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Thursday 27 December 2012

Sexual orientation in college (Gays and Lesbians): come out or not

Sexual orientation in college: come out or not?

As noted before, gay and lesbian students have been seen coming out in the open about their sexual orientation than before. They have come out to their fellow students and are even demanding respect.
They are almost persuaded that the difference in their sexuality is a benefit in the fight back in opposition to prejudice. They are holding many meetings and getting avenues to address journalists and tell about their experiences.

Studies have indicated that students display significantly more negative attitude to other students who have come out as gay and lesbian or whose sexual orientation has been particular than those whom sexual orientation is not known. For example if two females or two males are seen holding hands and whose sexual orientation is not specified, the feelings of concern and embarrassment will be less than in the case of two lesbian or gay students.

They also feel embarrassed, anxious and uneasy when a gay or lesbian student asks them to work on a class project or play a game than when asked by a student whose sexual orientation is not specified. Again students show feelings of empathy when a counter part whose sexual orientation is not specified falls ill or has a terminal disease, they can term it as unfair and wrong, than when a gay male or lesbian student has the same illness or even dying (Kardia 2010).

homosexuals or gay in college-to disclose or not.

The manner in which a gay or a lesbian person handles information about his sexual orientation influences the attitude of heterosexual students towards them. Homosexual students can even decide to conceal information about their sexuality but it may have far reaching implications later, when the information leaks through another party.

When students learn that the other students are gay directly from them they tend to have positive attitudes towards them than when they learn it from a third party like a friend  to the gay student or from a relative. It is explicable that many homosexuals hide the information in fear of stigmatization.
Generally when heterosexual students get direct disclosure of information on another individual’s homosexuality directly; it sparks more positive attitudes than in the case where information is obtained indirectly (Engstron & Sedlack 1997).

When sexual orientation of a gay or a lesbian student is revealed or disclosed to her or his heterosexual classmates and other people who know them, three things are likely to happen: one is that, they can continue to attach their anti homosexual attitudes or stereotypes to them and continue to judge them in regard to past experiences in a way to connect them or relate them with those discriminative attitude.

Secondly they can choose to maintain the same positive attitude or feelings they had towards that person and assume it’s an atypical case of gayism and that he is not a representative of the larger gay community or finally they may want to understand that person and be more receptive but in some cases it happens due to curiosity (Engstron & Sedlack 1997).

The relationship between a homosexual student who comes out on her sexuality to her heterosexual friends, classmates or peers influences their attitude on the gay or lesbian student. For example, those who have a close friend who is gay or a lesbian tend to have less intense negative attitudes, although initially they may experience shock and disapproval but later they in most cases display feelings of acceptance.

It is only in some cases where close friends completely turn away from the homosexual student who has come out directly on their status. This also helps the friends or those with close relationship with a gay or lesbian student to foster empathy to the wider homosexual society by getting to know them better, how it is about being gay or a lesbian and getting more information about homosexuality and what they feel about it (Engstron & Sedlack 1997).

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