MDTP211

SEXUAL ORIENTATION
 LEARNING OBJECTIVES
• Define what the acronym LGBTQIA stands for
• Define gender identity and sexual orientation
• Understand the history of discrimination against the
LGBT community
• Be aware of relevant employment legislation and the recent
lawsuits protecting LGBTQ workers
• Understand the life experiences of LGBT people compared
to heterosexual people
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
• Understand the tensions between
some religious beliefs and LGBT
rights
• Know about research findings
pertaining to LGBT families
• Be aware of the recommendations
for organizations to be inclusive of
the LGBT community
 THE ABC’s of LGBTQIA

• LGBT –
Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual and
Transgender
 DEFINING THE ACRONYM LGBTQIA

LESBIAN – a GAY- a man BISEXUAL – TRANSGENDER –

woman that is attracted to attracted to people who
attracted to other another man individual of both believe they are
woman male and female assigned the
sexes incorrect gender
at birth
DEFINING THE ACRONYM LGBTQIA

TRANGENDER
Trans men Trans women
(female-to-male) (male-to-female)
 DEFINING THE ACRONYM LGBTQIA

• “Male” and “Female” – used to describe

physical/biological sex (or assigned sex)

• “Man” and “Woman” – used to describe gender

identity (one’s true sense of internal self)

• “Masculine” and “Feminine” – used to describe a

person’s gender expression (how a person
expresses/communicates aspects of gender to the
outside world)
 DEFINING THE ACRONYM LGBTQIA

CISGENDER – HETEROSEXUAL- HOMOSEXUAL – TRANSGENDER –

refers to people refers to people refers to people people who
whose gender whose primary who are primary believe they are
identity aligns attraction is to attracted to those assigned the
with the gender individuals of of their same sex incorrect gender
opposite sex
DEFINING THE ACRONYM LGBTQIA

• “Heterosexual” and “Homosexual” were

introduced in the United States in
medical journals in the year 1914.

• “Homosexual” dates from around the

late 1860s when a Hungarian named
Karl Maria Kertbeny coined the term in
defense of same-sex love.
 DEFINING THE ACRONYM LGBTQIA
• However, it is no longer a preferred term according
to the American Psychological Association (APA)
because it may perpetuate negative stereotypes due
to:
a) “its historical associations with pathology”
b) its ambiguous nature, which is often “assumed
to refer exclusively to men and thus renders
lesbian invisible”
c) Its unclear nature
• Therefore, the preferred terminology is lesbian,
gay, bisexual, or transgender.
 DEFINING THE ACRONYM LGBTQIA
GENDER IDENTITY – refers to whether a SEXUAL ORIENTATION - refers to whom
person identifies as being of male or female. individuals are sexually/romantically attracted.

INTERSEX – a condition where a person is born

with a sexual anatomy that does not fit the tradition
male or female.

QUEER – meant to encompasses people who ASEXUAL – people with a sexual orientation
are gay, lesbian, transgender and intersex. characterized by a lack of sexual attraction or desire
for a sexual partner
LGBT COMMUNITY HISTORICAL
BACKGROUND
• Some people in the
LGBT community
conceal their sexual
identity, or remain in the
closet in order to avoid
the stigma and
discrimination that can
come with identifying
themselves as members
of the LGBT
community.
• Almost 2.8 billion people
are living in countries
where identifying as gay
could lead to
imprisonment, corporal
punishment or even
death.
The Concept of Passing and Privilege
• As a result, many individuals pass,
meaning they conceal their identity
and let others think they belong to a
group when they in fact do not.
• The choice to reveal their sexual
identity or to pass is daily one for
members of LGBT community.
The Concept of Passing and Privilege
• LGBT individuals may also decide
to avoid challenges that may arise
from revealing one’s sexual identity
in certain company where it may not
be safe to do so if that information
may be used against them.
The Concept of Passing and Privilege
• The concept of privilege refers to
certain advantages the majority
group experiences in daily life
because society makes assumptions
that their situation is the norm.
ATTITUDES TOWARD THE LGBT
COMMUNITY
Sodomy
• Refers to a crime of copulating with
a member of the same sex
• Thee Carolinas were the last to drop
the death penalty for sodomy, in
years after the Civil War.
Sodomy
• Thomas Jefferson attempted to
introduce Bill 64 which would provide a
more lenient penalty.
• “ Whosoever shall be guilty of Rape,
Polygamy or Sodomy with man or
woman shall be punished, if a man, by
castration, if a woman, by cutting
through the cartilage of her nose a hole
and of one half diameter at the least.
The Pink Triangle: From Nazi Label to Symbol of Gay Pride

• Before the pink triangle became a worldwide

symbol of gay power and pride, it was
intended as a badge of shame.
• In Nazi Germany, a downward-pointing
pink triangle was sewn onto the shirts of gay
men in concentration camps—to identify
and further dehumanize them.
• It wasn’t until the 1970s that activists would
reclaim the symbol as one of liberation.
The Pink Triangle: From Nazi Label to Symbol of Gay Pride

• It is estimated that about 100,000

gay men were arrested; and about
50,000 were found guilty of being
homosexual and sent to Nazi
concentrated camps, where between
5,000 to 15,000 of them were killed.
Pink triangles were originally used in concentration camps to identify gay prisoners.
LGBT RIGHTS OVER THE YEARS AND
PIONEERS OF THE LGBT RIGHTS MOVEMENT
 International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association

• ILGA – reports the same-sex relationships are

understood and either tolerated or accepted in
many parts of the world.
• In other parts of the world where the LGBT
community is not understood or accepted, gay,
lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals can
face discrimination and hate crimes.
 Magnus Hirschfeld
• German physician who was an
important theorist of sexuality and
a prominent advocate of gay rights
in the early 20th century.
• He is best known for his subsequent
theory of sexual intermediaries,
such as hermaphroditism,
homosexuality, and transvestism.
• He is also credited with coining the
term transvestite.
 Magnus Hirschfeld
• In 1897, established the world’s first gay
organization, Scientific-Humanitarian
Committee with Max Spohr, Franz Josef von
Bülow, and Eduard Oberg.
• Its main goal was to fight for the
abolishment of Paragraph 175 of the
German Imperial Penal Code, which
punished sexual contact between men.
• In 1899 he started the Yearbook of
Intermediate Sexual Types, the first journal
in the world to deal with sexual variants; it
was regularly published until 1923.
 Magnus Hirschfeld
• Published an important study on cross-
dressing, The Transvestites (1910).
• Hirschfeld was one of the founders of the
Medical Society for Sexual Science and
Eugenics, established in 1913.
• The next year he published his study
Homosexuality in Men and Women
• Participated in the production of the first
film to call for the decriminalization and
acceptance of homosexuality, Different
from the Others (1919).
 Magnus Hirschfeld
• Hirschfeld founded the World
League for Sexual Reform (WLSR),
which had its roots in an early
conference that he had organized in
1921, the First International
Conference for Sexual Reform on a
Scientific Basis.
• The WSLR called for reform of sex
legislations, the right to
contraception and sex education,
and legal and social equality of the
sexes.
 Oscar Wilde
• One of England’s most prominent
writers who was put on trial for
being gay in 1895, found guilty and
sentenced to the maximum penalty.
• This trial made popular the phrase
“the love that dare not speak its
name,” which is from a poem
written by Wilde’s companion,
Lord Alfred Douglas.
 Sigmund Freud

• Basic Theory of human sexuality was

that all human beings were innately
bisexual, and that they become
heterosexual as a result of their
experiences with parents and others.
Sigmund Freud
 Henry Gerber

• Founded the first LGBT rights

organization in the United States,
Society of Human Rights, in December
1924.
• A German immigrant who had come to
the United States in 1913 and served in
WWI at a post in Germany, was
influenced by the world’s first
movement on homosexual rights in
Germany.
 Henry Gerber
• After receiving a charter from
the state of Illinois, the society
published the first American
publication for homosexuals,
Friendship and Freedom.
• Gerber moved to New York
City and continued to write
articles and books advocating
for gay and lesbian rights until
his death in 1972.
• Library in Chicago, founded in
1981, is named after him.
 The American Psychiatric Association

• Categorized homosexuality as a
mental illness until 1973.
• Removed the diagnosis of
“homosexuality” from their
Diagnostic and Statistical
Manual of Mental Disorder.
 The Stonewall Uprising (Stonewall Riots)
• Began in the early hours of June 28, 1969 when New
York City police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay
club located in Greenwich Village in New York City.
• The raid sparked a riot among bar patrons and
neighborhood residents as police roughly hauled
employees and patrons out of the bar, leading to six
days of protests and violent clashes with law
enforcement outside the bar on Christopher Street,
in neighboring streets and in nearby Christopher
Park.
• The Stonewall Riots served as a catalyst for the gay
rights movement in the United States and around
the world.
 The Stonewall Uprising (Stonewall Riots)
• Though the Stonewall uprising was a
galvanizing force for LGBT political activism,
leading to numerous gay rights organizations,
including the Gay Liberation Front, Human
Rights Campaign, GLAAD (formerly Gay and
Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation), and
PFLAG (formerly Parents, Families and
Friends of Lesbians and Gays).
• In 2016, President Barack Obama designated
the site of the riots—Stonewall Inn, Christopher
Park, and the surrounding streets and sidewalks
—a national monument in recognition of the
area’s contribution to gay rights.
DISCRIMINATION TOWARD THE LGBT
COMMUNITY In Employment
 LGBT Employment Discrimination
• General Social Survey
(GSS), have shown that a
large proportion of LGBT
people experience
discrimination in the
workplace because of their
sexual orientation and/or
gender identity.
• Discrimination in the
workplace and in hiring
practices against LGBT
people continues to be
commonplace in the world.
 LGBT Employment Discrimination

• An individual’s socioeconomic
position may also be related to
experiences of discrimination.
• Evidence has shown that gay
and bisexual men who earned
higher incomes were
significantly less likely to report
discrimination compared to
those of lower socioeconomic
position.
 LGBT Employment Discrimination
• Unemployment rates among
transgender respondents are three
times higher than the general
population, according to data from the
National Center for Transgender
Equality.
• In many cases, discrimination against
and unfair treatment of LGBT persons
remains legally permitted.
• The legal system does not prohibit
discrimination on the basis of sexual
orientation and gender identity in
several states, including workplace
discrimination.
• Discrimination against LGBT persons
in the workplace is a significant factor
in socioeconomic differences for LGBT
persons
 LGBT Employment Discrimination
• Studies have shown that 42 percent to
68 percent of LGBT individuals report
experiencing employment
discrimination (Badgett, 2012;
Fassinger, 2007).
• In one study, 90 percent of surveyed
transgender respondents reported
experiencing harassment,
mistreatment or discrimination at
work due to their gender identity
(Grant et al., 2011).
• 47 percent of transgender individuals
also reported being discriminated
against in hiring, firing, and
promotion;
• over 25 percent reported they had lost
a job due to discrimination on the
basis of their gender identity (Grant et
al., 2011).
RELEVANT LEGISLATION
 Relevant Legislations in the Philippines
• The Constitution of the Philippines does
not prohibit same-sex marriage. Allowed
for individuals but not allowed for same-
sex couples. The Philippines is ranked as
one of the most gay-friendly nations in
Asia.

• The Philippine city of Mandaluyong has

approved an ordinance to protect the
rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and
transgender people from discrimination,
the latest in a slew of local laws passed
across the country.
 Relevant Legislations in the Philippines
• Mandaluyong’s anti-discrimination ordinance
“prohibits such discriminatory acts as denying
or limiting employment-related access; denying
access to public programs or services; refusing
admission, expelling or dismissing a person
from educational institutions due to their
SOGIE (sexual orientation, gender identity and
expression).”

• It also prohibits “verbal or written abuse;

unjust detention/involuntary confinement;
denying access to facilities; and illegalizing
formation of groups that incite SOGIE-related
discrimination.”
 Enacting an Anti-Discrimination Based on Sexual
Orientation and Gender Identity Law
• Eliminating discrimination based on SOGI will
address disparity in treatment that stems from
gender biases and double standards that provide
protection selectively to those who adhere to the
patriarchal concept of male and female, and
discriminate against those who do not fit in the
socially constructed norms of what is a man and a
woman.

• Although the 1987 Philippine Constitution

guarantees the right of every person to equal
protection of the laws, without distinction or
discrimination, the laws protecting human rights
are not being equally applied especially to persons
with diverse SOGI.
 Enacting an Anti-Discrimination Based on Sexual
Orientation and Gender Identity Law
• House Bill 4982 or SOGIE Equality Act - An Act
Prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual
orientation or gender identity or expression (SOGIE)
and Providing protection.
• Sec. 2 Declaration of Policy – The State recognizes the
fundamental right of every person regardless of sex,
age, class, status, ethnicity, color, disability, religious,
and political beliefs, sexual orientation, or gender
identity or expression, to be free from any form of
discrimination. It shall therefore intensify its efforts
to fulfill its duties under the Equal Protection Clause
and the Bill of Rights provisions of the Philippine
Constitution and international and domestic laws to
respect, protect and fulfill the rights and dignity of
every individual.
The PROCESS OF COMING OUT
STAGES OR HALLMARK OF
THE COMING OUT PROCESS
Compariso
Identity
Immersion
Compariso
Identity
confusion
Acceptance
n
Immersion
confusion
Acceptance
n

I
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ti
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S
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HOmoPHOBIA
HOMOPHOBIA
- Fear, hatred or intolerance of lesbians and gay men or
of any behavior that falls outside the traditional gender
roles.
HETEROSEXISM
- Attitudes or actions that stigmatize or belittle people
who are not heterosexual
TRANSPHOBIA
- Fear, hatred or intolerance of transgender people
ALLY
- A heterosexual or cisgender person who supports the
rights of the LGBT community
HOMOPHOBIA, HETEROSEXISM AND TRANSPHOBIA

• Oftentimes, people’s own perception

about sexual orientation is complicated
with their Christian beliefs.
• Some still believe that homosexuality is
unacceptable while majority stated that it
is acceptable and agreed that LGBT should
have the same rights as heterosexual
people and same-sex marriages should be
allowed.
RELIGION AND ATTITUDES TOWARDS
THE LGBT COMMUNITY
RELIGION AND THE LGBT COMMUNITY
• Some people describes the outcome of a
Christian background that taught that
homosexuality is a sin.
• However Christianity also teaches that
hate is a sin.
• There is so much tension between
religious beliefs and personal beliefs on
the matter of LGBT rights that individuals
eventually changed churches.
RELIGION AND THE LGBT COMMUNITY
• Some churches have embraced the LGBT community and have
LGBT leaders.
– Example: Anglican Church consecrated its first openly gay
Bishop, Reverend Canon Gene Robinson, and the Episcopal
Church consecrated its first openly lesbian bishop, Reverend
Mary Glasspool.
• Some denominations that are among the more inclusive of the
LGBT Community include:
– United Church of Christ
– Episcopalian
– Anglican
– Lutheran (Evangelical Lutheran Church of America)
– Unitarian denominations
RELIGION AND THE LGBT COMMUNITY
• In contrast, in November 2015, the
Mormon Church decided that “the
children of same-sex parents will be
banned from blessings and baptism until
they turn 18 and disavow gay marriage
under a new Mormon Church policy that
deems homosexual parents to be
apostates, or people who have
renounced their faith.”
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR
ORGANIZATIONS
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ORGANIZATIONS

• Some important ways in which employers in

some countries can support LGBT employees and
avoid lawsuits are by:
1. Making sexual orientation and gender identity
a part of their zero tolerance for discrimination
policy
2. Providing access to quality health care including
partner/spousal benefits and medication
3. Providing appropriate health care coverage for
transgender employees
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ORGANIZATIONS

• Another issue that organizations

should be aware of regards HIV/AIDS
medication.
• HIV – human immunodeficiency virus
• HIV is the virus that causes AIDS
• AIDS – acquired immunodeficiency
syndrome
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ORGANIZATIONS
• Gay and bisexual men are the most heavily
affected by HIV.
• Organizations will need to determine how much to
subsidize to the cost of medications to take them
affordable for anyone living with HIV, regardless of
their sexual orientation or gender identity.
• Providing equal access to health care, including
affordable medication for people living with
HIV/AIDS, can also help reduce the stigma
associated with this disease.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ORGANIZATIONS
• With regard to transgender employees, a current
concern is obtaining benefit related to gender
reassignment surgery.
• In the US, individuals may secure health insurance
coverage for gender reassignment surgery through
one of three sources:
– Employer group plans
– Government – subsidized plans including Medicare
and Medicaid
– Individual plans purchased through State
Insurance Exchanges
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ORGANIZATIONS

• According to Society for Human Resource

Management, organizations should allow
transgender employees to use the restroom
that corresponds to their gender identity.
• Providing an option to use unisex bathrooms
whereby no one can question anyone’s ability
to use those restrooms can be helpful, but
must take note that organizations must not
require transgender people (or anyone else) to
use the unisex restrooms.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ORGANIZATIONS
• Organizations should strive to treat all employees
with dignity and respect.
• This includes empathy, understanding and inclusion
regardless of their sexual orientation and gender
identity.
• If the employers focus on the job-related
qualifications, hire qualified employees, and then
treat all those employees equally, with dignity,
respect and equal access to opportunity, this should
positively contribute to employee morale and
organizational productivity.