(06-24-2015, 12:55 AM)Arter Wood Wrote: I've honestly never seen any FC that doesn't like the LGBT community. This is totally a good thing - to put aside pride parades and all that and just to recruit things without any mention of some special organization, which imo is what the "LGBT community" sounds like. Why do I want this to happen? Because I want this to look as equal as they can.
It's not about being special, different, or set apart from someone else.
Most of the LGBT community is forced to rely on straight and cisgendered people and allies for government assistance, medical services, therapy, education on LGBT issues and general support. Many of us don’t have access to other LGBT; we can’t talk to people going through the same things or get resources created by our own members.
Many LGBT people don’t really want to rely on people who will never go through their experiences telling them how to deal with it, but we're often required to do so for our mental, physical and emotional health needs.
This whole experience creates a sense of dependence that makes LGBT people feel awful; we are capable of standing on our own, we can support our own community. Which doesn’t mean that ally support is not meaningful or welcomed, but just does not replace the need for for intra-community support.
The experiences of the LGBT community are unique – there is no comparable experience to a trans person who is transitioning, for example. While you may sympathize with and support someone who is transitioning, can you really understand what it's like to be dysphoric if you've always been secure with your gender identity? Or what it's like when you're misgendered? Or called by your deadname? Or when you're constantly outed by people in your life, to where complete strangers know who you are and what you are before you even the room? Or when members of your family such as your parents or former spouse are teaching your children about gender in ways that invalidates and marginalizes your entire existence?
While there are many similar things that people go through, LGBT people often feel best supported by connecting to others who have gone through the same things. Allies and cishet people don’t know these experiences; they can’t support LGBT people the same way that other LGBT people can. And that’s okay!
Pride and LGBT events are very important. Why? Because there's a lot more problems out there than the lack of same sex marriage and viability is really important. Here are few (mostly American based) reasons:
- In 32 states you can still be fired or denied employment based on your gender identity.
- 29 states don't have any kind of LGBT non-discriminatory laws at all, which means you can be fired based on your sexuality as well.
- The same goes for public accommodation (renting or buying a place to live).
- Sexual orientation and gender identity aren't protected under hate crimes in 20 states.
- Sexually active gay men can't donate blood.
- 82% of queer youth reported being verbally harassed because of their identity, and 38% reported being physically attacked.
- Sexual health education doesn't address LGBT sexual heath. We're not taught how to take care of our bodies. For example, lesbians are ten times less likely to get a routine Pap test, because they don't think they can get HPV, but at the same time, four out of five lesbians (including those who have been man-free their whole lives) have it.
- LGBT people are often provided inadequate health coverage and often have to fight with their insurance companies (if they have insurance) for their medical care.
- 40% of homeless youth identify as LGBT, 54% reported being survivors of abuse from their families.
- 14 trans people have been murdered this year - that's more than two a month.
- In the first four months of 2014 there were 102 acts of violence against transgender people worldwide. While several of them were minors, the youngest was an 8 year old who was beaten to death by his father for trying on his mothers clothes.
- Nearly every two days a person is killed somewhere in the world for expressing gender nonconformity.
These are the things that are often discussed and campaigned for/against at Pride, events and community spaces. This are what LGBT legislative groups get signatures and active volunteers for at LGBT Pride events. These are where and how members of the LGBT community are educated about their rights and the active, local campaigns that are fighting for them. These spaces are where we learn to navigate the medical mazes, insurance and legal systems that often fail to cover us properly.
Yes, they're also a celeberation of who we are. It's a way to show us that being LGBT is beautiful, empowering and just plain ok in a world that so often tells us otherwise.
TLDR: It's ok for LGBT people to want to reach out to other LGBT people. There's a lot to be gained from supporting one another. This doesn't mean we don't love our allies or distrust the general population. This doesn't mean we're trying to stand apart. There's no point in "looking equal" when we still have so many legislative, medical, social, mental health, education, employment, family, and public safety needs ect. in which we are being treated unequally.