Get your gay on
by Fred Penzel, PhD
This article was initially published in the Winter edition of the OCD Newsletter.
OCD, as we know, is largely about experiencing severe and unrelenting doubt. It can cause you to suspect even the most basic things about yourself – even your sexual orientation. A study published in the Journal of Sex Research found that among a group of college students, 84% reported the occurrence of sexual intrusive thoughts (Byers, et al. ). In order to have doubts about one’s sexual identity, a sufferer need not ever contain had a homo- or heterosexual experience, or any type of sexual encounter at all. I own observed this symptom in young children, adolescents, and adults as well. Interestingly Swedo, et al., , launch that approximately 4% of children with OCD encounter obsessions concerned with forbidden aggressive or perverse sexual thoughts.
Although doubts about one’s own sexual identity might seem pretty straightforward as a symptom, there are actually a number of variations. The most clear form is where a sufferer experiences the reflection that they mig
International Travel
Travelers can face one-of-a-kind challenges abroad based on their real or perceived sexual orientation. Laws and attitudes in some countries may affect safety and ease of travel.
More than 60 countries consider consensual same-sex relations a crime. In some of these countries, people who occupy in consensual same-sex relations may face severe punishment. Many countries do not notice same-sex marriage.
Research your destination before you travel
Review the journal advisory and destination data page of the place you plan to check in. Check the Local Laws & Customs section. This has information specific to travelers who may be targeted by discrimination or violence on the basis of sexual orientation.
Many countries only recognize male and female sex markers in passports. They perform not have IT systems at ports of entry that can accept other sex markers, including valid U.S. passports with an X sex marker. If traveling with a valid U.S. passport with an X sex marker, inspect the immigration regulations for your destination as acceptance can v
Mental health aid if you're homosexual woman, gay, bisexual or trans (LGBTQ+)
Mental health problems such as depression or self-harm can change any of us, but they're more common among people who are womxn loving womxn, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBTQ+).
This may be linked to LGBTQ+ people's encounter of discrimination, homophobia or transphobia, bullying, social isolation, or rejection because of their sexuality.
Other things, such as their age, religion, where they live, and their ethnicity can include extra complications to an already complicated situation.
How talking therapy can help
It might not be easy, but getting help with issues you're struggling to deal with on your possess is one of the most vital things you can do.
Talking with a therapist who's trained to work with LGBTQ+ people may help with issues such as:
- difficulty accepting your sexual orientation
- coping with other people's reactions to your sexuality
- feeling your body does not show your true gender (gender dysphoria)
- transitioning
- low self-esteem
- self-harm
- suicidal thoughts
- depression
- coping with bullying
Bury Your Gays
"Kudos for including such a well-developed gay character! Have you figured out how you're going to kill them yet?"&#; Worst Muse
This trope is the presentation of deaths of LGBT characters where these characters are nominally capable to be viewed as more expendable than their heterosexual counterparts. In this way, the death is treated as exceptional in its circumstances. In aggregate, homosexual characters are more likely to die than straight characters. Indeed, it may be because they seem to have less purpose compared to straight characters, or that the supposed natural ending of their story is an early death.
The reasons for this trope have evolved somewhat over the years. For a good while, it was because the Depraved Homosexual trope and its ilk pretty much limited portrayals of explicitly gay characters to villainous characters, or at least characters who weren't given much respect by the narrative. This was due to negative attitudes towards gay people and due to the Moral Guardians' Hays Code, which did not allo