It certainly did for me. If I wasn't gay I would be a totally homphobic person. I see the way the rest of my family views the world and honestly, it makes me pity them. I feel like we go through things that no straight person can even grasp. It makes us grow into stronger more better people. What about you?
It gave me a lot of insight into other things. I began to diversify my views thanks to queer issues intersecting so deeply with so many others. Once, I might have cared only for gay marriage. Now I see that as a very shallow goal compared to others, though still worthy. As for the idea that straight people can't understand, I disagree. There is so much disadvantage that straight people can face for other reasons; it'd be patronising to assume that I've suffered more when in almost every other way I've had a great life without hitch and without much of a problem with sexuality compared to others.
Being someone who has a disability, that alone has made me see the world through different eyes, I think that is one reason why I always was so accepting of the LGBTQ community before I even began questioning myself and why I was so accepting of it when I realized I was falling for a girl.
Yes, it does. Being a white cis male means I'm part of some advantaged groups. Being gay means that I know what it's like to be part of a minority and marginalized group. I do see things differently because of that--it's humbling. There's no way I would've been homophobic if I were straight, but I'm glad for the perspective that being gay has allowed me to have.
Yes it does. It's been hugely influential on my moral compass and political viewpoint and in so many ways it's changed the course of my life... for the better. I wouldn't want it any other way. Actually, I'm glad to be gay.
To a degree. The pansexuality aspect, allows me to experience attraction, in many ways. I'm more aware of what I like and do not like, and in varying depths. I don't see things as 'okay to like' and 'not okay to like', just as things to or not to like. Now, the gender aspect. While troubling at times, it has allowed me to explore myself, far deeper, than most individuals, probably do. I don't see things, at times, as absolute. These are ridiculously compressed answers, for the sake of simplicity, of course. But if I were cisgender and heterosexual, I often wonder what I'd be like. I'd know, at least, the plights of the LGBT community, but would I care, beyond an indifferent attitude? That, I'm not sure about.
yes, it has. my views on the LGBT+ community have been greatly influenced by my sexuality and gender. without that questioning, i wouldnt even be aware of other genders besides male or female, what a trans person is, or even knowing about the many differing sexualities, including bisexuality. i would still be supportive, but i wouldnt be as undertanding toward this amazing community of people.
In some ways, yes. In others, most lgbt people disappoint me. One would hope that experiencing discrimination of one type would make someone avoid discriminating against others, but it doesn't seem to work that way.
I share this sentiment. It can often be so infuriating, especially when LGBT people think that they have a figurative get-out-of-gaol free card for discrimination, and many enforce the gender/sexuality roles that harm us most.
Ditto sadly. I don't know tbh! I think just the essence of how I view life is that...we all get one and we gotta do what makes us happy, if we aren't hurting others. I feel like even if I was born cis I'd still see life that way because that's who I am as a person and how I see the world
I'm not sure. I grew up in a gay friendly family, they always teach me that anybody has the right to love and be who want. So if I would be straight I wouldn't be homophobic anyway. By the way, without joining EC I wouldn't probably understand a lot of things about lgbt problems. So be gay doesn't change me so much, I guess, but meeting you is changing me.
Such as some masculine gay men wanting to close ranks with heterosexual men against the rest of the queer community, including feminine gay men. It's appalling, yes. And the solution is protracted and requires effort, but the potential end is so worth the fight.
Definitely. Of all the people I expected to have negative views on my sexuality, I never thought that some of those people might be LGBT :/
In my younger years I felt like I've been cursed. An outcast among lucky people, a loser by birth. In years my views had changed. I started to think God doesn't hate me. He made me this so I can see what others can't. See the beauty behind the labels. In many ways we are not free but being the way I am make me feel more free than many people. I am not in their prison of bias, religion or tradition. I'd like to think I can see things more objectively... clearly.
Not really, no. If I wasn't gay I still wouldn't be homophobic. I can be pretty conservative about some things and I don't like the notion that being lgbt I have to like and support everything, but sexuality is not one of those things. I'm still the same person basically except I understand even less why some people are so bothered by same sex couples. I'm not out, so I haven't been at a real disadvantage because of my orientation yet. I think a lot about how being in a same sex relationship would work, how much would I have to hide from the public eye.
I'm not sure. But I mean, everyone sees the world differently (some to a greater degree than others) and I think sexuality could be a factor for some but so could a multitude of other things. For me personally, I haven't changed my worldview much since accepting my sexuality. I always (at least I hope so) have been pretty open minded so even when I was in denial, I could sympathise with the LGBT community