A Discussion on Homophobia and Its Impact on Gender Equality Essay

Homophobia refers to the hatred, fear, mistrust, discomfort, of individuals who are lesbian, gay bisexual, or transgender (LGBT). Homophobia comes in different ways like negative beliefs and attitude, prejudice, or aversion against LGBT based mostly on misunderstanding and irrational fear. Actions of homophobia may happen at an individual, legal, structural, or structural level depending on the level of fear, hatred, discomfort, or mistrust of LGBT people. Research has shown that homophobia causes an impact on gender equality. Through homophobia, the manner of fair treatment on men and women becomes affected in various ways. As seen in this essay, a discussion on homophobia reveals its impacts on gender equality.

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One way in which homophobia impacts gender equality is the effect on education services to both women and men. Through homophobia, young men or women considered as LGBT in school are hated and feared by the fellow learners or teaching staff compared to their counterparts of the opposite sex (Hiebert, 2016). In some cases, LGBT students do not get admission in some learning institutions, a situation leading to inequality in access to education (McCormack, 2014). Therefore, homophobia affects gender equality by unfair treatment of LGBT students in schools compared to their counterparts of the opposite sex.

The other way in which homophobia affects gender equality is in leadership. Choosing leaders with homophobic ideas and perceptions infringe the equal rights of men and women to aspire for leadership positions (Orlic & Lazarevic, 2016). For instance, citizens will hate or impose negative attitudes to some men or women contesting for leadership positions because they are LGBT. The outcome is having men and women considered as LGBT to lose their political leadership positions compared to their counterparts of the opposite sex, a situation causing gender inequality in governance and leadership (Bailey, 2017). As a result, Homophobic behaviors have caused men and women who are LGBT not to practice their right of viewing for political leadership positions leading to gender inequality.

Apart from the denial of the right to access education and contesting for political leadership positions to both men and women, homophobia also affects gender equality in healthcare. Negative attitudes towards people who are LGBT particularly gays have denied them rights to access healthcare services compared to women (Levesque, 2016). Healthcare administrators and practitioners fear and have negative attitudes towards gay thus denying such men a right to quality and safe care. Discriminating gays in healthcare cause unfair treatment to men compared to females (Hiebert, 2016). Therefore, homophobia denies men or women considered as LGBT their right to access safe and quality healthcare compared to their counterparts of the opposite gender.

Conclusion

Conclusively, homophobia causes an impact on gender equality whereby the fair treatment on men and women becomes affected in various ways. First, homophobia, young women considered as LGBT in school are hated and hated by the fellow learners or teaching staff compared to their counterparts of the opposite sex. Secondly, Choosing of leaders with homophobic ideas and perceptions infringes the equal rights of men and women to aspire for leadership positions. The third impact of homophobia on gender equality is that negative attitudes towards people who are LGBT particularly gays have denied them rights to access healthcare services compared to women. Therefore, there is a need for solving the issue of homophobia for successful efforts towards gender equality.

References

Bailey, M. (2017). Benefits within the organization of implementing gender equality: Measuring and demonstrating impact. STEM Gender Equality Congress Proceedings, 1(1), 716-738. doi: 10.21820/25150774.2017.1.31

Hiebert, D. (2016). Is it Homophobia or Homoppression?. Canadian Review Of Sociology/Revue Canadienne De Sociologie, 53(4), 488-492. doi: 10.1111/cars.12131

Levesque, A. (2016). Rethinking Homophobia and Deviant Youth Masculinities: Constructing and Interrogating Progress Toward Equality. Sociology Compass, 10(8), 643-651. doi: 10.1111/soc4.12394

McCormack, M. (2014). The intersection of youth masculinities, decreasing homophobia and class: an ethnography. The British Journal Of Sociology, 65(1), 130-149. doi: 10.1111/1468-4446.12055

Orlic, A., & Lazarevic, L. (2016). Gender as a moderator in the prediction of homophobia. Primenjena Psihologija, 8(4), 433. doi: 10.19090/pp.2015.4.433-451