Category: Bi+/LGBTQ Issues

Republicans are Viciously Attacking LGBTQ Rights and Women’s Reproductive Rights

by inmanb17cedcb09, posted in Bi+/LGBTQ Issues, Current Events, Social Issues

5-21-23
The dark path the Republican Party is going down keeps getting more and more twisted and
dangerous. It’s truly horrifying what is going on because much of the Republican Party is openly
pushing legislation that is actively taking away rights from millions of Americans and is based on
blatantly prejudiced, ignorant, intolerant, and even authoritarian positions. A significant number of
Republicans are trying to impose their individual views that are often closely tied to their personal
religious opinions upon the rest of the population, even when the majority of Americans disagree
with them.
Consider abortion rights. Polls have shown that most Americans support a woman’s right to
choose. A 2022 survey by the Pew Research Center found that 61% of American adults believed
abortion should be legal in all or most cases while 37% thought it should be illegal in all or most
cases. In Florida, those numbers were 56% in favor and 39% against. Yet Republicans around the
country are ignoring the American majority and are pushing legislation to severely restrict or ban the
procedure. Let’s get back to Florida. A recent state law there bans abortion after 6 weeks. Thing is:
most women don’t even know they’re pregnant at 6 weeks, so for them, this is a ban.
Around the United States, Republicans are also pushing legislation that is blatantly prejudiced
targeting the LGBTQ community. Don’t say gay laws are being promoted by Republicans around the
nation, and Florida has even extended its don’t say gay law up through 12th grade. Republicans
don’t seem to care that these horrible laws increase the suffering of LGBTQ youth (a group that was
already facing far too much intolerance and prejudice) and will certainly increase LGBTQ youth
suicide rates. Republicans are also passing laws banning gender affirming care for minors despite the
fact that every major American medical association supports such care. Studies have shown that
gender affirming care for minors improves quality of life and decreases suicide rates. Plus, this type
of care is not done lightly and is a process. The parents are involved along with the minor, and
counseling is a major component. When medical treatment is deemed necessary, it typically involves
puberty blockers and potentially hormone therapy. Surgery is very rare in individuals under 18.
Now, consider the following statistics that were compiled (before the current wave of anti-LGBTQ
legislation) by the Trevor Project in a 2021 survey of almost 35,000 LGBTQ youth (ages of 13 to 24).
42% of LGBTQ youth had seriously considered suicide in the past year, and for
Transgender/Nonbinary youth, that number was 52%. 72% of LGBTQ young people reported
symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder in the previous two weeks, and only 1 in 3 indicated that
they lived in an LGBTQ affirming home. During the previous 12 months, 48% said that they wanted
professional counseling but had not received it, and LGBTQ youth who had been subjected to
conversion therapy were more than twice as likely to attempt suicide when compared to those who
had not been subjected to the barbaric practice. Think about these numbers. Really think about
them. LGBTQ youth need support and understanding. But it’s blatantly obvious that the anti-LGBTQ
laws being pushed by Republicans will seriously increase the suffering and alienation LGBTQ youth
will have to face. This in turn will mean higher suicide rates of LGBTQ minors.
The ongoing wave of anti-LGBTQ sentiment and policy being promoted by the Republican Party is
based on ignorance, intolerance, and blatant prejudice. It is worsening the quality of life of LGBTQ
people and will undoubtedly increase suicide rights. This is why we all need to stand against the
bigotry being openly pushed by the Republican Party. It’s important for people to speak out when
they can in order to make it clear that such horrendous prejudice will not be tolerated. Trying to
spend our money in places and businesses that are pro-LGBTQ and avoiding those that are anti-
LGBTQ is another tactic we can utilize. When considering going on vacation, instead of going to a
place like Florida (which is passing anti-LGBTQ bills and abortion restrictions into law), consider going
to a state like California instead.
And VOTE! Vote against Republicans that are pushing these and other bigoted, intolerant laws.
Vote them out of office and put in elected officials who protect things like LGBTQ rights, women’s
reproductive rights, educational institutions, and more.

Republicans Are Actively Trying to Take Away Rights From Millions of Americans

by inmanb17cedcb09, posted in Bi+/LGBTQ Issues, Current Events, Social Issues

3-27-23
   The war that Republicans around the country are waging against drag shows, the transgender community, LGBTQ rights, women’s reproductive rights, educational institutions, and more show for everyone to see how twisted with ignorance, intolerance, narrow-mindedness, prejudice, and hate much of the Republican party has become.
   In states around the nation, Republicans are pushing bills and laws that purposely take away rights from transgender+ people. Legislation banning gender-affirming care for minors is an example of this. Such laws are sickening and abhorrent because they worsen the quality of life of transgender+ youth and increase their suicide rates. A 2021 survey of almost 35,000 LGBTQ individuals (aged 13 to 24) revealed that 42% had seriously considered suicide in the previous 12 months, and that number increased to 52% for those who were transgender. And remember this survey was done before most of these gender-affirming care bans were being pushed. Gender affirming care (that goes beyond clothing, pronouns, etc) consists of things like puberty blockers and hormone treatments, and these can be stopped at any time. Gender reassignment surgery is actually extremely rare in individuals under 18. Something else to remember is that gender affirming care is not done lightly and is a group decision with the individual, their parents, doctors, and counselors all being involved. It’s not done willy-nilly. The major medical association in the United States support gender affirming care for minors because research has shown that such care improves the quality of life of transgender+ minors and decreases their suicide rates. This is why the laws Republicans are pushing banning gender affirming care are so sickening and abhorrent. Anxiety and quality of life for transgender+ minors are getting worse right now due to Republican efforts, and there is no doubt that suicide rates will go up.
   In addition, Republicans around the country are assaulting other LGBTQ rights with things like horrible don’t say gay laws, are trying to severely restrict or take away female reproductive rights, and are actively attacking educational institutions’ abilities to encourage diversity and teach students honestly and clearly. Look at what’s happening in Florida. Republicans there are working to force educational institutions to essentially whitewash history and are trying to destroy programs that encourage diversity. The situation has sunk so low that the principal of a Florida charter school was forced to resign after showing 6th graders images of Michaelangelo’s David. That statue is a great work of art that is on public display in an Italian museum, and once upon a time, it was in a public square for all passers by to see. Tragically, Florida Republicans have already put their horrible don’t say gay law into effect despite the fact that it will worsen the quality of life for LGBTQ youth and undoubtedly increase their suicide rates. Now there is talk that Florida Republicans want to expand this terrible legislation all the way through 12th grade.
   Think about all this. Really think about it. Also add in the fact that Republicans in multiple states are even attacking drag shows. Yes, drag shows. It’s abundantly clear that Republicans have gone way too far as they actively work to take away rights from millions of Americans because of ignorance, intolerance, narrow-mindedness, prejudice, and bigotry.
   We must all stand against this, and those who can need to speak out. Make it clear that these attacks Republicans are making will not be tolerated.
   And VOTE! Vote against Republicans who are doing these horrible things. Get them out of office and elect in people who protect people’s rights instead of actively trying to take them away.

The Dark Path of the Republican Party is Worsening

by inmanb17cedcb09, posted in Bi+/LGBTQ Issues, Current Events, Social Issues

3-7-23
   The dark path the Republican Party is going down is getting more and more twisted and dangerous. It’s truly horrifying what is going on, for it goes way beyond just Trump. Republicans around the country are pushing legislation that is based on ignorance, intolerance, and full-blown prejudice. Here are just a few examples.
   Around the United States, Republicans are pushing legislation that is blatantly targeting the LGBTQ community, and they don’t seem to care that such laws will increase the suffering of queer people and increase LGBTQ suicide rates, especially among young people. Consider the following statistics that were compiled by the Trevor Project in a 2021 survey of almost 35,000 LGBTQ youth (ages of 13 to 24). 42% of LGBTQ youth had seriously considered suicide in the past year, and for Transgender/Nonbinary youth, that number was 52%. 72% of LGBTQ young people reported symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder in the previous two weeks, and only 1 in 3 indicated that they lived in an LGBTQ affirming home. During the previous 12 months, 48% said that they wanted professional counseling but had not received it, and LGBTQ youth who had been subjected to conversion therapy were more than twice as likely to attempt suicide when compared to those who had not been subjected to the barbaric practice.
   Now, think about those numbers. I mean really think about them. And remember that these statistics are from before the glut of 2022/2023 anti-LGBTQ legislation. Clearly, “don’t say gay” laws will worsen these numbers since they make queer students feel more isolated, out of place, and alone in addition to limiting the ability of school staff from helping out when needed. This latter point is very significant when you consider that only one in three queer minors felt like they live in an LGBTQ affirming home.
   In addition to these horrible “don’t say gay” laws, Republicans around the country are also pushing for legislation that bans gender-affirming care for minors. Remember that even before these laws, 52% of Transgender youth in 2021 indicated that they had seriously considered suicide during the previous 12 months. Numerous studies have shown that gender-affirming care for Trans+ (Transgender, Nonbinary, etc) minors improves quality of life and thus decreases suicide rates. This is why the major American medical associations support gender-affirming care for minors. And the thing is, gender-affirming care is not done lightly. Numerous people (the individual in question, their parents, doctors, counselors etc) are involved in deciding whether gender-affirming care is warranted or not. The other thing to remember is that gender-affirming care for minors that goes beyond clothing, counseling, etc typically consists of medication such as puberty blockers and hormone treatments, both of which can be stopped at any time. It is actually very rare for individuals under the age of 18 to receive any kind of gender altering surgery. Yet despite all the evidence showing how gender-affirming care for minors works, Republicans around the country are trying to ban it despite the fact that such bans will clearly increase the suffering and suicide rates of Trans+ youth.
   This wave of anti-LGBTQ sentiment and policy being promoted by the Republican Party is based on ignorance, intolerance, and blatant prejudice. It is worsening the quality of life of LGBTQ people and will undoubtedly increase suicide rights. This is why we all need to stand against the bigotry being blatantly pushed by the Republican Party. It’s important for people to speak out when they can in order to make it clear that such horrendous prejudice will not be tolerated. Trying to spend our money in places and businesses that are pro-LGBTQ and avoiding those that are anti-LGBTQ is another tactic we can utilize. When considering going on vacation, instead of going to a place like Florida (which is passing anti-LGBTQ bills into law), consider going to a state like California instead.
   And VOTE! Vote against Republicans that are pushing these and other bigoted, intolerant laws. Vote them out of office and put in elected officials who protect things like LGBTQ rights, women’s reproductive rights, educational institutions, and more.

Transphobia is far too Widespread these Days

by inmanb17cedcb09, posted in Bi+/LGBTQ Issues, Current Events, Social Issues

2-19-23
   For people who are transgender, non-binary, genderfluid, genderqueer, and so on (I’m using the term trans+ for this group to make this conversation easier), these are extremely disturbing and frequently painful times. This is due to the fact that so many people are openly making transphobic remarks and actions in addition to which a significant portion of the Republican Party is pushing extremely transphobic legislation that is knowingly infringing on trans+ rights.
   To better understand why transphobia is so deeply hurtful, let’s take a look at some numbers. According to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), 29% of transgender people live in poverty, and only 22% have health care insurance. 54% have been the victims of domestic abuse, yet only 30% of women’s shelters are willing to house transgender women. 47% of transgender individuals have been sexually assaulted, and during the years 2014 to 2015, 1 in 10 were physically assaulted. Now here are some other numbers from a nationwide survey of nearly 35,000 LGBTQ individuals aged 13 to 24 conducted by the Trevor Project in 2021. During the 12 months before the survey, 42% of this group said they had seriously considered suicide, and for transgender youth, that number went up to 52%. 72% of the LGBTQ youth surveyed indicated that they had symptoms of general anxiety disorder, and only one in three said they lived in a LGBTQ affirming home.
   Think about those numbers for a minute. Really think about them. 52% of transgender youth had seriously considered suicide in a 12-month period. That number is sickeningly high and is indicative of the intolerance and prejudice trans+ people must face on a regular basis. Whether coming from everyday people, movies, books, TV shows, or from well known individuals (such as JK Rowling, Dave Chappelle, Ron DeSantis, and others), transphobic comments and actions contribute to the tragically and dangerously high numbers I referenced above because they encourage other people to have intolerant attitudes towards the trans+ community.
   Making things even worse is how much of the Republican Party is encouraging transphobic attitudes as it pushes anti-transgender laws in states around the country. Despite the fact that major medical associations in the United States support gender affirming care of transgender minors, Republicans are trying to ban such care in states around the country. Such bans will worsen the suffering of transgender youth and will absolutely increase their suicide rates.
   People need to educate themselves and open their minds with regards to trans+ individuals and the LGBTQ community in general. For example, studies have shown that gender affirming care for trans+ under 18 years of age is extremely beneficial, improves quality of life, and thus lowers suicide rates. Decisions on what care will be provided include the individual in question, their parents, their doctors, and typically involve things like puberty blockers (puberty blockers are reversible). In other words, gender affirming care is not done willy-nilly, and actual surgery is extremely rare for individuals under 18.
   So people need to stop believing the extremist, prejudiced fear mongering that’s coming from the far right. Everyone needs to learn, open their minds, and call out transphobic comments, actions,  and behavior whenever possible. Another vitally important thing to do is vote against politicians who are promoting ignorance, prejudice, and hate with regards to trans+ people.
   It’s time to try to make this a better world for everyone, and that includes the trans+ community too.
  

Society Needs To Better Address The Problem Of Loneliness

by inmanb17cedcb09, posted in Bi+/LGBTQ Issues, Social Issues

   Is it me, or is loneliness something that most people don’t want to talk about? To be honest, I think the latter is often more true these days. It does seem to be a subject most people seem to want to avoid. But guess what? When you refuse to discuss it, those of us who are dealing with loneliness often feel that much more lonely.
   I think as a society we can and should do much better on this issue.
   Most everyone feels lonely from time to time. It’s part of life. But for some people, loneliness is much more intense and/or lasts for far, far longer. It can be terribly painful, heartbreaking, and even debilitating. As to why loneliness occurs in the first place, well, that’s something that can be quite complicated and a subject books could be written about.
   There isn’t room here to go into all of the causes of loneliness but here are a few factors that I think commonly come into play. Consider an individual who feels different from other people around them for one reason or another. It could be due to physical appearance, sexuality, gender identity, age, personality, the list goes on. Now think about how that individual feels when those around this person treat them as different, like they don’t fit in. Intolerance and prejudice can play major roles in this type of scenario making the individual feel terribly isolated and lonely. Things like depression, social anxiety, bipolar disorder, and others also can be factors as to why a person feels lonely. With regards to depression, the adage of which came first, the chicken or the egg, can be an apt analogy. This is because in some cases, depression may be a significant reason why a person feels lonely in the first place while in other scenarios, the loneliness is leading to the depression. And it can be a combination of both.
   The potential causes of loneliness are clearly wide and varied. Whatever the cause, it can feel heart-wrenching and brutal at times while being compounded by the fact that so many people in society don’t want to talk about it.
   So let’s change this. Society needs to acknowledge and address the problem of loneliness and the fact that it is much more common than most people want to admit. This in turn would help lonely people feel a little less lonely and realize that they are not alone in their struggles. It might encourage more people (both those dealing with loneliness and those who are not) to look at themselves to see how they could do better. It could also help motivate individuals to seek out help when they need it. And if more people would be willing to reach out to others showing kindness and friendship, that too would help alleviate the problem.
  So please think about this. Recognize the issue of loneliness whether it’s something that you have to deal with yourself or not. Try to be kind to others and more willing to consider offering your hand in friendship to another. They may need it more than you know.
  

Undemocratic, Closeminded Efforts By Republicans Threaten US Democracy

by inmanb17cedcb09, posted in Bi+/LGBTQ Issues, Current Events, Social Issues

October 30, 2022
   I’m going to begin this by telling you that I’m an Independent politically. I don’t belong to any political party.  That said, I’m also going to tell you that this country cannot afford Republican control over governments at any level. Why, you ask? Well, let me tell you.
   In many ways, the Republican Party is now the party of Trump, a party that is willingly following a narcissistic, lying authoritarian figure. Despite the fact that overwhelming evidence shows the 2020 election was fair and that Joe Biden legitimately won, the majority of Republicans believe Trump’s lies instead. And a significant percentage are actively promoting those lies. Many Republicans have gone so far as to push for laws and policies that are clearly undemocratic. Want some examples? Here you go: In several states, Republicans have proposed bills that would allow state legislatures to overturn election results and allot electoral votes themselves, literally ignoring the will of the voters. There are also proposals by Republicans that would make it very difficult for election officials to deal with partisan poll watchers who are intimidating and interfering with voters and election workers. Republicans in numerous states are also trying to get Trump following election deniers into positions (like secretary of state) where they would oversee future elections, thus increasing their ability to interfere with (and possibly overturn) legitimate election results they don’t like. These are not exaggerations. Republicans around the nation are also trying to make voting more difficult because they are afraid high voter turnout may increase the chances of Democrats winning. Tactics include things like making voter registration much more difficult, enacting stricter voter ID laws, and trying to limit or eliminate early voting as well as mail in voting. What’s especially disturbing is how these efforts are particularly targeting people (such as African Americans) who are more likely to vote for Democrats. Again, I’m not exaggerating here. I wish I was, but I’m not. This is really happening.
   Also consider this. The Jan 6th, 2021 assault on the US Capitol Building was a terrible event that was caused by outrageous, dangerous, false rhetoric being spread by numerous people. Whatever one’s political beliefs, understanding what happened and why it happened is vitally important. Yet most Republicans oppose Congress investigating the events and are continuing to blindly follow the dangerous rhetoric that led to the assault in the first place.
   Want some more examples of why we can’t afford Republican control over governments these days? Here you go. Republicans are actively attacking female reproductive rights despite the fact that most Americans are pro choice. Some Republicans even want to ban abortion nationwide. Around the country, Republicans are also pushing for very anti-LGBTQ policies and laws that blatantly discriminate against Queer people. The “don’t say gay” laws being promoted in states around the country are examples of this. Such laws are targeting LGBTQ youth, individuals who already have to deal with far too much intolerance and prejudice from others. Many LGBTQ minors live in homes where they face discrimination from their own parents. This is why it’s common for many Queer students to turn to teachers and school counselors for support and help. But this important resource is being taken away from many due to “don’t say gay” laws. With these laws, many teachers and counselors will be unable or too afraid to help. This in turn will increase the suicide rates of LGBTQ youth.
   The behavior of much of the Republican Party is the sort of thing that leads to authoritarianism and even full blown dictatorships. History is full of examples. Look at what happened in Germany during the 1920s and 30s when people chose to ignore facts, evidence, and even decency in order to blindly follow a brutal, narcissistic dictator instead.
   Whatever your political beliefs or party affiliation, people need to speak out against the lies spread by Trump and others. It’s time to stand up for democracy, honesty, decency, tolerance, kindness, open-mindedness, and the United States Constitution. We must vote in elected officials who do the same because if people don’t, future historians may look back on this time as the beginning of the end of American democracy.

JK Rowling’s Transphobic Comments And Positions Hurt Many People

by inmanb17cedcb09, posted in Bi+/LGBTQ Issues, Social Issues

9-26-22
   I think it’s way past time to move on from Harry Potter because JK Rowling’s numerous transphobic comments have been, and continue to be, extremely hurtful to the transgender community. And the thing that makes it worse is that she continues to double down on her transphobic positions instead of opening her mind and trying to become more supportive to the transgender community.
   Transgender people are hurting these days because of intolerant, ignorant, and prejudiced attitudes coming from so much of society. According to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), 29% of transgender adults live in poverty in the United States, and 22% are lacking health care insurance. 54% have been the victims of domestic violence, yet only 30% of women’s shelters are willing to house transgender women. 47% of transgender people have been sexually assaulted, and during the years 2014 and 2015, 1 in 10 were physically assaulted.
   So it’s clear that the transgender community needs support and understanding from society. This is why JK Rowling’s ongoing transphobic comments and positions are so deeply hurtful and damaging. There are examples of celebrities who have made troubling, intolerant comments who later made genuine efforts to educate themselves, open their minds, recognize what they had said was hurtful, and try to become supportive allies. But Rowling has not done this. Instead, she has doubled down on her transphobic comments and positions despite the fact that doing so hurts innocent people.
   So it’s time that we put Harry Potter in the past because I don’t think JK Rowling deserves any more of our money. Like it or not, supporting Harry Potter (such as buying the books, movies, or other merchandise) is also supporting JK Rowling because she created the series and is still intricately connected with the franchise. She has become extremely wealthy from Harry Potter, so much so that her current net worth is estimated at around 1 billion dollars. She doesn’t need any more money, and frankly, because of her ongoing transphobic behavior, I don’t think she deserves any more. A clear way to send a message to someone like JK Rowling is to stop supporting the thing that has made them wealthy and famous, and in this case, that is Harry Potter. I’m not going to buy her books or watch her movies. I don’t want her to get a penny of my money. We can also make our voices heard with companies that profit from Harry Potter such as HBO. There have been rumors that HBO is considering a Harry Potter series. We should contact HBO and tell them we are categorically against such a move due to JK Rowling’s transphobic behavior. As a matter of fact, I’ve already sent HBO several messages about this. Remember, when you speak up, be thoughtful and considerate in what you say and be sure you can back up your positions with facts. Don’t spew out hurtful, personal attacks because doing so is wrong and also backfires since people will tune you out and ignore you.
   Together, we can make a difference in creating positive change. So let’s make that happen.

https://www.hrc.org/resources/understanding-the-transgender-community

Alan Cumming, A Great Actor Who’s Bisexual+

by inmanb17cedcb09, posted in Bi+/LGBTQ Issues, Social Issues

   Alan Cumming a great actor who has had a successful, prolific career with roles on stage, television, and the big screen. You might recognize him from the series The Good Wife or from his role as Nightcrawler in the movie X2. For theatre fans, he’s played the role of Emcee in Broadway versions of the musical Cabaret. As a matter of fact, I saw him in that role in New York myself, and he was amazing! It was like he was born for the part.
   He’s also bisexual+.
   Why is that a big deal? It’s because there is still far too much intolerance, prejudice, and lack of understanding with regards to the bi+ community. And by the way, bi+/bisexual+ are umbrella terms for anyone who can be attracted to more than one gender whatever label(s) they prefer (bisexual, pansexual, queer, etc).
   Too many bi+ suffer in the closet afraid of what would happen if their sexuality was discovered. For those who are out, many find dating brutally difficult to near impossible because of the way so much of the population believe unfair stereotypes that are not true for most bi+ individuals. Bluntly put, bi+ are not a bunch confused, lying sex maniacs, and many are hoping to find happy, monogamous relationships.
   So when a celebrity like Alan Cumming is open about being bisexual+, it’s a big deal because it gives a positive human face to the bi+ community that many people can relate to and like. It helps open people’s minds and hopefully encourage them to take a closer look at their own attitudes towards the bi+ community.
   In other words, positive representation matters. And hopefully with time, as more people come out as bi+, society’s attitude towards the bi+ community will improve, which in turn will make the lives of many so much better.
  

Still Too Many People Facing Intolerance And Lack Of Understanding

by inmanb17cedcb09, posted in Bi+/LGBTQ Issues, Social Issues

   I’m bisexual+ and genderfluid, and as such, I’ve learned from first hand experience how much intolerance, prejudice, and lack of understanding there is against individuals who are bisexual+, genderfluid, genderqueer, nonbinary, transgender, asexual, intersex, and so on (BTNIA for short) from both inside and outside the LGBTQ Community. Unfortunately, experiencing intolerance from cisgender, straight people is not a surprise despite the fact it’s the 21st century. But having to deal with it from fellow members of the LGBTQ Community can be even more painful since we wanted to believe that we’d at least find acceptance from other LGBTQs. But acceptance even here is not always the case. And let me tell you, it really hurts and can adversely affect innocent people’s lives.
   Why is there still so much intolerance against BTNIA individuals? Lack of understanding is a big factor I would say. People often fear, are intolerant towards, and shun what they see as too different and don’t understand. They are more likely to listen to unfair stereotypes and jump to premature conclusions that they then base future behavior on. This is compounded by the problem of how so many individuals only seek out people, groups, information sites, etc that agree with them and shun or ignore those that don’t. This sort of behavior reinforces close-mindedness and ends up seriously hurting innocent people (in this case, BTNIA individuals) who are seen as too different.
   The result is many of us who are BTNIA feel isolated and alone without a sense of community, and trust me when I say that this can be brutally hard. Human beings are social creatures as a species, so feeling like we don’t belong anywhere usually goes against our nature. A great number of BTNIA people suffer in the closet as a consequence, afraid of what might happen if their secret was discovered. Others who are out often find dating extremely difficult (sometimes near impossible) so that it’s common to find BTNIA individuals grappling with the very strong likelihood that we’ll never find someone special and that we’ll always be alone. Establishing close, genuine friendships can be terribly difficult too since we are often seen as at least a bit too different.
   It’s way past time for people to open their minds and educate themselves. To push outside their comfort zones and learn about other people who are different from themselves. They should seek out information from a variety of different sources, not just from those that agree with them. And they need to stop automatically believing stereotypes that are frequently unfair and not true for many BTNIA individuals.
   If more people would open their minds, it would help BTNIA individuals live happier, more fulfilling lives, and it would also help those individuals who are opening their minds to live better lives themselves.

Why Do We Subject Ourselves To The Confusing, Frustrating Dating World?

by inmanb17cedcb09, posted in Bi+/LGBTQ Issues, Social Issues

   The dating world….
   It’s a mysterious world involving happiness, joy, consternation, pain, sorrow, heartbreak, you name it. For some, finding people to go on dates with is easy while for others it is a grinding, ongoing battle that keeps resulting in rejection, disappointment, heartbreak, and pain. And for many, it’s probably a combination.
   So why do so many of us keep subjecting ourselves to the war that trying to find someone to date often entails?
   The reasons can be certainly vary from person to person. But a big one for many of us is that we don’t want to spend our lives alone. It can get old having no one to come home to after a long, busy day. No one else is there to tell a funny story to about something that happened at work or to commiserate with about some frustrating event that occurred. No one to snuggle with while watching a good movie at night, no one to laugh or cry with, and no one to cuddle with in that lonely bed. When this state of affairs goes on day after day, night after night for weeks, months, or years, it can be terribly painful. It’s something many people fear.
   So we wade into the strange, uncertain world of dating. And how that works out varies from person to person. Some people have an easier time finding dates than others. Over 10 years ago, at the place where I worked at the time, was a fellow employee who had gotten out of a bad relationship. After taking a break from the romantic world, she decided to try a dating site. She was a straight, nice, attractive young woman, and I figured a lot of people would be interested in her. At the time, I had already been on dating sites for several years without success (dates were rare and went nowhere). In less than a month, she had met a guy she really liked. They ended up getting married, and all these years later, they’re still together with several kids. Whereas, despite being on multiple dating sites and Meetup groups, I still haven’t found anyone. Dates continue to be rare and go nowhere.
   Numerous factors come into play when it comes to the dating world and trying to find someone special. Personality, physical appearance, interests, how people see you, location, and so on. Some people are quite popular in the dating world while others are not. The truth is that I am in the latter category. I’m one of those individuals whom people see as too different. I’m not into watching sports and have never been into drinking. My being bisexual+ turns most people off very quickly despite the fact I’d be faithful and monogamous. The result is that I haven’t had much success in the dating world and will likely always be alone.
   While finding someone special is something most people want, not everyone will succeed in this quest. That is the cold, hard reality. And for those who do find someone special, it won’t be perfect and will require work. You may be lucky with your relationship lasting the rest of your days, or it may be good for a while but end in separation and/or divorce. Whatever the situation, people need to keep their chin up. There are many facets to life, and you can have a productive, satisfying life even if you don’t find romantic love (or you lose it). Remember the things that bring you joy. On your own, you can still enjoy a good movie or read a fun, interesting book. You can take that trip to some amazing place without a significant other. Perhaps you have friends to interact and connect with. The point is that whether you have success in the dating world or not, don’t let it totally consume you. Whether you find someone or not, you can still have a good life.