The Single Story - LGBTQ

The single story for the LGBTQ community is one that can be observed clearly in the following cultural artifacts:

Articles:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT

http://www.alliance1.org/ppf/youth-and-positive-identity

http://www.buzzfeed.com/hnigatu/20-things-lesbians-are-tired-of-hearing#44yxyhq

http://www.minddisorders.com/Py-Z/Transvestic-fetishism.html

"Gay Men Will Marry Your Girlfriends" - video 

The stereotypes presented against the gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, transgender, and queer populations are baffling to say the least.  The single story of gay men tends to go something like this: they love shopping, they have great fashion sense, they take care of their bodies, and they would be better boyfriends and partners to strait women than most strait men.  The lesbian single story tends to label lesbians as women with short hair, muscular bodies, and a tendency to dress and act like men.  Transgender, bi-sexual, and queer people are often portrayed as freaks or people who are simply confused, excessively horny, or "going through a phase."  As if the single stories that attempt to label each individual community weren't bad enough, the LGBTQ community as a whole also has single story stereotypes that attempt to portray the members of this community as consistently atheist, democratic, overbearing, ostracized from their families, suicidal, and explicitly public with their affections.

These single stories can have a severe impact on not only students who are experiencing LGBTQ tendencies within themselves, but also students who have been raised by gay, lesbian, or bi-sexual parents.  Many people of Christian faiths often view anyone affiliated with the LGBTQ community as anti-Christian and therefore discourage their children from associating with the children of LGBTQ parents or children identifying with the LGBTQ community themselves.  Furthermore, many parents promote the idea that if one does not agree with the particular practices of any social group, then mean behavior and overall dehumanization are justified practices.  This could inevitably lead to exclusion of LGBTQ students from group conversations or friendships made in the classroom just because certain students were raised by their parents to believe the single story of the LGTBQ community.  In addition, students who begin to identify themselves as members of the LGTBQ community may alter their behaviors, clothing, and mannerisms to match the single story of a homosexual in order to "fit in" with the LGBTQ community.  These actions to assimilate themselves into the LGBTQ community often influence an adolescent's development of self identity or even become their only sense of self identity.

It is extremely important for all educators to be aware of the portrayals (past and present) of certain cultural groups in order to have a general idea of the single stories that other students or other teachers may be projecting onto other students in our classrooms.  By possessing an understanding of the most common perceptions of cultural groups, particularly LGBTQ, we will more easily be able to understand the often ignorant, judgmental, and overall rude behaviors that students display towards individuals belonging to these groups.  Moreover, by understanding the single stories associated with cultural groups, educators are one step closer to refusing to accept the single stories of any of these groups as a correct representation of every individual in that group.  I hope to be able to look at every LGTBQ student with a new pair of eyes that will allow me to see past the stereotypes and into the heart of that student as an individual.