#LoveIsLove: Debunking 5 myths about LGBTQ+ community
After decades of being sidelined and looked down upon, the LGBTQ+ community around the world (barring a few countries) has finally received its due rights in today's time. However, with all the stigmas and misinformation, the battle to further "normalize" it is far from being achieved. Let's separate facts from fiction as we debunk these five common myths about LGBTQ+ people.
Myth 1: Homosexuality is a disease
This is the most common disbelief that people consider true. However, loving someone of the same sex is not a mental disorder or physical disease. Instead, it is a natural feeling, even science says so! All major medical organizations in the world, including the American Psychiatric Association, the American Academy of Paediatrics, and The American Psychological Association, concluded that homosexuality is not a disorder.
Myth 2: LGBTQ+ people have multiple partners and are disloyal
Another common myth that people believe is that people from the LGBTQ+ community have multiple partners and are disloyal. Well, that is not entirely true. Having multiple relationships or showcasing infidelity is not limited to a certain gender or sexuality. Anyone can be disloyal. People from this community are just as likely to have long-term, stable, and loyal relationships as straight people.
Myth 3: Being LGTBQ+ is a lifestyle choice
No, people don't choose to become homosexual, bisexual, or asexual. Instead, they are born naturally with a sexual orientation, just like everyone else. Most people with same-sex preferences realize their real feelings at an early age, while some grow with them. The only "choice" they have is whether to live a life true to themselves or to suppress their feelings out of peer pressure.
Myth 4: In same-sex relationships, one is masculine, other feminine
This is not completely true. Just like within the heterosexual community, many types of relationships exist within the LGBTQ+ community. Most relationships are based on accepting who they are as they work around mutuality. A homosexual man cooking food for his partner doesn't make him feminine, just like how it works for a straight man cooking for his ladylove.
Myth 5: Those supporting LGBTQ+ rights are non-heterosexuals themselves
"Ally" and "allyship" existed as words forever but became buzzwords only when LGBTQ+ rights grabbed the spotlight. Just like how supporting animal rights doesn't make you an orangutan, similarly, straight people standing up for their LGBTQ+ family, friends, relatives, or colleagues doesn't mean they have the same sexual preferences. Support comes with understanding, love, and empathy. It is free of all prejudices.
