The Coming Out National Experience By Omar Itani

The “Coming Out” National Experience By Omar Itani

Introduction From the beginning of time people have struggled with expressing their own sexual identity. I will be discussing the fears, facts, and change people have went through over time while displaying graphical data and charts to support my findings Mentioning the struggles people have faced previously, to how this community grew worldwide, I'll discuss the complete evolution of the “coming out” process The adversity these individuals displayed must be shown to prove their incredible strength both mentally, spiritually and physically, as well as the oppression young LGBT members faced and how this can be prevented

Topics The “coming out process” The pros and cons of this process The fears associated with telling people How society has changed their perception of this community OVER TIME Why the proper sex education and parenting is important.

The “Coming out process” It takes a great amount of emotional and mental support to come out about being either Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, or Queer. In today's age, the average person “comes out” around the age of 18. according to a survey done by Bespoke Surgical. This is much better than the past when the average was 24. This can be attributed to a variety of things such as, the rise of social media, popular figureheads coming out publicly, the advanced sex education being taught in schools, and many other positives. Although this process is tough to go through as an individual, it is a fact that more people are being encouraged and helped to come out without being afraid.

Graphical representation

Pros and cons of this process (Cons) Inability to make friendships, Discomfort, and Physical abuse (Pros) Internal relief, Growing community, healthier life, and Increased motivation These are just some of the things you will deal with through an experience such as this. As a society people must raise awareness on these ongoing issues and pay attention to the numbers associated with the negativity While the world might not claim this as a severe issue, Here is a survey that shows the ongoing harassment these people have been dealing with since 2016 as well as the shocking numbers associated this survey

Survey BOOM STATS

Fears associated with “coming out” There are many fears and worries associated with “coming out”. One must worry if he/she will be accepted, Loss of financial support, physical abuse, discrimination, and cyberbullying are all amongst the fears of going public. In most states it is still legal to be discriminatory over one's sexuality. Meaning that a person could be fired from their job/not hired or even denied insurance! You may feel a major sense of vulnerability, fear, and discomfort. A major fear for the youth is the loss of friendships they may experience, as well as this feeling of being an “outcast” or not accepted among their peers.

Statistics for college campus More than one-third (36 percent) of LGBT undergraduate students have experienced harassment within the past year, as have 29 percent of all respondents. Twenty percent of all respondents feared for their physical safety because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, and 51 percent concealed their sexual orientation or gender identity to avoid intimidation. Forty-three percent of the respondents rated the overall campus climate as homophobic . These numbers display just how badly the undergraduate LGBTQ are treated, people cant even go to school and get a proper education/working environment because they are constantly being ridiculed and shamed because of their likes.

LGBT within the United States You may wonder how many people identify as LGBT, take into account of course there are many people who refrain from answering truthly or even answering at all, to for their own safety or even the safety of their family. Those who did answer allowed me to make a good approximation on how many people are in this community nationwide. These representations may want to be considered if you identify as LGBT. You would have a much easier time in a community of your nature. It might suppress some of these difficulties of the “coming out” process.

How society is becoming more accepting of LGBT Americans are becoming more accepting in their views of LGBT people and homosexuality in general, and the number of people identifying as LGBT has grown in recent years. For example, 63% of Americans said in 2016 that homosexuality should be accepted by society, compared with 51% in 2006. LGBT adults recognize the change in attitudes: About nine-in-ten (92%) said in a 2013 Pew Research Center survey of adults identifying as LGBT that society had become more accepting of them in the previous decade. Thus being said by the data, it can be inferred that the suicides and depression this community faces will decline due to the rising acceptence of thier sexcuality by the heterosexual community. Also it looks like more people will be less afraid of being ridiculed by their peers and admit their sexuality and by doing this people can finally be comfortable in their own skin.

Representation Acceptance is key to societal change

Sex Education and Parenting It is the position of the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) that developmentally appropriate evidencebased sexual health education should be included as part of a comprehensive school health education program and be accessible to all students. NASN recognizes the role of parents and families as the primary source of education about sexual health. Parenting involves having that infamous “talk” with your child once they start to hit puberty. It is the parent's choice whether to teach their kids to respect other people's wishes and feelings even though these people may not be with the majority of society or they may teach their kids to stigmatise them. It all stems from the parents and what you say at home may have a great impact on a kid’s beliefs growing up into adulthood. Sex education in schools is a must have for kids as society has been reshaping itself for years now. Kids need to be taught in school how to treat and respect others who differ from sexual appeals. Kids should also be taught these lessons in class to prevent ignorance or bullying.

Summary To cap off, Understand that the “coming out process” is very difficult to initiate and withstand There are good things and bad things about “coming out” People who do “come out” face an excruciating amount of backlash and bullying. Society has become more accepting and comfortable with these sexualy appeals and the crimes and hatred towards LGBTQ have plumeted Sexual education and parenting play vital roles in the teachings of sexuality and are the biggest contributors of knowledge to prevent ignorance

References Goldstein, Evan. “Coming Out & LGBTQ+ Statistics. ” Bespoke Surgical , 29 July 2019, https: //www. bespokesurgical. com/2018/10/11/statisticsexperience-coming-out-lgbtq/ Human Rights Campaign, Elliot. “Survey of 50, 000+ Youth Reveals Post-Election Spike in Bullying. ” Human Rights Campaign, 18 Jan. 2017, https: //www. hrc. org/blog/new-survey-of-50000 -young-peoplereveals-troubling-post-election-spike-in-b “Coming Out, ” developed by Wall, V. and Washington, J. 1989. And the Northern Illinois University Safe Zone Program Ally Handbook. https: //web. csulb. edu/colleges/chhs/safe-zone/comingout/index. html “The Coming Out Process. ” California State University, Long Beach ,

References “Statistics: Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Center: Case Western Reserve University. ” Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Center | Case Western Reserve University, 31 May 2019, “LGBT Data and Demographics. ” The Williams Institute, UCLA School Of Law, Jan. 2019, https: //williamsinstitute. law. ucla. edu/visualiz ation/lgbtstats/? topic=LGBT&area=42#density “A Survey of LGBT Americans. ” Pew Research Center's Social & Demographic Trends Project , 31 Dec. 2019, https: //www. pewsocialtrends. org/2013/06/13/asurvey-of-lgbt-americans/ Brown, Anna. “ 5 Key Findings about LGBT Americans. ” Pew Research Center , Pew Research Center, 13 June 2017,