Page 221 - Microaggressions in Everyday Live Race, Gender, and Sexual Orientation

Sexual-Orientation Microaggressions 195

an expression of God ’ s will, these individuals may be more open about their
negative sentiments toward homosexuality, actively condemn it as a sin, and
engage in overt microassaults.
5. Assumption of Abnormality — One of the terms used to describe LGBTs

is “ sick. ” Despite removal from the DSM as a mental disorder, studies historically
have focused on LGBTs from a “ sick model ” in attributing abnormal behav-
iors to internal attributes (Martin & Knox, 2000). Many in the general public
continue to pathologize LGBTs and same - sex behavior by considering it a
form of mental illness. In one survey, it was found that some mental health
professionals believe that homosexuality, for example, represents a person-
ality disorder or another form of mental disorder and not just a difference
in lifestyle (Garnets, Hancock, Cochran, Goodchilds, & Peplau, 1998). The

pathologizing of LGBTs is reflected in how some view and describe these
individuals: When a woman describes her bisexuality, some refer to it as a
“ crisis of identity. ” When a young adolescent expresses concern about being
gay, well - intentioned parents show fear and often reassure them by stating,
“ You ’ re young yet, you ’ ll grow out of it, and you ’ ll have normal feelings soon.
It ’ s just a phase you are going through. ” Messages of abnormality continue to
bombard LGBTs throughout their lives.
6. Denial of Individual Heterosexism — Like racism and sexism, many
straights tend to deny any biases or prejudices that they may hold toward
LGBTs. This may be done consciously/deliberately because of awareness of
political correctness or sanctions against overt discrimination or in an uncon-
scious/unintentional manner. We have repeatedly indicated that no one born
and raised in this society is immune from inheriting the racial, gender, and
sexual - orientation biases of this society. Being raised in a heterosexist society
exposes one to beliefs and attitudes that may be detrimental to LGBTs and
may manifest themselves in unconscious and unintentional ways. Yet, we are
also raised to believe in equality, nondiscrimination, and a belief in our own
moral goodness. Thus, while many straights hold conscious egalitarian views
toward LGBTs and believe they are not prejudiced, they will deny holding
heterosexist views or disclaim ever having discriminated when confronted by
their biases: for example, statements like “ I ’ m not homophobic, I have a gay
friend, ” “ It doesn ’ t matter to me that you are gay, ” or becoming defensive
when corrected about one ’ s misuse of pronouns with a transgender person
(Nadal et al., in press). When LGBTs hear such statements or responses, they
sense a defensive denial by straights of their own prejudices. Instead of being
reassured that the straight person is free of biases, it has the opposite effect

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