We all have a story to tell – some are sad, and others are very tragic. In this piece, we have summarized some inspiring testimonials from the LGBTQ community. The stories are deeply personal and will encourage you to go through your trials confidently.

1.     Married and Living a Lie

Nick, in his 50s and married to his wife for 30 years, is also gay. “I think my wife has always been suspicious about my sexuality, but things came to light when I had an affair with another man,” Nick says. “From the beginning, there was unhappiness in our marriage with doubts whether we had made the right decision. My wife asked if I wanted to leave, and I said I didn’t. She is my best friend, and we agreed to remain in our marriage.”

2.     Living As a Gay Person in South Africa

As a 17-year old girl living in one of the oldest townships in Johannesburg, Kim faces many challenges. Although South Africa has been progressive about embracing gay rights, homophobia and homophobic violence are widespread. Kim is forced to deal with threats and discrimination every day Xnxx. Since the community Kim believes that girls and boys should act in a certain way, she is forced to hide her identity. “Girls should be feminine, wear make-up and dress up,” Kim says. She hopes that in the future, she can be comfortable in her skin.

3.     I Am Gay But Wasn’t Born This Way

Brandon’s story goes to show that sexuality is not a mere result of biology. His sexual journey through college was run-of-the-mill. Being in a conservative Christian college in the US, Brandon married a woman, even though he felt wrong about it. The confusion was avid, as he even toyed with women once in a while. Eventually, Brandon divorced his wife. It’s always been challenging for him to explain why he is gay, yet he was in love with the woman he married.

4.     A Gay “Soft Life”

Having been raised in an extremely open-minded and liberal family, Emily had it easy when she needed to come out. Her parents and siblings understood and supported her immensely. Emily knew she was gay during her second year in college when she fell for her roommate. Although she had boyfriends in high school, the attraction Emily felt for girls was beyond measure.  

5.     The Gay Boxing Promoter

From a young age, Mark knew that he was different but didn’t know-how. It was not until Mark read an article by April Ashley that he realized that he was born in the wrong body. Mark felt like he had a feminine brain, and in his dreams, he pictured himself as a little girl and never a boy. Growing up in the 80s as a gay person was challenging because transgender rights were non-existence. Mark’s successful boxing career put him in the limelight, making it even more difficult for him to come out. When people became more accepting of gay people, Mark finally found his voice and opened up about his sexuality.

6.     A Gay Indian Crown Prince

Mr. Manvendra came out to himself in 1995 after meeting Ashok, who was the first Indian to come out as gay openly. Unfortunately, when he told his family in 2002, the experience was traumatic. They reacted badly and asked him to get medical help. They even asked religious leaders to intervene. Luckily, over time, Manvendra found peace and lives happily now.

Sexual orientation refers to the emotional, sexual or emotional attraction that one feels towards another person. There are four main types of sexual orientation;

• Homosexual

Homosexual persons are romantically and physically attracted to individuals of the same sex.

• Bisexual

Bisexual people are physically and romantically attracted to members of same gender

• Heterosexual

Heterosexual refers to people who are emotionally and physically attracted to members of opposite sex.

• Asexual

These group covers individuals who are not interested in sex, but they feel emotionally attracted to other people

• Bisexual

Bisexual persons are romantically and physically attracted to members of both sexes

LGBT, abbreviation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender is used to describe sexual orientation. Although transgender is more of a gender identity than sexual orientation, these individuals fall under LGBT because they do not fit in the category of being heterosexual or “straight”. For LGBT persons, it often feels as if everyone is supposed to be straight porno.

1.   Psychological and Social Issues

Gay and lesbian adults confess of feeling ashamed, isolated and afraid of being identified as different during their adolescent years. These emotions can potentially impact on self-esteem and identity formation. According to studies, approximately half of gay people and a fifth of lesbians confess to experiencing verbal and physical assault in high school due to their orientation. Such harassments elevate the likely hood of dropping out of school. Homosexual individuals can also face harassment at home and have a higher risk of being kicked out of their homes and moving to the streets than their heterosexual counterparts.

2.   Difficult Relationships

It is during adolescent and teenage phases that young people learn to relate to peers and potential romantic and sexual partners. This is often complicated for homosexuals and bisexual teens because they lack models of same sex relationships. These teens find it a challenge to meet someone who may be interested, the process of dating, how to flirt and how to introduce the element of sex to the relationship.

3.   Challenges in Accessing Medical Care

Like their heterosexual peers, LGBT youth have the same health care needs that are not necessarily linked to their sexual orientation. However, LGBT persons continue to experience challenges in accessing healthcare services. Some attest to experiencing difficulty in finding hormone replacement therapy, fertility and reproductive services, HIV prevention and treatment options and finding a welcoming primary care service. Others confess discriminatory treatment by health care providers.

4.   Harassment Victimization and Violence

LGBT youth report experiencing increased levels of harassment, victimization, and violence, including, physical, verbal and sexual abuse. These experiences are also related to substance use, psychological health problems as well as sexual risk-taking behaviour. Scholl-based bullying, harassment and peer victimization based on known or perceived gender identity and sexual orientation remain common. Studies shows that youth who exhibit gender-atypical behaviour or open up about their sexual orientation are prone to becoming targets of victimization. Such harassment victimization and violence lead to mental health issues and posttraumatic stress symptoms.

5.   Family Issues

LGBT teens who are in the process of identifying with their sexual orientation often find it a challenge to disclose to their parents about their orientation. They dislike the fact that they are lying to their parents yet worry about their parent’s reactions. Some teens worry about the possible negative repercussions of disclosing their orientation to their parents.

The importance of representation can never be downplayed. Watching films that mirror every group in society increases our tolerance levels. Unfortunately, the LGBTQ community has long been buried under unsubtle stereotypes in the film industry. Thankfully, things are looking up, and several Hollywood films and beyond have ensured complete inclusivity.

1.     Bad Education (2004)

This is among the earliest LGBTQ movies that were ever cast. The storyline revolves around a young filmmaker, Enrique Goded, who is searching for a story for his next movie. One day a man comes to see him in his office claiming to be an old school friend and first love, Ignacio. He brings a script based on revenge fantasy and loosely talking about their abuse by a priest at school. The resulting events are almost impossible to summarize but worth indulging.

2.     Milk (2008)

Based on the life of a gay rights activist and politician, Harvey Milk, this film had a huge impact.  Harvey was the first openly gay to make it to a public office in California, back in the 70s. Milk was and remains one of the best gay icons to have ever lived. The film shows tube porno francais his romantic relationships, how he ascended into power, and his life in general. Unfortunately, Milk was assassinated. It’s nothing short of an iconic film.

3.     Blue is the Warmest Color (2013)

If you have ever requested for recommendation on a film to watch from a lesbian friend, this is probably the one they suggested. The French cinema features Adel, who is a teenager that falls in love with an older art student – Emma. Just any relationship under the sun, theirs’ is filled with sagas of ups and downs, tortured passion, and heartbreaks.

4.     Love, Simon (2018)

If you grew up watching high school rom-com like Say anything, pretty in pink, and sixteen candles, you won’t be disappointed by this one. The film is grounded in the novel Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda; it shows what it’s like to not be in high school during the post-Glee world.

You might not be part of a liberal community or an accepting family, but that doesn’t make coming out necessarily easier. xnxx. Featuring a queer actor and a gay director, this is a movie that will get you crying and clapping through some scenes.

 5.     Tangerine (2015)

It was released amidst a lot of critical praise for how it portrayed its transgender characters. Set in West Hollywood, the movie depicts the friendship between a pair of sex workers. Tangerine is sharp, explosive, dirty, and dark. Films revolving around transgender women and men are countable, and finding a good one is even harder to come by. This one is authentic and has transgender characters taking up the transgender roles. Since transgender individuals are underrepresented in the film industry, this movie is changing the scene.

6.     Moonlight (2016)

Founded on the play, in moonlight, black boys look blue by Tarrell McCraney, the film debuted to high critical praise for its depiction of black gay male identity, storytelling, and cinematography. It was directed by Barry Jenkins, as he follows the youth, adolescence, and adulthood of Chiron in three acts. It is set in Miami’s liberty neighborhood and waves through the actor’s heartbreaking relationships with parental figures. It won several awards during the 2017 red carpet season, including Oscar’s award.

As we hope for more inclusion and acceptance of the LGBTQ community, it helps to know that actionable steps are already underway. The production of films based on queer relationships is a huge milestone that requires some celebration. These six films have a lot to teach about LGBTQ.