The quest for liberation and rights recognition

Have you ever heard of the term LGBT or GLBT to some? Well, this is actually a collective term used to refer to lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transsexuals. When you hear the term “gay culture”, it usually refers to them.

The sexual revolution was said to have occurred in the 1960s and up until then, the LGBT community were referred to as the “third gender” or the “third sex”. Nowadays, people call members of this community as “homosexuals” or “homos” which in itself is a derogatory term.

In the past, bisexuals and transsexuals were not considered as a part of this community as they were believed to be nothing as men or women who were afraid to “come out” and admit their identities. This view started right after the Stonewall riots in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It was only in the 1990s that bisexuals and transsexuals were included in what we now call as the gay community.

Since then, the cry for liberation and the acceptance of the rights of the LGBT has been a constant debate among scholars, the church and lay people. Despite the widespread integration of LGBT communities to mainstream culture, it is undeniable that some people are apprehensive with the thought of having a neighbor who is lesbian or gay.

In the United Kingdom, a TV series entitled Queer as Folk rocked the whole world as it features the many problems encountered by gay people in their daily lives. It also shows the enticing night life that they experience and the fanfare of celebrations hosted by anyone belonging to the community. We also see the many stereotypes associated with gay people in general – the myths and the truths – the proliferation of drugs, sex and alcohol.

This is perhaps the reason why people look at gay individuals as immoral and undeserving of praise. If “normal” people can do things such as watch pornographic material and nobody has any qualms, a gay person caught watching gay sample video is regarded as lowly. This is something I do not understand. Gay people are individuals who have their own rights and are hoping for their own voice. If “straight” people can appear in adult films, why can’t gays appear in gay web cam sites? Sure we are in a sexual revolution, but this revolution is characterized more by the liberation of women than by those belonging to the subculture of the gay community.

A lot of times society treats people unfairly. A lot of the members of LGBT do something good for their community but no one notices. Maybe we think that it was their duty to pay off their mistakes. But that is blatantly cruel and unjust.