Читать книгу Still Straight - Tony Silva - Страница 8

Sexual behavior, attraction, and identity are related but distinct.19 Yet it is common for people to label others—incorrectly—as gay or bisexual because of even a single same-sex sexual encounter.20 Nonetheless, same-sex sexual behavior does not require a gay/lesbian or bisexual identity, nor does the presence of same-sex attraction. People are metaphorically closeted only if they are hiding an identity that they see as a key part of themselves.21 Many individuals secretly identify as LGBQ22 (lesbian, gay, bisexual, or queer), but cannot be open about it because of the homophobic world in which they live. These people are in the closet. They differ from straight-identified MSM, who are secretive about having sex with men but still genuinely feel as though “straight” describes them better than any other identity. Straight MSM do not perceive sex with men as meaningful to their identity.

Simply put, not everyone who feels same-sex attractions engages in same-sex activity, and not everyone who enjoys same-sex activity feels same-sex attractions. Moreover, attractions differ in degree of strength: recent studies have found that 3.6 to 4.1 percent of men and 7.6 to 9.5 percent of women have limited same-sex physical or romantic attraction.23 People who fall into these categories are somewhat attracted to members of the same sex, but not very. In this book, however, I do not explore in depth the complexities of same-sex attraction. My focus is on identity as opposed to sexual attraction or behavior, and how individuals derive meaning from their sexuality and their relation to social groups, like gay communities. Sexual identity often does not capture the complex ways in which people experience sexual attractions and practices. It often does, however, reflect the sexual cultures to which individuals feel they belong.24

Of course, identities are not entirely the result of individual choice. Prejudice and discrimination toward LGBQ people encourage straight identification, and homophobia is present in all areas of social life. By “homophobia” I mean a belief that LGBQ people are inferior to straight people or not deserving of equal rights, as well as individual actions that reinforce inequality. I also mean laws, institutions, and other macro social forces and processes that all together reinforce inequality between straight and LGBQ people.

For instance, it is legal to discriminate against LGBQ people in housing and public accommodations in over half of US states. Additionally, over half of US states allow parents to force their children into religious “conversion therapy” programs. Despite the fact that these programs are widely regarded by professional health organizations as harmful and ineffective, hundreds of thousands of young Americans have been forced into these programs.25 Recently, Republican politicians, officials, and judges have worsened inequality by advancing so-called religious freedom and freedom of speech laws that legalize and protect discrimination.26

Many of these bills have been introduced in Republican-controlled states since the United States Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage nationwide in 2015.27 Cases such as 2018’s Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission show that Republican justices often regard discrimination as a protected form of speech or religious exercise. Court decisions have major consequences because legal inequalities shape, and are shaped by, public perceptions of LGBQ people.28 For instance, the legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States greatly reduced the proportion of Americans who support various homophobic attitudes.29

Legal equality declined in many ways during the Trump administration, so it is unsurprising that more LGBTQ people (the “T” here stands for “transgender”) reported discrimination in the years after President Trump took office than before.30 The Trump administration rewrote federal rules to protect healthcare workers who discriminate against LGBTQ people,31 argued in court that civil rights laws do not apply to LGBTQ people,32 and made it easier for adoption and foster agencies to discriminate against LGBTQ people.33 Across the United States, over half of LGBTQ people report having experienced discrimination.34 Due to concerns about discrimination, only 46 percent of LGBTQ Americans are “out” at work, a percentage that has barely changed in the last decade.35 This may be the case because LGBTQ employees are much more likely to be bullied than their straight, nontransgender (cisgender) counterparts.36 In June 2020 the Supreme Court made employment discrimination against LGBTQ people illegal nationwide, but this ruling only applies to organizations with fifteen or more employees.

Homophobia is still strong: despite advances, only about two thirds of Americans support same-sex marriage.37 Because of discrimination, LGBQ people are much more likely to face economic hardship than straight people.38 They also experience higher stress due to homophobic social environments,39 and this drastically affects their physical and mental health.40 LGBQ people living in areas without equal legal rights, mostly in Republican states, have lower levels of mental and physical well-being than straight people. This is due to prejudice, discrimination, and the stress of living in homophobic areas.41 Unfortunately, few federal laws protect LGBTQ people from discrimination. A bill in Congress that would do so, the Equality Act, has not advanced because most Republican elected officials oppose it. Inequalities are present in all areas of social life: as adults LGBQ people are much more likely to be denied housing loans than straight people,42 and as children they face harsher punishment from school officials and higher rates of bullying by their peers.43 LGBQ people also experience higher rates of housing and food insecurity than straight people,44 and they feel less closely connected to their neighbors than straight people.45

Overall, while discrimination today has lessened compared to what it was prior to the 2000s, a great many institutions still operate in ways that disadvantage LGBQ people compared to straight people.46 Even many straight people who support legal equality nonetheless believe that LGBQ people should not have the same “informal” rights as straight people, such as the right to hold hands in public.47 Homophobia and biphobia come in many forms and sadly remain an integral part of the nation’s social fabric. Prejudice and discrimination negatively affect LGBQ people and encourage straight identification. Feelings of belonging in straight culture are tied in part to the comfort of knowing that one will not experience either homophobia or biphobia. This is a major reason why the men I interviewed identified themselves as straight, although they did so for other reasons as well, as we shall see.