Name: Alper Tamay Arslan

Section: 9
23.09.2020

Eliminating LGBT Stigma: Similar People but Different Feelings

In our era, people are stigmatized due to their social characteristics such as culture, race, and
gender. Stigma may also be described as a label that associates a person to a set of unwanted
characteristics that form a stereotype. Based on this, some derogated people started grouping
because they were excluded, and in our society, one of them is LGBT. This stigmatization toward
LGBT people leads to overt and covert prejudice and discrimination, and groups are
disadvantaged in terms of opportunities they are afforded and the outcomes that they achieve. If I
try to reduce the stigmatization, I strongly believe that educating people and contact between
them can be useful.
LGBT people are stigmatized with some affairs that normal people have not handled in their
life. People show attitude toward them, and they approach with prejudice. In particular, the
homophobic attitudes of heterosexual individuals towards homosexual, bisexual individuals, and
their communities they belong to their behaviors are striking. While heterosexuality may seen as
a 'normal' tendency by the society, sexual predispositions other than this can be seen as 'abnormal'
or 'deviant' behavior. Encountering such a stigmatization problem may cause LGBT individuals
to experience psychological issues such as depression, alcohol, and substance abuse, and even
lead them to suicide. In some situations, LGBT people may not have access to services that
normal people can easily access. They may have difficulties when they want to take advantage of
some of the opportunities provided to the public. Also, stigmatized people may not be able to get
the service they want for their purposes, or they may not obtain and use them in the direction they
want. Such as limited access to high-quality health care, defending their rights legally, getting and
keeping health insurance, or any other local serviceFurthermore, derogated groups are exposed to
discrimination. If they want to buy or rent a house, the owner can give up selling or renting the
house after learning that a customer is an LGBT person. According to Mallory, Brown, Russell,
and Sears (2017), “Texas is home to more than 770,000 LGBT adults and 158,500 LGBT young
people. LGBT people there lack basic legal protections. Statewide laws in Texas provide no
protection against discrimination in areas such as employment and housing.” Many examples like
this are found around the world, especially in our society, and most LGBT people face these
issues, and their lives become even more difficult. LGBT individuals face problems in economic
stability. Discrimination against LGBT workers can lead to financial instability, including lower
wages and higher rates of poverty. In addition discrimination against LGBT employees may
affect businesses by creating a workforce that can be less productive, and by making it more
difficult for employers to recruit and retain the most talented employees.
I am deeply convinced that educating people who suffer from stigma, and creating a more
social environment and getting in touch with other people can reduce stigmatization. Educational
anti-stigma interventions can present factual information about the stigmatized condition to
correct misinformation or contradict negative attitudes and beliefs. They counter inaccurate
stereotypes or myths by replacing them with facts. Frequently, contact-based interventions may
be combined with education, where factual information is presented. The people with lived
experience support and personalize the information by relating it to their own life experiences.
One of the best ways to reduce stigma is through educational campaigns (National Academies of
Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2016). Although prepared for a different purpose, it can be
useful in improving stress management and increasing self-esteem. Across a wide range of
stigmatizing conditions, people without stigmatized conditions have little meaningful contact
with those who have these conditions. Lack of contact can foster discomfort, distrust, and fear in
derogated individuals. Contact interventions like media aim to overcome this interpersonal divide
and facilitate positive interaction and connection between these groups (Sathyanath, 2020). There
is no communication tool as big as the media today certainly. Media play an important part in
forming, maintaining, and countering stigmatization.
To sum up, people are stigmatized due to their social characteristics. In our society, one of the
stigmatized groups is LGBT. Stigmatization leads to overt and covert prejudice and
discrimination, and groups are disadvantaged in terms of opportunities they are afforded and the
outcomes that they achieve. In my opinion, educating people and contact between them can
reduce stigmatization.
 References

"4 Approaches to Reducing Stigma." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and

Medicine. 2016. Ending Discrimination Against People with Mental and Substance Use
Disorders: The Evidence for Stigma Change. Washington, DC: The National Academies
Press https://www.nap.edu/read/23442/chapter/6

Mallory, C., Brown, T., Russell, S., & Sears, B. (2020, August 07). The Impact of Stigma and
Discrimination Against LGBT People in Texas. Retrieved September 16, 2020, from
https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/publications/impact-lgbt-discrimination-tx/

Sathyanath, S. M. (2020). Stigma reduction and provision of mental health services in the public
health response to COVID-19. Retrieved September 16, 2020, from
https://www.iapsmupuk.org/journal/index.php/IJCH/article/view/1459/1004