Misconception Clear-Up Time!
Hello LGBTQ+ support community! Education is one of the most important things when it comes to decreasing discrimination, so what is one misconception you want to clear up about your sexuality/gender or people that identify with your sexuality/gender?
Mine would probably be that asexual people don't love anyone, are full of themselves, and all abstinent. This perpetuates a very unhealthy myth that generalizes people on the asexual spectrum and thinks of them as selfish for simply feeling less sexual attraction, which can be very damaging to their sense of self and mental health. Asexual people can be but don't have to be abstinent to be asexual - many of them are okay with it if it makes their partner happy or do it to have kids. Everyone is different and you can't expect the same thing from everyone in the group just because they share a label.
@BlueSkies1021 This thread is a brilliant idea! It's indeed very important to help people (especially outside of the LGBTQ+ community) to understand these differences as well as educate our listeners so that they know how to better support these communities. Thank you!
@BlueSkies1021
I identify as bisexual. Even though the prefix 'bi-' means two, some people can use the label while attracted to more than 2 genders. Bisexual is an umbrella term. :))
Agreed. Also that bisexual does not necessarily mean cis men and cis women. I am married to an enby person and am attracted to anyone except cis men. I use bi as an umbrella term because it feels most genuine for me.
I would love to see people, even in our community, stop seeing bi people in a relationship with someone of the opposite gender as straight and not bi. That person's queerness is valid no matter what type of relationship they are in. They don't magically lose their attraction to people of the same gender just because of their current relationship. As lgbtq+ people, it would be helpful if we stopped invalidating each other if we want others to stop invalidating us as a whole.
@wrennalynn This so true! I have been in a relationship with someone of the opposite sex for years now but have never stopped feeling like I was BI. At this point I am even more strongly attracted to people of the same sex. However, I don't know what the future holds and I know I could still fall in love someday with someone from the opposite sex. I remember a book I read that is one of my favorite quotes, 'I don't fall in love with body parts, I fall in love with people.'
@BlueSkies1021
Perhaps the stereotype that lesbians have short hair or dress in certain way. We don't dress in certain way I guess, some might, but I can dress feminine and with medium length hair. Then you wouldn't know that I'm gay 😁
@VictoriaLove7 Exactly, that's what I was going to say! While there are many masculine lesbians, definitely not all are and the stereotype butch lesbian with feminine lesbian mocks stereotypical heterosexuality, which is not at all what being lesbian is about. You can be fem and fem, butch and butch, or neither!! You don't necessarily have to fit into one of those identities. Another misconception about lesbians is that they are all female, and the enby lesbians are often underrepresented.