3 things you can do to help combat homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia
- Eradicate homophobic words from your vocabulary, whether it's meant as a slur or as a joke. I can't tell you the number of times I still overhear people jokingly saying 'that's so gay' or people saying to their friends 'you're such a fag'. I've even seen teenagers refer to their group of friends as 'their faggots'. ARGH!! Just don't. It's not a joke, it's not funny. There are a thousand other words you can use without offending/isolating an entire group of people.
- Respect a person's sexual and gender identity. If someone identifies as gay or bisexual or queer or whatever the case may be, don't question it. People don't need to hear 'but you like guys and girls, shouldn't you be bi and not queer?' How a person identifies is their business. Similarly, respect a person's gender identity. If someone associates as him/he or her/she, respect that even if you don't quite understand. Most people, regardless of their sexual or gender identity just want to be accepted, understood, and loved.
- Ask questions. I think a lot of people would rather have an honest, open discussion than have people make assumptions or judgements, or be cruel. If you're not comfortable asking questions or don't think a person would be comfortable with your questions, or if you simply don't personally know anyone to ask, educate yourself. Find websites, find literature, find blogs that talk about the things you're curious about. People will appreciate you going that extra mile, and it can never hurt to be educated about anything, but especially something so important.
~GIVEAWAY~
I'm giving away an e-copy of my book, Take Them by Storm, which is female/female New Adult. Here's a bit about the book:
GoodReads || Amazon || Kobo || B&N
Sadie Fitzgerald has always been different, and not just because she makes her own clothes and would rather stay home watching Doctor Who than party with kids her age. When it’s time to leave Angel Island for college, Sadie is eager to put her old life behind her. Small-minded people and rumors have plagued her for years, but with the love of her adoptive family, the O’Dells, Sadie has learned to embrace who she is. Now she’s not afraid to admit the rumors about her are true: she’s gay.
For the first time in her life, Sadie feels free to be herself. She dives into college life and begins volunteering at the local LGBT center, where she discovers her small-town upbringing left holes in her education about life outside Angel Island.
The world is a bigger and more accepting place than Sadie ever imagined. She’s finally found where she belongs, but with the reappearance of someone from her past, an unexpected new friendship, and a chance at love, Sadie soon realizes she still has a lot to learn about life, friendship, and love.
This giveaway will end when the hop does on May 24th. Open internationally. Must be at least 16 to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Be sure to check out the other people participating in the hop!
Do you have any thoughts on how to combat homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia? Let's talk here or on Twitter! Be sure to check out the #HAHABT hashtag.
i do agree with everything you said. you can't fear anything that you understand
ReplyDeleteYES! I have trans friends and I have learned all of this. Luckily they are all older and patient with people's curiosity. "Respect that even if you don't quite understand" applies to everyone, trans or not.
ReplyDeleteGreat advice. Thank you for taking part in the hop!
ReplyDeleteWow! So many people participating in this! Just wow! I am so glad to see this being done. I recently read a book called Transgender Warriors and it really opened my eyes to the way we use gender-specific pronouns unnecessarily.
ReplyDeleteNice advice list. Thanks for taking part in the hop. :)
ReplyDeleteGlad to see more F/F authors this year! Good luck with your new book.
ReplyDeleteAnastasia Vitsky