There has been numerous sayings and opinions about the gay community in general. With so many ideas flying around, it’s hard to identify which is a reality and which is a myth.
Below are 5 Major Gay Myths Formed By People And Their Realities
Myth
It’s short-lived: bisexual people tend to identify as gay or lesbian later on in life.
Reality
A bisexual is a person who has romantic and/or sexual inclinations for people of more than one gender. Some homosexual people who identify as bisexual may come out later in life as gay. However, typically, bisexual people have a lifelong attraction to people of more than one gender. Bisexuality is not a phase. Bisexuality as an orientation persists regardless of whether the individual is single or in a relationship with an individual of one gender. Thus, a bisexual partnered with a same-gender person does not “become gay” and a bisexual partnered with a person of another gender does not “become straight.”
Myth
When someone comes out to you as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community: it’s fine to let other people know about the person’s decision to come out (it’s public news anyway, right?); it’s also fine to mention that you knew about their identity or orientation for a long time; and assume that they probably came out to you because they’re attracted to you, if you’re of the relevant sex.
Reality
The decision to come out is an incredibly personal and often difficult decision to make. Regardless of how long it took someone to come out or how easy their announcement appeared to be, you should never assume it’s okay to share the news on their behalf. Deciding when to come out and who to come out to is entirely up to the person. Refrain from making any comments relating to ‘knowing’ of their orientation: this can invalidate their choice to speak out, or take away from the power of their coming out moment Oh, and never assume someone comes out to you because they’re attracted to you: the moment is not about you!
Myth
Gay men love to dress like women because they secretly wish they were women. Likewise, lesbians wish they were men and dress as such.
Reality
Being gay does not mean that the person identifies as a member of opposite gender. Sexuality is different from gender identity and they do not have correlation with each other.
Myth
Some people choose to be gay.
Reality
Sexuality is not a choice, that is how the person is born. Like we do not chose to be heterosexual person, people do not chose to be homosexual, bisexual or pansexual. No one chooses to be gay, as much as no one chooses to be straight. Similarly, counseling or therapy can’t change someone’s sexuality. This sort of counseling, generally referred to as “conversion therapy”, increases the likelihood of depression, anxiety, drug use and suicide, particularly amongst teenagers and adolescents.
Myth
A person whose biological sex is a female but feels man inside is still a female.
Reality
However someone experiences their gender identity should be accepted and respected without judgment or stereotypes on what the gender should be. This should be regardless of the sex they were assigned at birth or how they express themselves currently. In this case, the person is a trans-man as they identify as a man and should be treated as a man.
