I decided I should share my speech with you! Within it I talk about inclusion and equality for everyone, however I focused mainly on LGBTQ+ issues. It is in the 4-H format for a speech. Hope you enjoy and maybe learn something!!
I would like to begin by saying that this speech touches on some sensitive topics that some people may find triggering.
We currently live in an extremely diverse society. Everyone you meet is different, with different races, preferences, different minds, opinions and emotions. Yet for some reason, we are- as an entire community- segregating people who we see as openly "different”. Whether this is because of skin color, beliefs and religion, or simply because of someone's identity (or who they are as a person). Why, in our 2021 world that is supposed to be full of inclusion, equality, and understanding, do we still have so much segregation and stigma over a topic like who we are as people? Why do people still get bullied, left out, and sometimes even killed for who they are? It's important to start educating yourself and others on the importance of acceptance and understanding the definitions, proper terms, and differences within the LGBTQ+ community.
The definition of stigma in simple terms according to the World Health Organization is “a mark of disgrace that sets a person apart from others.” This puts them in a stereotyped group. Negative beliefs and attitudes towards this group cause negative actions and discrimination. Negative beliefs and attitudes are normally caused by confusion, or mis-understanding, a.k.a., not enough education on that particular topic. Seeing as how there is so much stigma around talking about members of the LGBTQ+ community, as well as accepting them, this shows us that lack of education is mostly to blame.
Now that we've established that there is stigma, and people are uncomfortable, we have to think about what impact these opinions have on LGBTQ+ people who experience discrimination and stigma almost every day of their lives. According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, LGBTQ+ people will experience discrimination and stigma almost every day of their lifespan, and are targets of sexual and physical assault, harassment and hate crimes. In fact, the amount of hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation more than doubled in Canada from 2007 to 2008. LGBTQ+ people face higher rates of depression, anxiety, OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), phobic disorders, self harm or suicide, and substance abuse.
So why do we have so much segregation and stigma in our society? Simple; people need more education. Zeke Stokes, Chief Programs Officer for GLAAD (An official group of journalists, reporters, and activists committed to changing the media narrative), conducted a group of surveys to see how uncomfortable non-LGBTQ+ people think they would be in certain scenarios. 2000 Americans participated in these surveys, with over 1700 having self-identified as straight, cisgender people. Some of the questions asked were whether they would be comfortable with going to same-sex marriage cermonies, or letting their children go to a house with one or more LGBTQ+ parents. Others were everyday situations, such as learning a family member is LGBTQ+, or having an LGBTQ+ person move in next door. 32% said they would be uncomfortable learning a family member is LGBTQ+, while 11% said they would be very uncomfortable. 23% said they would be uncomfortable having an LGBTQ+ person move in next door, while 6% said they would be very uncomfortable. 59% said that they would be uncomfortable learning that their child is dating a transgender person specifically. Any changes to these statistics are going to take time, as much as people don't like to admit it. Changing long-term social and cultural norms will take lots of education, persistence, and patience. Proper education on terminology, definitions, and how to handle situations which you don't understand should be made necessary for everyone. So what can we do to help educate people? If research is showing that people are more apt to accept if they understand, what can we do to help them understand, and have the knowledge they need to function properly in today's society? As well, how can we help eliminate the amount of mental health issues that are being caused by all of the stigma? In reality, the only way to be fully educated is to take the time to research, and ask many questions. Generally, LGBTQ+ people are very open to answering questions and are willing to explain how they feel if people ask them questions sincerely. It's important to remember that LGBTQ+ people just want equality, the same as many other causes. If someone asks a question that may help to support the cause, they will gladly answer it. I think this will make for a more inclusive community setting.
I understand that this is a very large topic and I could talk about many more issues and details within it, however we have a limited amount of time. The most important thing to remember is that we are all people, though we may be different in many ways. Our differences make us unique. Support everyone, no matter their race, age, sexuality, or gender identity. Remember, everyone is working to achieve their own happiness.
