Join Anne-Marie Zanzal and Barb Rowlandson as we discuss internalized homophobia or heterosexism. What is this?

Internalized Homophobia is when LGBTQIA+ people listen to negative messages about being gay – and believe them. Heterosexism is the idea that heterosexuality is superior.

While society has come a long way in accepting queer people, negative messages about being gay persist. The message that “Gay=Bad” starts, for many people, in childhood. Negative attitudes about being gay filter in by osmosis from family or church communities. Sometimes, negative messaging is indirectly learned through commonly used taunts and insults (ever hear anyone say “That’s so gay” when describing something bad?). Negative messages about being gay may be more overt and dire depending on culture, class, and societal influence. This can be terrifying for individuals who suspect they are gay; they are burdened with the knowledge that if their family and friends knew the truth, they could be subjected to censure, violence or abandonment from the very people who are supposed to love them the most. This fear of rejection can drive Queer people further into the closet, so deep that they deny their sexual desires even to themselves.

Join as we have gentle discussion about this topic.