Homophobia | Teen Ink

Homophobia

June 8, 2021
By sidartha-yasheed BRONZE, Nairobi, Yukon Territory
sidartha-yasheed BRONZE, Nairobi, Yukon Territory
1 article 0 photos 0 comments


A right is something that we are obligated to. For example the right to freedom, the right to food, shelter and water, the right to work, life etc. There are many people who are deprived of such simple basic rights. There are so many communities that are deprived of their rights due to their differences. Rights as simple as right to freedom, to public affection, to freedom of expression, and also right to life. The LGBTQ community is an example in cases where rights are deprived

There are many rights that LGBTQ couples or individuals are not allowed to. Rights as simple as showing public affection is punishable in many countries/cities. Punishable offences such as the death penalty, public lashing or prison time. The right to be who you are and to not change to fit society's norm, this right is also deprived in most cases. Freedom of expression and speech is one we should all have, but again it is still not given to those who may not identify the same way we do.

The death penalty is a punishment given to those who have comitted unspeakable crimes. In some countries, LGBTQ plus people who hold hands are given the death penalty. For gay and lesbian couples, holding hands with a partner is an important step in a relationship. It can also carry a significant weight, especially if it's witnessed by strangers. Such a simple action is banned in multiple countries such as Saudiarabia, Sudan, Qatar, Yemen and multiple others. There are in fact punishments for “crimes” such as holding hands for example in Sudan, holding hands with somone the same sex in an affectionate way is punished by put in prison for 10 years to life, the same goes for countries like kenya, Tanzania, Malawi and the list goes on. However, this is not the worst punishment as in Quatar, the people would be given the death penalty as well as Mauritiana. Many people would say being allowed to hold your partner's hand in public is a right that everyone should have.

Depriving people of their rights does lead to affects in their lives. Sometimes the effects get so bad that some people are left with no more patience and end up ending their lives. This is an example of deprivation to the right of life. “Kacperek Zasada,Justin Aaberg, Zuzia Kobałka, Michał Koch,Taylor Alesana,Lui Aquino Aquino are the names of just a fraction of the people who have committed suicide due to their deprevation of rights. If the right to love was given fairly, then there would be significantly less suicides. Many of these suicides were people who were under the age of 25.Some of these people could have made an impact on the world but because of unfair and unjust treatment, they could not take the pain. Multiple of these suicides were caused through bullying as well. 

“Conversion therapy is a pseudoscientific practice that attempts to change a person's sexual orientation”. Although there is no evidence that sexual orientation change can be achieved through psychological intervention, various medical groups and governments have expressed concerns over the ethics and validity of the practice. “The American Psychiatric Association opposes psychiatric treatment for gay individuals”. It also describes conversion therapy as unethical and states that the belief that sexual orientation can be altered is not supported by scientific evidence. They use many different unethical methods to attempt conversion. Some people may even say torture. Some techniques include chemical castration, electroconvulsive treatment, and masturbatory reconditioning. Although many forms of reparative therapy have been used in the US, most of them have been limited to psychological counseling and group support. There have been reports of aversive techniques being administered through unlicensed practices since the early 2000s.

Many LGBTQ people end up never coming out because society has shown what it does and what it can do to people like them. Having a child afraid of being themselves in their own family is not right. Every single individual has the power to change. And the way to change the world and society is by starting with yourself if you are doing any of these actions.


The author's comments:

I am a boy


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