LGBTQIA+: Issues and Discussion Thread

Ya man, that’s not real discrimination. Sorry.

This isn’t actually true. Sexuality and sex is still a big part of our society, especially for young people.

Oops. Looks like I missed this earlier. Apparently I need to change what I thought Q was and add I. The rest I already had in my noggin.

No, of course not. Having your identity questioned and/or dismissed is something that happens to the norm all the time.

I don’t see the questioning or asexual being asked about it very often. Maybe I just run in different circles though.

Sure, it’s a normal part of human existence. But you don’t get beat up for not actively having sex with people in public. How would people even KNOW? It’s absurd. You don’t need to do anything to hide the fact that you don’t like sex.

Sorry, it’s just not real discrimination. It’s not getting thrown out of a restaurant. It’s not someone refusing to do business with you. It’s not someone beating you up. It’s not refusing to let you see your partner in the hospital.

It has no impact on your life in any real and tangible way.

It’s not just about advancing a political agenda.

To take your example: Suppose someone from corporate HR called to ask you about your race / ethnic background. You replied, “Well, I’m half Italian and half …”. And they interrupted, “Look, I don’t care about that, snowflake. Just tell me if you are black or not.”

I would find that… off-putting. You ask a question like that, you better be prepared for a range of responses.

This is a debate that we have in my house. My daughter currently identifies as pan-sexual. This may change but for now that’s where she’s at and my wife and I support her regardless of where she ends up on the spectrum of sexuality and identity.

Sexuality is a broad spectrum and her friends and classmates identify all over it. My wife is in the Timex camp of questioning why we need so many labels. I’m in the Armando camp of believing that there is power in naming and claiming. Part of it is empowering individuals and helping them better come to terms with their identities. Part of it is raising awareness and helping folks coming from a differing experience to understand the issues, challenges and differing hardships that come along with specific identities.

The question has been asked, “Who gives s shit?” The answer is the folks who face the biases, discrimination and challenges that come along with their particular identity. Sure it gets confusing to us on the outside looking in (I don’t even officially know the name for my boring, straight, normally gendered self) but the goal of better understanding in the name of striving towards greater equality should be universally supported.

I also think it’s very cool that the generation coming of age now feels so much more free to embrace their sexuality regardless of where it falls on the spectrum and that they are much less likely to judge their peers.

High School and College years can be pretty tough. I suppose they could lie and tell someone they’re seeing some girl or having sex with someone but… the fact they’d have to means people care. And it’s not like social circles have some sort of cut-off and suddenly people just stop asking about someone’s love life or relationships.

Isn’t pansexual the same as bi?

I’ve been told it’s not. I don’t really understand it either, something about not seeing gender or sex instead of accepting both.

Well it sounds cooler, so it’s got that.

Pan-sexual, as I understand it, means no biases at all with regard to sexual partners. So, it would also include transgendered individuals.

Wait, does that mean a male person isn’t straight if they’re into trans girls? (Asking for a friend)

Isn’t that an insult to trans women?

So just because it’s not as egregious as other types discrimination, it’s not real? Where is the limit (again we’re back to who gets to define things) of what is real discrimination?

That can only be said by someone who has never experienced having their identity questioned or dismissed.

I honestly don’t know. But it does mean, for example, that my daughter would be comfortable in a relationship with a trans-gendered person of either birth gender regardless of whether they’d transitioned medically.

Okay, so as far as I know that’s still bi.

This isn’t an interrogation btw, I was merely curious because until this discussion I hadn’t thought of many of the distictions.

I mean really what’s the ask here? I know @ArmandoPenblade went into way more detail here but it’s not just a memorization of letters which everyone here can do. It feels more like a hey, this large group of individuals that used to fall into a this overall heavily discriminated bucket is actually a very diverse group with varying needs and expectations, and it would be nice if we acknowledge that. I am okay with that request. No. I don’t understand all intricacies, but I am willing to try.

Fox News and the GOP like labeling this group as just a net negative, super not okay.

Wait. When did the Q start meaning Questioning? It’s not Q for Queer?

I’m out of the loop.

When “I” and “A” were added. Yeah, in a few more letters it’s going to get weird.

What letter goes for people that like to have sex with objects? Like dudes that prefer RealDolls over a living person?

I feel like they’re getting neglected.