Diversity Within the Community

Well, when I look at the profile pictures I don't exactly know whether they're black or white, or whatever. If you're referring to something like pride parades, I don't see why people wouldn't be allowed to be represented based on their skin colour, the LGBT community is pretty accepting of all. This also reminded me. I once saw this black guy at a pride parade on a video, and I think they were undergoing transitioning or something. They kind of had half developed boobs, but a male body. Anyway, to my point. They were dancing, among other people to 'Born This Way,' and I don't think I'd seen anyone that happy in my entire life. Really just made me smile.

Also a second point, are you referring to just racial diversity? Because there are other types that people usually ignore like intellectual diversity.

 

Well, I don't think LGBT people are more predisposed to come from one ethnicity or another.

That said, there is always the question of how media and personal bias affect who and how someone is portrayed as LGBT.

 

People of color deserve representation, as do women, multisexuals, transgenders, different age groups, classes, and body types.

 

What would entail "work to be done"? If the community were not diverse enough, then what would need to be done in order to ensure that it be so?

 

Prejudice exists in every sect of humanity, no exceptions.

But, in terms of inclusivity - from what I've seen - the LGBT community is pretty progressive. That is more or less our motto. Every colour of the rainbow and all?

 

It depends on what you mean. Do I think the community is diverse? Yes. Do I think everyone in the community is treated fairly? No. Do I think that everyone has the empathy required to build a strong community? No.

 

Well, it seems to me that out of all the members of the community, white, cis, gay men get more attention than everyone else combined, so... there's a lot to do.

 

There is a lot of diversity within the community, which unfortunately brings division.

 

Then there is work to be done. But I do have hope for the community. I am naive enough to think that in the end we all just want to accept everyone and live happily together

 

They do both have that "div" in there...

Unfortunately diversity brings "my problem is bigger than your problem" and thenceforth the division.

 

You can't force this group to be any more diverse than not cis-het. Why? Because sexuality and gender identity are biological things and therefore you can't force someone to be e.g. gay just to make the community more diverse in e.g. class.

But I'm sure since sexuality and gender identity are found in all races, classes, disabled/non-disabled etc. then it's diverse enough.

The reason why I think women don't have as much representation is that [in the UK] they were allowed to be in homosexual relationships, so didn't face going to jail like homosexual men did.

I think the media industry, don't know if they do this or not, need to get LGBT people (or any group they're filming about) to send in such as 5 minute videos about their life (if they want to) and then can get a much more diverse picture. You can't create diversity just for the sake of diversity, it has to be real, if you're trying to portray real life, and getting real people to send in videos can't can't more real than that (unless you go and talk to people face-to-face, but it's going to be hard to get around everyone).

What I would like to see are more videos of people accepting LGBT, right from the beginning. I think it's more-or-less the culture now, particularly with gay people. And even if I'm wrong and that's the majority way of acceptance, I think if people saw others accepting people from the beginning (questions might be asked, but respectfully) then it might get others to.

And people in the community do need to pull together stronger - that means both the majority and minority internally in this group. And be careful not to hate on cis-het people (I fear for that future, don't care if it's just a fear and might not happen, every time I try and 'solve it' as to why cis-het hate won't start, something else builds on top of it to produce more hate towards cis-het and I can't stop it, so anyway, I've gone off topic now).

 

You're going to find jerks no matter where you go, and attention hogs who think they're the biggest deal wherever you go. Be as kind as you can, and don't give assholes the time of day.

 

I partly understand your view here but I also have objections. 'white cis gay men' (WCGM) have done a lot for the LGBT community that other members of the community have benefited from. Yes they get more media coverage -good and bad- but what attention is it that others in the community crave so much? With all that attention comes prejudice, unfair stereotyping and hatred. Yes society views WCGM in a better light than in the past but there are people in the not so distant history that sacrificed so much for that privilege.
I understand that in some communities, LGBT minorities can be discriminated by or feel oppressed by WCGM and that needs to by addressed but not be internal separation and power struggles.

When extremist religious groups or nut job politicians are declaring war on the family destroying sodomites it is the WCGM that they focus their campaigns on. Anyone is welcome to their share of that 'attention'. When the bathroom laws were passed discriminating against trans people, WCGM are one of the closest allies. When two women enjoy the right to be joined in marriage, one of the largest groups that fought for that right were WCGM.

I'm not saying any part of the LGBT community is perfect or more or less worthy but I am tired of being made out as a bad guy in this community based on the colour of my skin, my gender and orientation.

 

To be honest, I never really thought about it. But when I look at all my gay friends its pretty diverse and they are all out. So.. I guess it is?

Footnote: I live in The Netherlands.

 

I do sometimes think about representation and diversity in the community, but I don't think I know enough about it and its history as a whole to say a lot at the moment. There is always work to be done, and it's a complicated discussion. I can only speak from a limited personal perspective.

It's true that I don't see as much diversity in terms of, for example, simply ethnicities/racial diversity in the LGBT+ community in the mainstream media, but in reality LGBT+ people come from all different ethnicities and backgrounds of life. From a personal perspective (I'm Chinese), I definitely do want to see more representation of folks who might have similar cultural experiences as I have in relation to being Chinese and LGBT+, but that is not to say there is no diversity and no representation. Personally I think there's room for more though.

Honestly LGBT+ people come from any class/background/culture, it is a really big community. What we have in common are our non-heterosexual and/or non-cis experiences and identities, and apart from that anything else can be very different and diverse.

Simply put, it will be ideal for all the other differences amongst us to be accepted, embraced, and representated, and I definitely want that, but there is room to improve and like any community of people, it may not be so simple.

Just my two cents.

 

I also want to see more broke young gay couples in the media :lol:.