LGBT Subculture - Essay Example

LGBT is one of the biggest subcultures globally and takes the acronym of Lesbian, gay, bisexuals and transgender in the representation of people in this community. At the start of the sexual revolution which happened in the 1960s, there was not a specific name used in reference to people who were not heterosexually oriented. The term homosexuality was resisted in their description since it was perceived to contain derogatory meaning. Gays and lesbians were the only terms used in reference to male and female homosexuals in the 1970s and early 1980s. The acronym LGBT initially appeared in the United States in 1988, and it was recommended as the neutral word (Fox, 2012). This represented the people in the four groups with respect. LBGT can be described as a complex culture which constitutes three parts namely the LGBT behaviors, LGBT psychology and LGBT movements. A culture can be explained as the social behavior and norms present in human societies. In anthropology, culture is regarded as a central concept encompassing the various phenomena passed through social learning. It includes various aspects such as beliefs, knowledge, morals, and customs among others. This essay will discuss LGBT as a subculture evaluating the psychology and behaviors. These aspects will be discussed as constituents of the culture present in the human society. The LGBT subculture is usually defined as a sexual identity and encompasses sexuality and gender-based identity. It focuses on a diversity of sexuality and identities of genders.

Ethnography can be described as a scientific approach in which there are descriptions of people's customs and cultures. The ethnographer collects data concerning a culture by living in that culture for a certain period and engages in respondent participation. This means taking part in everyday life of the study group while at the same time marinating the position of a researcher. The first ethnography on homosexuality started in the 1920s and 1930s (Matzner, 2015). Research on LGBT has been limited until the 1990s which saw an increased in the sophisticated research concerning the issues of sexual and gender diversity such as the lesbian, and gay among others.

One thing to note is that LGBT has been accepted in some culture while still repelled in others. It is not always easy to change cultural norms of the human society. Just like the many groups in human history, groups of people who have been perceived to live a life that is non-traditional have faced resistance. In many cultures, there has been a lot of stereotyping of behaviors and actions that seek to suppress these behaviors taken. However, LGBT has been able to transverse through the main culture and established itself in some societies. Many countries have made progress towards the acceptance of the LGBT culture and presence of lifestyles that are considered non-traditional (Satinover, 2000). It is also important to not there are areas in which this subculture has not be accepted, and some groups would harm individuals behaving in this manner. Due to this types of reactions, location and fear are critical in the prevalence of the presence of LGBT in individuals. Norms in any culture are usually rigid and resistant to change. Many people who have LGBT behaviors exhibit traditional lifestyles on the outside due to fear of being victimized and rejected by the main culture or in some cases being physically harmed. Despite the developments concerning LGBT, there are still people who are getting victimized, beaten or murdered why they exhibit this type of behavior. This is sad, but communities are instituting measures to accept this type of lifestyle and are taking steps to support the LGBT subculture.

Another issue concerning the LGBT is their unique attributes and sexuality. Concerning the inclusion factors of this identity, there have been debates on the acronym LGBT stands for. Some of the references have been adding two "Qs" to represent questioning and queer, other two "Ts" to represent transvestite and transsexual and also others adding "P" for polyamorous. Primarily, the acronym LFBT has been mostly used to refer to the non-heterosexual or people who identify with the non-heterosexual identity. There have been debates with some groups opposing the umbrella reference siting that there too many variations that are evident. Despite their collective categorization, each group, that is the gay, lesbian and others have worked to establish their own identity (Satinover, 2000). In our present society, the LGBT are characterized by behaviors. For instance, in the United States, there is existence and maintenance of gender-specific dress codes. This can be seen in specific classes and conforms to certain social standards than it is an expression of an individual's sexuality. In the current society, the LGBT community is working towards liberation. This means they are striving to wear what they want with some lesbians seeking to wear suits and ties without being castigated. They consider this not an expression of their sexuality but that of the identity and what they are most comfortable with.

One interesting question that has been around for some time is whether homosexually is genetic or learned. It is essential to note that homosexuality is multifactorial just like all the complex behavioral and mental states. It cannot be considered exclusively biological or exclusively psychological. This behavior can originate from a mixture of various factors such as genetic factors or intrauterine influence. It means the behavior is partly innate to the mother and therefore present in all pregnancies while others are just incidental to a specific pregnancy (Satinover, 2000). Other factors that can contribute to homosexuality is the postnatal environment. This suggests that just like many cultures, homosexuality is partly learned. This means a person can copy from the behavior from their parents, siblings and cultural behavior. Another contributor can be the complex series of reinforced choices that might happen in the critical stages of an individual's development.

In conclusion, LGBT subculture is present globally, but it is known in some parts and not in others. Some of the people are unaware of the present due to factors such as a location of the individual or group of individuals, the acceptance of that particular lifestyle, fear, and availability of social events. Being supported by members of the same groups is also critical in the prevalence of this behavior. The mentioned factors contribute to some lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender people exhibiting their sexuality more than others. It is therefore important to note that the LGBT experiences vary across regions and cultures. Some cultures are more accepting than others. However, despite anyone's culture and sexual orientation, everyone deserves to be free from social evils such as violence, discrimination, and harassment. Culture in this error is becoming more dynamic and accepting which can be seen in the increase in LGBT marriages and relationships.

References

Fox, C. (2012). Articulating Sexuality: A Critical History of Gay and Lesbian Anthropology. Retrieved 16 October 2017, from http://Articulating Sexuality a Critical History of Gay and Lesbian Anthropology

Matzner, A. (2015). Ethnography. Retrieved 16 October 2017, from http://www.glbtqarchive.com/ssh/ethnography_ssh_S.pdf

Satinover J. (2000). Is homosexuality innate and inherited? Catholiceducation.org. Retrieved 16 October 2017, from https://www.catholiceducation.org/en/marriage-and-family/sexuality/is-homosexuality-innate-and-inherited.html