I am interested in addressing the stigmas surrounding sexual and gender identities as a social worker. Homophobia and transphobia are deeply rooted in our society, contributing to a lot of fear and confusion surrounding the LGBTQIA+ community. Initially, I thought that the problem could be attributed to a lack of inclusive sexual education in schools. This was disproven when Ontario Premier, Kathleen Wynne, announced a new and more inclusive sexual education curriculum in schools that began in September 2015. The announcement was met with outrage by many parents and teachers in both rural and urban communities. This indicates that the problem is deeper than a lack of education, that homophobic and transphobic values are systemic. Major social changes must take place in order to remove the taboo regarding sexual and gender identities and create an open discussion about sexuality and gender in our society. …show more content…
Often movies, television shows, music, and books are geared towards cissexual and heterosexual populations and do not include characters with diverse backgrounds. Frequently, LGBTQIA+ characters are used as comic relief, or fit into damaging stereotypes like the fashionable gay best friend or the ‘slutty’ bisexual who was thrown in to satisfy the male gaze. This type of representation only serves to perpetuate misconceptions about the LGBTQIA+ community. It is rare that transexual, asexual, aromantic, non-binary, or genderfluid characters are written. Diverse and well-written representation of LGBTQIA+ characters in the mainstream media could go a long way in fostering acceptance and understanding in our