Gender Sensitivity is the belief that people of all genders should be treated with respect. This includes respecting people’s pronouns (the words they use to describe themselves, such as he/him, she/her or they/them), their chosen name and their preferred gender pronoun. It also means using language that is inclusive of all genders, such as ‘partner’ instead of ‘husband/wife’, and avoiding making assumptions about someone’s gender.
Gender sensitivity is important for everyone, but it is especially important for transgender people, who often face discrimination and exclusion. By being more aware of the language we use and the way we treat people, we can make the world a more inclusive place for all.
I am a gay man and have suffered all sorts of terrible things at the hands of bigots who know very little about. I have been there and done that. It is therefore surprising how much I detest political correctness. How did it all start and what was the purpose of it all? Political correctness is not really about being nice to one another but just being offended for the sake of being offended. Sometimes I find that the people that drive the political correctness agenda are actually beasts behind closed doors. They are horrendous to anyone that does not fit into their little world of dos and don’ts. They are the thought police that prevents us from being ourselves.
I used to think that only ethnic minorities do political correctness but I have found that the gay community can be equally demanding on the rest of the community. We must all show our collective guilt and apologize for the sins of our ancestors or anyone that resembles us in any way. Being a bit camp, it is always obvious that I am gay even if you have a protective shield on your gaydar. That means that people react to me immediately as a gay man. Some of them are frightened of me because they think I am going to infect them with my “disease”.
Others are frightened because they fear to offend me and getting into trouble with the thought police. That means that they end up tip-toeing, a crime that is even worse than any anti-gay slur. I do not want to be treated like some piece of fragile porcelain. I am a powerful and proud man. That is how I want it to be…not some cowering fool that is afraid of being offended by anyone or anything. There are those that just do not know what to do. Meeting a gay person is a new experience for them and they are not sure how they are supposed to react. Unfortunately, our political correctness has made it impossible to live with one another in mutual respect and harmony. We always end up trying to control what the other is thinking.
Political Correctness: You Can’t Legislate Homophobia Away
To the great irritation of many friends of mine within the LGBT community, I do not believe in legislating to bar feelings of homophobia. People can be as homophobic as they like as long as they do not prevent LGBT people from enjoying their full rights as citizens. In any case, I know that some of the “nicest” liberals out there call us names when they are in the privacy of their homes or within the closed communities of their peers. Others are so happy to look after and protect gay people but do not want any of that stuff for their children. It is all for a show. They want to tell us that they are so great for everybody. That is the true definition of virtue signaling and it is disgusting to those of us who have lived the struggle.
Yes, being called a “fag” is not very nice but we have to remember that this term has been appropriated by the LGBT community. So I have a “fag hag” but she does not seem to be so worried about it. Instead, I have some random person throwing a hissy fit because we are using what she calls “hate words”. I know for a fact that I do not hate gay people. I actually love them…a lot, that has always been my problem. It is just that I do not believe in political correctness in any shape or form. Then they get themselves into a tizzy about titles once they are married. Why not just remain, Steve, instead of worrying about whether you are Mrs. Or Miss or Mr. Those terms were created for “straight” people and we should let them be.
I was recently caught on the wrong side of the toilet wars. My friends were furious with me for arguing that it is quite ok for girls to have girls-only toilets. A better solution is to create LGBT friendly toilets so that those that want to share can share. Instead, the community insists that this is a form of discrimination. The girls must accept members of the LGBT community or else they risk being branded as traitors to the cause or “haters”. Any intellectual argument that calls for any level of compromise is immediately shot down as a sign that the person making it is a bigot. There are no compromises. You are either with them or against them. It is a painful reality that speaks of the divisions within the LGBT community.
When Outsiders Try To Tell Me How to Live
I think the very worst instance of this type of thing is when a non-LGBT person decides that they know more about the gay community so that they can tell me what is the acceptable way to behave. One even had the audacity to advise me that it is not ok to speak of labels. They are all just people and there should be no mention of their sexual identity and orientation. I was outraged. We were never treated as human beings for a long time. Some wanted to have us killed. Now that we have united to form an LGBT community, a non-LGBT person was telling me that we are back to being human beings.
There is safety in numbers and in collaborations. I am proud to be part of the LGBT community, precisely because it gives me a platform for raising issues that would otherwise be hidden. We are stronger together within this community but we must fight the scourge of political correctness in order to become a fully integrated community. Political correctness does not just stifle freedom of speech…it makes us enemies of one another. If we are continuing to criticize people for nothing, they will cease to be part of the movement. I admit that the politically correct types tend to get on my tits. I do not like interacting with them because they lack any humor. Some are not even aware that they are irritating the hell out of it.
Don’t get me wrong…I have a good experience or even a bad experience of prejudice for all my life and I am supportive of people being kinder to one another. However, that is a very different proposition when compared to the kind of political correctness that stifles debate. We are in danger of shooting ourselves in the mouth when we break down all the alliances that might have helped us. Nobody wants to be associated with opinionated and self-righteous so and so who will not see anything apart from their own point of view. I know that I will be accused of being a fifth columnist but the LGBT community needs to be able to objectively re-examine itself in order to achieve our goal of becoming fully integrated and respected members of our communities.
A Debate is Good For Our Community
The LGBT community is at the crossroads. We have achieved so much including some level of marriage equality, something that we did not think possible a few decades ago. Many are beginning to question the basis and logic of old prejudices that kept us back. We are in the process of asking for even more support from our alliances so that we can move on with our lives. The LGBT community must continue to take advantage of all the opportunities that are available to it including developing networks of alliances with other people that are not necessarily on the same wavelength.
There is nothing wrong with disagreeing if you really think about it. Disagreeing is far better than the wholesale extermination of LGBT people like the Nazis had proposed. It is also better than driving people out of our community because they do not fit into our ideological frameworks which have been rigidly set along a certain agenda line. A lot of work is yet to be done in terms of achieving true equality for all LGBT people. The last thing we need to do is get sidetracked by the politically correct party poopers who are always looking for something to be offended about. We must also not become the perpetual grief merchants that are really a caricature of who we really are.
LGBT and Gender Equality Workplace
Gender Equality Workplace means that all employees are treated fairly and equally, regardless of their sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity. This includes things like equal pay for equal work, access to promotions and job openings, and freedom from harassment and discrimination. Many countries have laws that protect LGBT people in the workplace, but there is still much progress to be made. In some places, LGBT people are not protected by employment discrimination laws at all. This can make it very difficult for members of this community to find and keep jobs.
There are many challenges that LGBT individuals face with regard to gender equality at workplace, but they are also a resilient and powerful community.
Conclusion
The LGBT community is strengthened by its diversity and inclusiveness. Let us embrace and celebrate that rich diversity. There are people who are in, out or in-between closets. Others are not yet convinced about some of our more radical ideas for changing society. There are also those that are still somewhat attached to the old language and habits that used to characterize the systemic homophobia that we had to contend with. All these are people that can be and should be part of the LGBT community if only we can learn to accept that not everybody is going to agree with us on everything all the time.
