<#311 Spotlight>
Breaking the Prejudice against a Sexual Minority
By Yang Dong-ouk, Director, The Museum of Sex & Health
Instructor, Department of Psychology, Chonnam National University
Everybody has their own preferred color. However, the preferred color does not become the most suitable color for every situation. Let's think about it. Your most preferred color for clothes can be matched well, like decorating a house? Sexuality is the same way. Even if you have a pink colored sexuality, you cannot force other people to have the same pink colored sexuality because everybody has a right to have a sexuality that goes well with them as a sexual being.
People who were grown up with the heterosexism that has occupied our society have learned the gender roles which are considered to be suitable for the different sexes (men and women) and believe that heterosexual love is normal and natural. This explains human sexuality based on a dichotomous theory. Since human sexuality is varied, however, such dichotomous theories or ways of thinking cannot explain it. A sexual minority is a group of people whose sexual orientation, identity, or practices differ from the majority of the surrounding society. These people are usually referred to as 'GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transsexual)'. Recently, they have also been called 'GLBTQ' (‘Q’ – Questioning - for people who are uncertain of their sexual orientation and identity.
Which sex are you attracted to? Sexual orientation is the matter of which sex an individual is attracted to emotionally, physically and sexually. Heterosexuals are attracted to the opposite sex whereas homosexuals are attracted to the same sex. Bisexuals are attracted to both men and women. Such attraction is not something acquired by learning, but an inborn instinct. If a heterosexual is forced to love the same sex, it must be a terrible experience for that person. Homosexuals are the same way. Sexual orientation is not something that can be changed. However, people who are locked into a heterosexual orientation hate to see homosexuals appear in public, regarding homosexual love as a behavior that disobeys nature. This negative attitude and feeling towards homosexual people is called homophobia. Homophobia is observable in critical and hostile behavior such as discrimination and violence. Just like the lyrics "Open your heart, please think carefully. We are everywhere right in front of your eyes." from the song 'Wherever we are', by “G-Voice” which is the first Korean gay anthem, we need to look at them as they are after opening our hearts.
Does everyone who has breasts and vagina have a female identity? Does everybody who has strong muscles and penis have male identity? Even though it seems to be clear to divide sexual identity into men and women, it is not that simple. There are people who are struggling with their sexual identity because of the discord between their inborn physicality (sex) and their spirit (gender). Transsexuals are people who have decided that they want to live as a person of the opposite sex, and so have changed their names and appearance in order to do this. Transsexuals sometimes have an operation to change their sex. This can be referred to as either 'FTM (female toward male)' or 'MTF (male toward female)'. They are trying to create a balance between their body and spirit by changing their sex. FTMs want to alter their body to suit a man's spirit, while MTFs want to alter theirs to suit a woman's spirit. Even though transsexuals are recognized as their newly acquired sex after having a sex change operation, a transsexual's life in Korea is filled with thorny paths. Many are suffering from not only people's prejudice against transsexuals, but also being alienated by friends or family. They are suffering because of their inborn and biological sex which was not chosen by them.
Nobody wants to be an outsider of society. Sexual minorities do not have a choice about their sexual orientation or sexual identity. They are born this way. They choose only their lifestyles. According to one sexual minority, their daily life is “like an unsolved problem to fight against prejudices and discrimination”. If you want to understand the life of a sexual minority and their human rights, I recommend ”3×FM” and ”Miracle on Jongno Street” which is a documentary about “coming out” (revealing one’s sexual identity). When looking into their severe and passionate lives, the barriers between the sexual majority and minority will completely disappear.
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