Ruth Shidlo, PhD

In recent years, many gains have been made in over 70 countries around the globe, with respect to sexual orientation rights, which are increasingly safeguarded under regulations, laws, and constitutions. There is a global tendency towards the decriminalization of consensual same-sex acts, and “rainbow families” are increasingly recognized in numerous jurisdictions. This recognition may include protection against various forms of discrimination; the recognition of same-sex marriage; the right to use assisted reproduction, such as surrogacy; inheritance law and pension rights for gay spouses. 

At the same time, this hard-won progress has been met with serious resistance, manifest in the form of polarizing trends that place LGBTQI people at risk, sometimes for their very lives . Moreover, some Asian and African countries lag behind most of Europe and North America. In the West Bank, the Palestinian Authority prohibited events supporting gender and sexual diversity “on the basis that they go against ‘traditional Palestinian values’, and accused the [local LGBT] organisation of being ‘foreign agents’.” (ILGA, 2019, p. 14, my brackets).

In countries that do not criminalize or demonize homosexuality, society nonetheless offers a somewhat confusing mixture of pride and prejudice: politically correct acceptance (expressed in various laws affirming equal rights, the increasing acceptance of Gay Pride and its annual celebration, pre-Corona), with many individuals professing heartfelt acceptance and respect for the other, alongside a counter image of prejudice and homophobia on the part of other individuals, religious figures and fringe groups. 

The mental health community has also made significant gains in their outlook upon sexual orientation and related issues, and come to view homosexuality as part of normal human sexuality. So-called “conversion therapies” have been out-lawed by both the American Psychological Association and the American Psychiatric Association. Several but not all states have officially outlawed conversion therapy, and various countries (e.g., Canada, France, Germany) will soon outlaw this unethical, not to say criminal practice. 

Unfortunately, although President Rivlin publicly denounced this practice, to the best of my knowledge, it has not yet been formally outlawed in Israel.

Whereas precise statistics are not available, homosexuals constitute a minority, vis-a-vis the general population. Some belong to more than one minority, and may be subject to discrimination on various fronts, including gender and ethnicity, as well as sexual orientation. 

Some people become aware of feeling same-sex attraction at a relatively early age; others may first attempt to live a heterosexual life, before realizing they want something else. Although the hetero-sexual world seems to have more trouble accepting gay men than lesbian women, negative and disdaining attitudes towards women who love women can also be quite    unsettling and difficult to cope with. It may be especially difficult it you are a black, Hispanic, Asian or African woman.

With regard to society’s attitude towards gay men, it has been argued that homo-phobia stems from “a hatred of what is perceived and labeled as feminine in men.” (Isay, 2009, p. 126). According to Isay, a gay psychoanalyst, this state of affairs can occur in a society that discriminates against women in general. He suggests that if “the same value is placed on sensitivity, compassion, nurturing, and loving as on aggressivity, competition, and productivity … it might enable both heterosexual and gay men to perceive that men who love other men may also be masculine” (ibid), as opposed to manifesting feminine character traits or be-ing viewed as “sissies.”

Other authors have come up with other explanations for homophobia, but this important topic is beyond the scope of the current article, and merits a separate discussion.

Whatever the reasons, often multi-determined, there is still much prejudice towards the LGBTQI community; some of it may stem from the person’s  own family or circle of friends, who are influenced by (and influence) the society they live in. Prejudice and discrimination stem from a basic fear of that which is    different from us i.e., the strange, the stranger. This very fear is also at the basis of racial discrimination and xenophobia, of the behavior of right wing fanatics threatened by anything that is not-them, who periodically spiral out of control, lashing out indiscriminately at whatever unfortunate member of the LGBTQI community they may come across or arbitrarily decide is gay.

This state of affairs requires a commitment toward continued psycho-education of the general population and its politicians e.g., via responsible professionals in the area of mental health; school programs promoting sex education, tolerance and diversity; youth movements aligned with pluralism; as well as from artists and the media in general. Moreover, when famous or well-known figures publicly advocate for recognition of gay rights and/or model being out in the world as a homosexual, this also seems to have a beneficial effect on others