Today is the International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia. It’s important to remember all those people who have fought against homophobic and transphobic attitudes, and especially those who have lost their lives because of violence and hate.
We have all grown up in a society which finds it difficult to deal with differences. There’s so much pressure on children and young people to grow up to be ‘normal’ people, slavishly following the rígid structures of our society. This is why it’s so difficult for young people growing up knowing that they are a bit different to the majority – and exactly the environment where homophobia and transphobia flourish.
We may think that we live in a society which seems progressive on such issues. After all, same sex marriage is legal, transgender people can legally change their names and gender, and employers are obliged to follow strict rules as not to discriminate against people according to their sexuality or gender.
But so much work is still to be done. How may of us have heard ‘gay’ being used as a negative adjective? How many of us have received a truly complete sex education? And how many of us have turned our heads when we’ve seen a same-sex couple holding hands or kissing in public?
And in so many countries throughout the world, homophobia is actively promoted by the state, with so many people being killed and tortured for who they are. It’s easy to give up hope when we hear about the situation in Russia, where neo-fascist gangs hunt gay people down, and places like Iran where people are executed for being in a loving relationship.
Our responsibility is to speak out against any form of intolerance, be it blatant or underlying, wherever we see it.
