As I have mentioned in prior posts, I have grown up with homosexuality as a prevalent factor in my family life. Although my parents are seemingly abnormal in their acceptance of this, it is important to notice the remaining prejudice in the older members of my extended family. My grandfather for instance…ever since my uncle—the drag queen, was a young boy, everyone said they knew he was going to be gay. So, my grandfather had 30 or so years to adjust to his son’s homosexuality but the stigmatization of gays is so deeply imbedded in his mind that it ruined their relationship. In fact, my grandfather refuses to call homosexual’s gays; instead he calls them “fuddy duddys.” Similarly, my older aunts will not even acknowledge his existence.
What I want to discover if these prejudices have a sort of colander effect, that is it takes many years for these beliefs to be separated from typical societal beliefs. I wonder this because it is clear that some of these prejudices have been passed down to younger generations…can they ever just die out? The study Hatred in the Hallways, by the Human Right’s Watch observed harassment in schools among LGB students. Some students reported hearing the word “gay” 10-20 times a day in the hallways. Is this what is left of the prejudices from our older generations. First gays are brutalized and ostracized, although this is still present, now their sexuality is demeaned through the use of the word “gay” as a common negative connotation that fits in almost every situation (according to our generation). My little brother who is 14 calls everything “gay.” It is really upsetting to see this prejudice being passed down.
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