Page 219 - Microaggressions in Everyday Live Race, Gender, and Sexual Orientation

Sexual-Orientation Microaggressions 193

These apprehensions are often quite strong and are related to fears of contagion
(becoming gay) or a fear of catching a disease from LGBTs. Beliefs that exposure
to gays or gay lifestyles will unduly infl uence “ normal people ” to become
gay, that children are being recruited or preyed upon by gays, or that hetero-
sexuals will catch a deadly disease from them are part of homophobia. Gays,
for example, are oftentimes blamed for the cause and spread of the deadly
disease AIDS. While gay men suffer higher incidence, the cause is a virus; to
believe that gays are consciously and willfully spreading the disease to others
is the height of irrationality and ignorance.
Many verbal and nonverbal sexual - orientation microaggressions are related
to this theme. Avoiding physical contact with LGBTs, washing one ’ s hands
immediately after shaking hands with a gay man, making sure that sons and
daughters are restricted from going to a gay neighbor ’ s home, and so forth
communicate irrational apprehensions and anxieties toward LGBTs.

3. Heterosexist Language/Terminology — Heterosexist language can be quite
obviously derogatory ( “ dyke, ” “ queer, ” “ butch, ” “ queen, ” or “ fag ” ) or may
manifest itself in more subtle everyday usage where the individuals using it
are unaware of their demeaning message to the reference group. One of the
most common terms in everyday usage among students in our schools is to
refer to an action by others as “ gay, ” signifying that it is “ dumb ” or “ weird ”
behavior. Among straights, for example, evidence suggests that homophobic
language is often not associated with sexual orientation (Thurlow, 2001), and
that use of heterosexist language is not consciously related to strong biases
toward LGBTs (Burn, 2000; Plummer, 2001). Yet, some suggest that use
of heterosexist language has a negative impact upon self - identity and self -
esteem of the targets, and that it reflects and reinforces a worldview of hetero-

sexism among users and others who hear these comments (Burn et al., 2005;
Nadal et al., in press; Sue & Capodilupo, 2008).
Terminology may also be heterosexist in its impact upon LGBTs. The
terms “ boyfriend, ” “ girlfriend, ” “ husband, ” and “ wife ” instead of “ partner ”

or “ spouse ” are examples. “ Marriage ” that is defined as between a man and
a woman has the impact of excluding LGBTs from equal rights and treating
them as second - class citizens. A gay man who is told to “ Bring your wife to the
party ” may feel invisible and invalidated. A lesbian who shares her night out on
the town with friends who is asked “ Did you go to a gay bar or a normal one? ”
is insulted by the unintentional equation of pathology with sexual orientation.
An employer who unconsciously or consciously continues to refer to a female -
to - male transgender individual as “ she ” negates the person ’ s gender identity.

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