Community is a broad term, but it would be best described as a “feeling of companionship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals.” The LGBT Community is the joining of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their supporters, with the purpose of celebrating individuality, sexuality, and diversity. In addition, the LGBT community actively fights for equal rights and calls for an end to sexual-orientation based discrimination. The LGBT Community is made up of people from all races, socio-economic, religious and non-religious, and age backgrounds. The LGBT community supports all three assumptions, and also somewhat challenge assumptions two & three.
Although the LGBT community is accepting of types of people, many people in the world today still disagree with LGBT beliefs. Violence and discrimination is something the LGBT community, especially transgender women of color, must face on a daily basis. LGBT rights organizations and support groups make up a major portion of what the LGBT community can offer its members. According to Catherine Latterell, the author of Remix, Assumption 1 is that communities provide stability. It is evident that LGBT community undoubtedly supports this statement. Organizations like the Trevor Project and GLAAD work to “amplify the voice of the LGBT community by empowering real people to share their stories.
” (GLAAD) According to the Trevor Project, lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth are 4 times more likely, and questioning youth are 3 times more likely, to attempt suicide as their straight peers. It is estimated by the Suicide Prevention Resource Center that between 30 and 40% of LGBT youth have attempted suicide. The organizations mentioned, amongst many other. .selves around people with similar ideologies, without the feeling of judgment or discrimination. The LGBT community offers numerous outlets to find help and support for people within the community who may be experiencing crisis, whether it be physically, mentally, or emotionally.
All three assumptions can be supported by the LGBT community, while assumption two and three can be challenged from a different perspective. There is no doubt that the LGBT community has saved thousands of lives over the course of its history. Although society is slowing moving towards a more LGBT accepting world, we must still work together to ensure that people of any sexual-orientation or gender are being treated equally. This includes insuring that no LGBT person, regardless of their age, gender, religion, or race, are being discriminated against in society, the workplace, schools etc.
