Sexual Orientation

Homosexuality: Causes, Impact, Coming Out and Homophobia

Since a while now, great efforts are being made by the world and our society to accommodate and accept the prevalence of people with different sexual orientations. The field of psychology through its different approaches has been accelerative in its effort to remove the stigma, prejudice and discrimination of people who identity with gay, lesbian or bisexual orientations. To gain a better understanding about sexual orientation, it is important to look into what it is and what causes people to have a sexual orientation as well as the role of prejudice and discrimination and the psychological impact of such prejudice. Other important factors such as homophobia and coming out by acceptance of one’s sexual orientation are other factors about which awareness is important.

The enduring patterns of emotional, sexual and romantic attractions to men, women or both sexes are referred to as sexual orientation. It also comprises the sense of identity of a person based on those behaviors, attractions and relating to other people with similar attractions. Usually, sexual orientation is discussed in three categories of heterosexual, homosexual and bisexual. Heterosexuality refers to having emotional, romantic and sexual attraction to members of the opposite sex whereas homosexuality refers to having those attractions to members of the same sex as is with gays and lesbians. Bisexuality refers to having sexual, emotional and romantic attractions to both men and women.

A person does not choose to be of a particular sexual orientation. Research shows that it is based on biological factors which occur during birth. It is established before puberty and changes over the course of a lifetime for some people. Yet, one thing is very clear – sexual orientation is not something that one decides for themselves or for others. There is no way one can know about someone’s sexual orientation except when they talk about it. Some people think it can be known by the way people talk or walk or by their dress or jobs or hobbies. These are untrue and are stereotypes which are widely accepted judgments about people.
Prejudice and discrimination is the major cause of negative impactfor a person with varied sexual orientation. On the social level, it is reflected by the stereotypes by members of different societies and groups. All stereotypes exist even with supported evidence and are used to excuse unequal treatment of the LGBT community (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender). Some examples of such stereotypical treatment are limitations in job opportunities, relationship recognitions or parenting. On the individual level, there are negative consequences of stereotypes. Although they learn to deal with the social stigma, the patterns of prejudice have negative effects on well-being and health of the person. There are a lot of concerns with mental health due to this stigma and as social support is crucial to cope with the stress, attitudes and discrimination, it becomes difficult to find such support.

Coming out is the process in which a person openly acknowledges, accepts and discloses one’s sexual orientation to others. The first step in this process is to accept it oneself first and recognizing one’s own orientation. It is not a one-time thing and is a constant process as it can be stressful. It builds a person’s self-esteem and helps one feel closer to people they love even if it seems risky. Coming out is an important psychological step as it fosters mental health and well-being.

Homophobia is the fear and apprehension of people with sexual orientations different from the widely accepted one of heterosexuals. It is the fear and hatred of those who appear to be gay, lesbians or bisexuals. Some are fearful due to wrong biased information when people around them encourage negative feelings about homosexuality. Others don’t have any information about it and thus are unaware of gay people and their issues. This can create insecurity and sometimes physical or verbal abuse and violence due to discrimination. Homophobia can cause fear, depression, paranoia or isolation and can lead to suicide.