really mannish and sporty and gays are very effeminate and flamboyant.
This is a stereotype and although it is sometimes true, I know plenty of very feminine lesbians and masculine gays.
2. Bisexuals fancy everybody that has ever existed ever.
Actually, just because bisexuals have the opportunity to fancy twice as many people as you doesn’t mean they do.
3. It takes takes years and years to figure out your sexuality/gender identity.
For some people, this does take years to figure out and their sexuality/gender identity is a journey in itself. However, it takes a lot of people about 3-6 months to figure out their sexuality, and some people just know these things without even thinking about it.
4. Because it takes years and years to figure it out, kids can’t possibly decide yet.
This is sooooo not true! I’m only 11 and there are plenty of LGBT+ kids on KT around my age. Kids think about themselves in a way that others don’t and so if they know they’re gay, you can’t say “you’re too young to know that,”
5. Being LGBT+ is wrong/sinful.
Why? If you believe in any god(s), you probably believe it/they created everything, right? If it/they created everything, they created LGBT+ people too!
6. LGBT+ people are not religious, as being LGBT+ is not supported in most religions.
I know plenty of very religious LGBT+ people. According to Wikipedia, 60% of LGBT+ people regard their faith as one of the most important aspects of their life. It is possible to be LGBT+ and live in harmony with any religion!
7. All gay people have a hyper-aware ‘gaydar’.
This one is tough; some gay people have a very definitive and accurate ‘gaydar’, while others don’t. I don’t really have a very good one, but sometimes I can tell if a person is LGBT+.
8. Trans people are drag queens.
Some trans women have been pioneers of the drag world, but the majority are just normal people who feel they are another gender than the body they were born in.
9. There is a scientific explanation or a ‘reason’ for people being LGBT+.
There is nothing in the water we drink that makes people gay! Neither is it a genetic or hormonal mutation. It is a personal choice based on feelings and there is no ‘reason’ other than gender and love.
10. You decide to be LGBT+ and this decision can be changed, like choosing fries or salad.
It is true, trans people have transitioned and the de-transitioned, and there are gay people who discover they were straight after all, but it is not as easy as choosing to wear a red t-shirt instead of a green one. You don’t think, ‘I want to be lesbian!’ you think ‘I’m lesbian.’ You also cannot ‘cure’ people of being LGBT+. It’s not a sickness. Conversion therapy is wrong, and doesn’t work. If someone is lesbian, they’ve been lesbian since the day they were born, and nothing will change that except if their personal feelings change.
11. Everyone is born straight.
The thing is, society has adjusted to be so heteronormative that being fluid in who you are attracted to has become a sin. If people who are homosexual are ‘not normal’, why aren’t heterosexual people also ‘not normal’? They are both extremes on the opposite ends of the spectrum. Everyone is born bisexual, so straight people should come out as well.
12. LGBT+ people are not ‘normal’.
I don’t get this bit of ‘logic’. Of course they are normal! They are humans, like the rest of us! They are not evil. They are just people who happen to be slightly different to you. Sexuality is as diverse as hair colour, and no one gets executed for being a redhead! LGBT+ people appear to be a minority, but if you dig a little deeper, a lot of people are LGBT+ in some way!
I hope you enjoyed reading this, and it made you think a bit. If I have changed your opinions, great! If I haven’t and you would like to start a debate, please answer and I will reply as quickly as I can (if I’m not asleep). Don’t hate though. Sorry it was so long! xx :)
