The Heterosexual Privilege

A lot of times, people's reasoning for ignoring or not taking action against sexual prejudice is not because they dislike non heterosexuals, but because they are not aware of how big of a problem it is.  Sexual orientation minorities are often times hurt or inconvenienced because of the heterosexual privilege.  The heterosexual privilege is the unearned advantage that is given to heterosexual people strictly due to their sexual orientation.  Although most people are aware that sexual orientation minorities are discriminated against occasionally, many people do not know just how many areas of life the heterosexual privilege occurs in.
Some of the more commonly known forms of heterosexual privilege include the ability to legally marry the person you love, being accepted to work wherever you want, being able to join whatever religion you want without ridicule, and having public support of your relationship.

Image from: http://itspronouncedmetrosexual.com/2012/01/29-examples-of-heterosexual-privilege/

However, the list is much longer than that.  With every example of discrimination, there are further inconveniences that trickle down from this prejudice.

References:

http://www.ucalgary.ca/positivespace/node/38

http://itspronouncedmetrosexual.com/2012/01/29-examples-of-heterosexual-privilege/

Helping Hands

Image from: http://ss2-um-gohan.deviantart.com/art/LGBT-Support-161036502

One of the biggest questions once the problem of sexual prejudice is brought to attention is, “Are there groups that support LGBTQ individuals?”  The answer is YES!  There are many groups, resources, and programs that help to support these individuals and end sexual prejudice.  The type of group often depends on what community level the group is supporting.  For example, George Mason University has a resource office dedicated to providing information and care to lesbians, bisexuals, gays, transgenders, and people questioning their sexual orientation on the college campus.  The resource center also offers a lot of information about the different student organizations on campus designed for the purpose of LGBTQ support.  One group, Pride Alliance, meets once a week to promote education, provide support, and foster respect for people of ALL sexual orientations.  I found this to be a very interesting point- why would someone who is heterosexual attend a group designed to provide a safe space for sexual orientation minorities?  This is a very important question that can be answered in a few ways.  One reason could be for educational purposes.  It is important to learn about people of all shapes and types and about the discrimination they encounter.  Heterosexual attendance to these groups could also be for support.  It is just as important for heterosexuals to support LGBTQ individuals and their groups as it is for the individuals themselves to support them.  If more heterosexual people were open to attending open groups such as Pride Alliance, we would be a step further in ending sexual prejudice!

These organizations are very effective for a college campus setting.  However, they may not be as effective in persuading all of North America to provide support to end sexual prejudice.  On a national level, the ACLU LGBT project can provide substantial support against sexual prejudice.  The mission of the project is to create a society in which non heterosexuals are allowed the same constitutional rights as heterosexuals.  These include the rights of equality, privacy, and expression that are often times denied of non heterosexuals. 

References:

http://lgbtq.gmu.edu/

http://www.lgbtqnation.com/category/world/north-america

https://plus.google.com/s/sexual%20prejudice

https://www.aclu.org/lgbt-rights