[KarissaD.]

Do people who are of the homosexual preference feel as if they are shunned due to the fact that they are homosexual?

User Detail :  

Name : KarissaD., City : Elizabethton, State : TN Country : United States, 

[KaraH]

Absolutely. If by ourselves we are invisible to homophobic or heterosexist comments like "How come you haven't married? Where is your husband? How dare you bring children into the world as a single parent? (2 parent family of 18 years) It is tiresome and makes me grumpy with any slight. I am tired of being the token lesbian at work. I am tired of being left out of my family's extended reunions so "Aunt Judy and Uncle Joe" won't feel uncomfortable. I want the right to see my spouse in the hospital. My friend wanted the right to be called when her lover was killed in Iraq. The military called her parents instead. They had been a couple for 10 years. I want health insurance without a fight. I want to lead my son's Cub Scout Den without being undercover. Kara H

User Detail :  

Name : KaraH, Gender : Female, Sexual Orientation : Lesbian, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Episcopalian, Age : 51, City : Austin, State : TX Country : United States, Occupation : teacher, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, 

[AlainaR]

Yes, we do feel shunned at times. Those who make judgements against us or treat us differently should walk in our shoes for a week. It is not fair when I want to take my partner out for a romantic dinner and have to avert my eyes from those casting a scronful look. It hurts to get stared at. Why do we have our own clubs? Because we run the chance of getting mocked or worse at the "regular" bars. It hurts to know that if my partner is in the hospital dying that I might not be able to see her because I am not "family" even though I have been with her for almost 10 years. Can't even really have kids together without having to go through a stack of legal paperwork. You tell me if that would hurt.

User Detail :  

Name : AlainaR, Gender : Female, Sexual Orientation : Lesbian, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Episcopalian, Age : 28, City : Cincinnati, State : OH Country : United States, Occupation : Manager, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[CarrieT]

Yes, and that is because they are shunned institutionally and socially, and occasionally they are murdered...and I imagine being murdered might make a person feel shunned. But, as always, not everyone in a certain group has the same experience. The degree to which GLBT people are shunned varies according to where they grew up, their age, their appearance, their parents, their religion and so on.

User Detail :  

Name : CarrieT, Gender : Female, Sexual Orientation : Bisexual, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 21, City : Houston, State : TX Country : United States, 

[Dot]

I think most gay people would reject some of the wording in your question. I am straight but live in a very liberal city and have many gay friends who live openly with no problems at all. They are not discriminated against at work (most work in the entertainment business), they buy homes, get married, have or adopt children and live perfectly normal lives. Unfortunately there are only a few places in the country where this is possible.

User Detail :  

Name : Dot, Gender : Female, Age : none, City : L.A., State : CA Country : United States, Social class : Middle class, 

[norbertneuman]

if i felt that LGBT people were not discriminated against, then coming out would be an easy thing to do.

User Detail :  

Name : norbertneuman, Gender : Male, Sexual Orientation : Bisexual, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Atheist, Age : 17, City : mahtomedi, State : MN Country : United States, Social class : Upper middle class, 

[ErinJ]

Being gay isn't a preference, it's a reality like red hair or green eyes. Feeling discrimination or being "shunned" would depend completely on an individual's personal experience, but there are many policies of discrimination in America that make LGBTQA (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Allied) people feel unwelcome or uncomfortable. Examples include the prohibition on same-sex marriage, Don't Ask, Don't Tell, and sexual orientation not being included in many company and housing policies of non-discrimination. It also doesn't help that many groups in the country are calling LGBTQA people "perverts" and making up lies about them--I'd say overall, it is definitely true that LGBTQA people feel "shunned" or discriminated against in this country.

User Detail :  

Name : ErinJ, Gender : Female, Sexual Orientation : Bisexual, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Jewish, Age : 18, City : Skokie, State : IL Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Lower middle class, 

[JoshL]

I'm not even homosexual-- I identify as asexual-- and even I can feel the cold shoulder from time to time. People find it hard to except that no, I don't feel any need to be with girls, and no I do not feel any need to be with boys either. I feel fine just the way I am. Most people (all across the sexual spectrum) find the concept confusing, and some find it just strange and even unnatural. "You must be in denial" or "You just haven't found the right person" is what I usually hear. Does that hurt? Yeah-- I wish people would accept that I know my own mind and I know what I want. Is it shunning? Of a kind, yes. When people are confronted with something they don't understand, the first impulse is to reject it. I sure many gay people have experienced the same things I have.

User Detail :  

Name : JoshL, Gender : Male, Sexual Orientation : asexual, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Atheist, Age : 21, City : Jacksonville, State : FL Country : United States, Occupation : student, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class, 

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