Reflective paper to assigned readings
Reflective paper to assigned readings
April 1, 2014, Session 10
In the chapter 8 of Counseling & Diversity, Choudhuri et al. discuss and define various essential constructs of sexual orientation, and offer a historical context of discrimination and prejudice against LGBT people. A person's sexual orientation can be heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, or questioning, and all of these sexual orientation should be considered to be normal. However, there has been a long history of negative judgment, oppression, discrimination, and misinformation about non-heterosexuals because of its links to negative stereotypes and a diagnosis of pathology in American culture. I feel so sad to know that “homosexuality” was illegal in every state, and police often verbal and physical abuse, arrested gays and lesbians in the past. I know this is more of an experience of discrimination and oppression than I can even imagine -- I respect that they must feel so desperate and helpless. The remove of the category of homosexuality completely as pathology in the revised third edition of the DSM indeed made a great leap forward in the history since I think that homosexual should not be considered as a wrong choice and cannot be voluntarily changed or “cured”. Actually, it is not a mental illness or a personality problem at all.
One of the best parts of this reading for me is the numerous challenges faced by LGBT persons in the Special Challenges section. From the text, I know that LGBT persons often cannot access adequate health care, affordable housing or other social services that they need due to institutionalized heterosexism. Organized religions may impose feelings of shame, guilt, and inferiority on them. LGBT relationships are not long-term, committed, and intimate as heterosexual relationships due to negative pressures and lack of social support. It also gives us a sense that sexual orientation identity can be a central part of their personal identities while other aspects of
April 1, 2014, Session 10
In the chapter 8 of Counseling & Diversity, Choudhuri et al. discuss and define various essential constructs of sexual orientation, and offer a historical context of discrimination and prejudice against LGBT people. A person's sexual orientation can be heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, or questioning, and all of these sexual orientation should be considered to be normal. However, there has been a long history of negative judgment, oppression, discrimination, and misinformation about non-heterosexuals because of its links to negative stereotypes and a diagnosis of pathology in American culture. I feel so sad to know that “homosexuality” was illegal in every state, and police often verbal and physical abuse, arrested gays and lesbians in the past. I know this is more of an experience of discrimination and oppression than I can even imagine -- I respect that they must feel so desperate and helpless. The remove of the category of homosexuality completely as pathology in the revised third edition of the DSM indeed made a great leap forward in the history since I think that homosexual should not be considered as a wrong choice and cannot be voluntarily changed or “cured”. Actually, it is not a mental illness or a personality problem at all.
One of the best parts of this reading for me is the numerous challenges faced by LGBT persons in the Special Challenges section. From the text, I know that LGBT persons often cannot access adequate health care, affordable housing or other social services that they need due to institutionalized heterosexism. Organized religions may impose feelings of shame, guilt, and inferiority on them. LGBT relationships are not long-term, committed, and intimate as heterosexual relationships due to negative pressures and lack of social support. It also gives us a sense that sexual orientation identity can be a central part of their personal identities while other aspects of