All bromance pics from
http://daninokc.blogspot.com/.
Recently, I attended a half-day anti-homophobia workshop with about forty of my closest colleagues. Every employee in our company (nearly 1000 people) is required to attend this workshop over the next year. The workshop was excellent, lead by one of our province's leading LGBTQ advocates.
I was enormously proud of two things:
- My fantastic colleagues who participated with energy and enthusiasm, and displayed a great willingness to learn about LGBTQ bullying and its solutions.
- To my knowledge, our employer is only one of TWO in all of Canada in our category of business which requires that its employees complete such a LGBTQ programme. I constantly marvel at the progressiveness of our employer in this remote, smallish, blue-collar city.
Here is one of the many resources which were discussed at the workshop. I'm not sure I agree with every item on the list, but I think #3, "Homophobia makes it hard to be close friends with someone of the same sex" affects teenage boys in particular.
Do any of these points resonate with you? Credit:
British Columbia Federation of Teachers
- Homophobia forces all people to act “macho” if male or act “feminine” if female. This limits our individuality and expression.
- Homophobia puts pressure on straight people to act aggressively and angrily towards LGBTQ people.
- Homophobia makes it hard to be close friends with someone of the same sex.
- Homophobia often strains family and community relationships.
- Homophobia causes youth to become sexually active before they’re ready in order to prove they are “normal.” This contributes to an increase in unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
- Homophobia prevents vital information on sex and sexuality to be taught in schools. Without this information youth are putting themselves at greater risk for HIV, and other STDs.
- Homophobia can be used to hurt a straight person if they “appear to be gay.”
- Homophobia makes it hard for straight people and LGBTQ people to be friends.
- Homophobia makes it hard to put an end to AIDS.
- Homophobia makes it hard to appreciate true diversity, and the unique traits that are the mainstream population.
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Magnificent flopping
dicks... I love the freeballing
white shorts dude the best. |
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I don't necessarily disagree with anything on the list, I'd just adjust it to say Homophobia "can cause..." as opposed to "does cause". But I've seen evidence of all of this throughout my life, and still do, as a result of anti-gay attitudes and beliefs.
ReplyDeleteKudos to your employer(s) for holding this workshop.
You have a great employer out there in your remote location. You're so very fortunate.
ReplyDeleteI love the two guys asleep together. Mmmmm.
Maybe that is the answer. If people could see how homophobia hurts THEM. Now how to spread this to them.
ReplyDeleteI like #10. smooches to all my gay internet boyfriends! you bring joy to my life!
ReplyDeleteGreat post and enticing eye candy to boot. Two thumbs up.
ReplyDeleteThey're all good points, but for me #8 stands out. I don't want a ghetto. :|
ReplyDeleteThe guys in the boxer shorts in the last pic made me go mmm!
Great post and I am so impressed with your employer. Sorry for dragging politics into this but homophobia is also a convenient red herring to toss to the masses whenever politicians want to get voters’ minds off question of substance. In the U.S. the whole “issue” of gay marriage is dragged around the block whenever there’s any danger of substantive talk of health care, taxes or jobs. ciel
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this tidbit.
ReplyDelete