Thats gay

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For instance, sometimes, people tell me I’m not “a typical gay guy” because of some stereotype I don’t fulfill; other times, people assume that I would automatically get along with another gay guy simply because we are attracted to the same gender. Journal of LGBT Youth, 8(3), 1-26.

Nadal, K. L., Rivera, D.

P., & Corpus, M. J. H. (2010) Sexual orientation and transgender microaggressions in everyday life: Experiences of lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender individuals. Instead of recognizing that he may have offended people, Mr. Morgan reacted with tweets like:

While I don’t believe that Mr. Morgan was intentionally trying to be hurtful (in fact, he likely views himself as a transgender ally), his focus on Ms.

Mock’s birth sex and the sensationalizing of her transition is a common microaggression that transgender people experience.

 

The Talon: When you hear people saying “that’s so gay”, how does that make you feel?

 

Chloé Cortez: I get immediately, like, annoyed in a way and kind of–I wouldn’t say disgusted–but I do feel repulsed.

(Hidden message: Being gay is associated with negative and undesirable characteristics.)”

  • “A lesbian client in therapy reluctantly discloses her sexual orientation to a straight therapist by stating she is ‘into women.’ The therapist indicates he is not shocked by the disclosure because he once had a client who was ‘into dogs.’ (Hidden message: Same-sex attraction is abnormal and deviant.)”
  • “Two gay men hold hands in public and are told not to flaunt their sexuality.

    Usually what they talk about is kind-hearted, but sometimes, friends insult each other. We have spent way too much time demeaning others for stereotypical ideals of their sexual orientation, and not enough time respecting each other.

     

    Sources: Los Angeles Times

    • By Kevin L. Nadal, PhD(Associate Professor of Psychology, John Jay
    College of Criminal Justice – City University of New York)

    When I was a little kid, I used to hear my brothers, cousins, and friends say things like “That’s so gay!” on a pretty regular basis.

    The further in time we go, the more critical we are of each other. Listen to what they are trying to tell you and try not to be defensive. As a young adult, when someone asked me “if I had a girlfriend” or “a wife or kids”, they were essentially telling me that they expected me to be heterosexual.

    With this, The Talon shines light on the phrase  “that’s so gay”.

    He also has a new talk show – “Out Talk with Kevin Nadal“.

    References:

    Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (2010). This takes place any time a couple looks at my fiancée and me in disgust as we hold hands in public. So I just remained in the closet a few more years until I couldn’t take it any more.

    In retrospect, I had a very difficult time accepting my gay identity, because of the microaggressions that I experienced throughout my life.

    For the past several years, my research team and I interviewed all kinds of LGBTQ people and they all reported that microaggressions are very common in their lives.

    Here are a few examples:

    1) Use of heterosexist or transphobic terminology:

    These types of microaggressions occur when someone uses disparaging heterosexist or transphobic language towards, or about, LGBTQ persons.

    I had never felt so alone in my life.

    In college, it got a little better. While I was no longer harassed about my closeted sexual orientation, I didn’t have any friends that were openly gay and most of my friends didn’t have any either. But it does indeed hurt some. In hip hop, it is common for rappers to unapologetically use the word “faggot”, which then gives permission for kids to use the term unapologetically in everyday life.

    One example of this on a systemic level is the federal ban for any man who has had sex with another man to donate blood. While some of these experiences may seem brief and harmless, many studies have found that the more that people experience microaggressions, the more likely they are to report symptoms of depression, psychological distress, and even physical health issues.

    According to Derald Wing Sue, Ph. D., microaggressions are the "constant and continuing reality of slights, insults, invalidations and indignities visited upon marginalized groups by well-intentioned, moral and decent family members, friends, neighbors, coworkers, students, teachers, clerks, waiters and waitresses, employers, health care professionals and educators" (Sue 2010).

    thats gay

    The next time you see or hear someone say this, think about it and do something.