As a member of the Gay community, I have seen an increase in hostility towards homosexuals recently. I have also heard some very interesting arguments which seek to deny the legitimacy of homosexuality and it has caused a heavy sense of passion in me on the topic. For one, there is still so much misunderstanding and miscommunication around the topic of homosexuality. “Gay marriage will open the doors to people marrying animals”, “Homosexuality is a disorder that can be cured through conversion therapy”, “Why should we have pride for something that isn’t normal like homosexuality?” So many questions pointing fingers at the Homosexual community, it is as if they are display for the whole world to ridicule when all they ask for is a chance to breath the same air in the same space as heterosexuals. I wanted to display this imagery, that the gay community is in a sense on display throughout all that happens to them, regardless of what people often think about the privacy of sexuality. I also wanted to use this lovely saying that I hear too often where I’m from, equating homosexuality to something as simple as a little dirt on the hands. There is also the case of erasure which has been a hot topic of debate in the homosexual community recently, comparing the amount of privilege that certain sexuality and genders within the group bring. While intersectionality states that this is true, it does not change the stigma being faced by lesbians versus bisexual females. I’m not sure there is much more of a question I could pose that wasn’t discussed in the section on LGBT violence, but I would like to thank all the contributions to the class that were very open minded and understanding on the issues faced by this community.
–Shauna Soule