7 myths about LGBTI+ People (and why they are wrong)

The last decades have brought about a change in the mentality of many people, paving the way towards a more diverse society. Hand in hand with political and legal measures such as homosexual marriage and adoption or the legality of sex change, LGBTI+ people have seen in our country many of their fundamental rights recognized.

However, much remains to be done. Despite the fact that countries like Spain and others in Western Europe have facilitated social inclusion and freedom from these increasingly diverse realities, even in these countries (and also abroad) there are still many misconceptions and that promote the exclusion and stigmatization of LGBTI+ people. These ideas can be considered myths or false beliefs, built through socialization.

The main myths about LGBTI+ people

Socialization in a patriarchal society closed to diversity generates ideologies that differentiate and exclude these people, ridiculing them or transmitting false messages and with the sole objective of damaging their name or image. It is important to refute these beliefs and build a society based on respect for different and diverse realities.

For this reason, in this article we are going to discuss some myths related to LGBTI+ people, giving reasons why they are wrong. The objective is to end these stigmas and begin to build a culture and collective imagination based on understanding and empathy towards these realities.

1. Homosexuality and transsexuality are diseases

The most intolerant (and ignorant) sector of society often uses this false belief to argue that LGBTI+ realities are not "natural". Pathologizing homosexuality and transsexuality has been the main weapon of critics of diversity throughout history. history, thus being able to subject these people to a sentence or treatment that would end their lives or their strength to live it In 1990, the World Health Organization (WHO) certified that homosexuality is not a mental illness, and did the same in 2018 for transsexuality.. These beliefs were based on the social exclusion of these people, considering their experiences as sick and far from "what is natural".

However, it is important to ask yourself, why are homosexual and transsexual people branded as "unnatural"? Understanding that your differences from heterosexual people are based on diverse sexual and gender realities, isn't it easier to understand these people and their experiences as different from heterosexual, and not for that reason, sick or lacking in naturalness? Transsexual and homosexual people are natural, they exist and they are not sick, and, furthermore, they have always existed. The fact that in recent years a greater voice has been given to these people and their realities has made it easier for many more People recognize themselves in these realities, but this does not mean that they did not exist before and throughout all of history. history.

• Related article: "What is Cultural Psychology?"

2. Bisexuality is just a phase

Many people tend to make bisexuality invisible, arguing that it is only a phase or a process of experimentation between heterosexuality and homosexuality. Bisexuality is a "complete" reality, it is a differentiated sexual orientation of heterosexuality and homosexuality.

Bisexual people are sexually and/or romantically attracted to people who are both male, female, and non-binary.

Obviously, many people experiment with their sexuality, having romantic or sexual contacts with other people of the same gender to find out if they like it or not. In some cases, these people decide that they are not interested in these relationships, and this is okay; this experimentation does not imply being bisexual. However, on many occasions, when a person experiments with people of the same gender and decides that they do like it, many times society directly classifies her as homosexual, and does not take into account the possibility of her bisexuality. This is because bisexuality is largely invisible and many people in society find it difficult to change their mindsets to understand attraction to all genders.

3. lesbians and gays don't get along

There is a myth that ridicules the realities of lesbian women and gay men arguing that there is a strange rivalry between the two groups and that they do not get along. The roots of this myth are none other than the prevailing patriarchy in society and the internalized machismo of practically all people. This machismo generates ideas that constantly confront men and women. In this specific case, this myth has spread so much mainly with the aim of detracting from the life stories of homosexual people.

The reality is that any person can get along or not with another, and that in these situations the "gay" or "lesbian" variables do not come into play. If you don't get along with a homosexual person for the sole reason that he or she is homosexual, then that means that you are a homophobic person and, therefore, the root of the problem is you.

• You may be interested in: "What is sexual identity?"

4. Trans people decide to be so to occupy the spaces of women

An argument widely used by the growing trans-exclusionary "feminist" current, those women who self-defined as feminists who differentiate and exclude trans women from feminism, is that currently "any person" can be trans and can occupy the spaces of women to exercise aggression against they.

This myth gives value to the idea that trans people are not valid or that they do not even really exist; that the only reason they exist is to "occupy spaces" that "do not belong to them."

Really, no person would want to be seen the current panorama regarding their rights. The life expectancy of trans women does not exceed 40 years, in addition to the social exclusion to which they are subjected exclusively because society does not understand or respect their realities. Being trans is brave and dangerous, not a whim to break into the world of cisgender women. This myth only increases discrimination against trans people when what we should be doing is reaching out and building bridges between the most disadvantaged people in society.

5. In every homosexual couple there is "a man" and "a woman"

The belief that homosexual couples replicate male and female gender roles directly from the machismo of society and the establishment of these gender roles so marked among men and women. These have meant that society, in order to understand homosexual relationships, has to give a role of "man" and another of "woman" to each component, despite being both men or both women. It is easy to understand that this myth is false once you understand that its origin is exclusively to comply with the obligations imposed by a patriarchal, sexist society that encourages heterosexuality mandatory.

Homosexual couples are homosexual, that is, they are two men or two women. Nobody is "the man" or "the woman" because these are values ​​extracted directly from heterosexual conceptions about human relationships, and it is important to strip ourselves of these roles to respect all people regardless of their sex or gender.

• Related article: "Stereotypes, prejudices and discrimination: why should we avoid prejudging?"

6. Intersex people are like hermaphrodites; they have both sexes

This myth is debunked only by knowing and understanding the definition of intersex. Intersex refers to the presence of both male and female biological sexual components in the same person. This does not mean that these people have both a penis and a vulva; it is impossible for the human species to possess both male and female reproductive organs at the same time. The reality is that intersex people normally have a combination of both reproductive organs; but not the entire reproductive system of each sex. There are infinite combinations and each case can be unique; a person can have male chromosomes (XY), but female genitalia (vulva). This myth generates stigmas and false beliefs towards intersex people, implying the possibility that there are hermaphrodite people and sexualizing their realities in a way unnecessary.

7. LGBTI people already have enough rights

If you think that LGBTI people already have enough rights, it is important that you consider all the privileges that you have over these people. It's as simple as realizing that articles like this still need to be written to disprove myths and false beliefs about the realities of these people. Aren't there “false myths” about cis – heterosexual people? No one would dare question the relationship between a (cis) man and a (cis) woman, but on the other hand, there are false beliefs like the ones we have discussed in this article about LGBTI people.

Therefore, no, LGBTI people do not have enough rights and it is everyone's responsibility to pay attention to what they have to say. Any indication or note about their identities and realities is important to give them value and build a society that works with the objective of achieve real diversity and inclusion for all, all and all, in equal rights and conditions.