LGBTQ+ Rights

There are many issues in the world that we live in. Some of these issues are controversial, and some  are unifying. But one issue I feel greatly about is LGBTQ+ rights. I think LGBTQ+ persons should be able to live without question of who they want to be with, or why there are the way they are, or any other thing for that matter. Everyone should live freely, but for this article I will be focusing only on LGBTQ+ rights.

    

Workplace Discrimination

    Workplace discrimination is something that the LGBTQ+ community faces. There is no law that protect LGBTQ+ persons against discrimination. Studies show that 15 percent to 43 percent of LGBTQ+  persons have experienced some form of discrimination and harassment at their workplace.

 

LGBTQ+ Youth Discrimination

    In the US, an estimated 3.2 million youth are LGBTQ+. Among older youth, approximately 8% or 1.6 million youth identify as Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual , and nearly 1% or 150,000 youth  identify as transgender. Documented evidence shows that LGBTQ+ youth are regularly discriminated and harassed because of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity. In 2015 GLSEN found that 85% of LGBT students have experienced verbal harassment, 58% of LGBTQ+ youth have felt unsafe at school due to their sexual orientation, 43% have felt unsafe because of their gender identity, 27% of LGBTQ+ students have been physically harassed at school because of their sexual orientation, and 13% have been physically harassed because of their gender identity.

 

Violence

    The Transgender community is more likely to experience physical violence, personal violence, and more discrimination than cisgender people.

 

Gender Neutral Bathrooms

    Gender-divided bathrooms have long been a problem for LGBTQ+ people, especially those identifying as trans. People who are not gender binary might have the necessary urge to solve oneself, often ending with an uncomfortable ‘solution’ to either male or female when in public. The result is discomfort for everyone involved. Sometimes when people walk into a restroom they can be greeted by a negative reaction from another bathroom occupant, which can range from startled gasps to being harrassed, some people can feel like they are not welcome in either Male os Female restrooms.

 

Protection Laws

    Only 20 states in the US have anti-discrimination or anti-bullying laws that protect LGBTQ+ students. About  55% of LGBTQ+ youth live in states that do not have laws that protect them from discrimination based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity.

 

Statistics in this article came from the following sites:  

https://www.glsen.org/sites/default/files/2015%20National%20GLSEN%202015%20National%20School%20Climate%20Survey%20%28NSCS%29%20-%20Full%20Report_0.pdf

 

https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/press/lgbt-youth-bullying-press-release/

 

https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/Access-to-Youth-Mentoring-Programs.pdf

 

https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/lgbt/news/2011/06/02/9872/gay-and-transgender-people-face-high-rates-of-workplace-discrimination-and-harassment/

 

Don’t bend until you break… It gets better.

    

 

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