Blog #6 Counseling/Gay Rights

1. Young Black men prefer Black counselors.
Only 2% of psychologists being African American sounds a loud alarm. The need for more African Americans in the psychology field is crucial to the African American community for several reasons. One reason being representation. We need more representation of the black community within the field. Without representation there is no voice for the black community. Secondly we need more Black psychologists to further "Black" psychology. Black psychology is different from the "norm", or as it is called western psychology. African Americans need personal identity models and theories and ideas that are specifically designed for African Americans because of the varying ranges of individuals and history of oppression within the culture. 


Major areas of concern for Black men are anger from racism and oppression, feeling of invisibility, educational issues, Adolescents issues, and masculine role strains. I feel that these very concerns explain why we need more black representation in the psychology field. Who better to help African Americans than African Americans themselves? It often takes a person who understands the struggle or has been through the struggle in order to help guide and direct an individual who is in need of help.


2.African American women's views of Self esteem.
Two prominent components of self esteem for African American women are social support and self-reliance. These to components are often viewed as opposing however in the qualitative study it was learned that they are simultaneous within these views of self esteem. Both components were needed and balance one another. 


3. 85,000 Black Gay Households.
Black heterosexual and Black same-sex couples have the common similarity on a larger scale in that they are both socially and economically disadvantaged to a greater extent than other racial groups in society. Often times when policies are implemented black americans (heterosexual and/or same-sex) are the group that are least considered but most negatively effected. Same-sex marriage issues have negatively effected Black same-sex couples to a higher margin than other racial groups similar to the welfare act from our previous reading and how the act greatly affected black americans and black families over any other group.


In the article it also states that families created by black heterosexual and same-sex couples are similar in several ways. In raising non-biological children and children the rates are very similar between heterosexual black couples, female same-sex relations, and male same-sex relations with female same-sex relations aiming a little closer to heterosexual rates in children raising.


4.The choice to be gay.
I believe being gay is a lifestyle choice. People are born and are exposed to different environments, social ideas and influences that shape and change them as individuals. Being gay is a conscious choice made by people.


5.Understanding marginalization.
I feel the best way to address homophobia in black communities is to promote self respect, respect for others and seeing others as people. Individually we were all raised and taught different things and if a person was taught that being gay or a lesbian is wrong from a young age it would be difficult to change their ideas about others with the  lifestyle. I feel the most important thing would be to try and promote seeing others as "person first." Within the field of CSD we see children with disorders such as Autism as people first for example instead of referring to a child as the autistic child, we say a child who has autism. 
In no way am i trying to compare being gay or a lesbian as some sort of disorder I view it as a lifestyle choice but I feel that with gays and lesbians they are often only seen as that "gay guy" or that lesbian.Too many of times when a person is openly gay that is all people see about them or the most prominent aspect about that individual. If people could see past the lifestyle choice they could view them as people who deserve the same respect that they demand.Applying person first while viewing gays and lesbians people would see past their lifestyle choices and looker deeper into the individual.Instead of viewing someone as that "lesbian girl," it would rather be that girl who is a lesbian, and a student, etc. She is a person first who deserves respect and proper treatment.


This idea could also be applied on college campuses and I also feel that college campuses need to support groups put in place for individuals on both sides. Some people may have inner feelings of hatred and be homophobic because of their past experiences or what they have been taught. Like we a are learning and discussing in class interventions are usually the steeping stones to individual changes of mindset and ideas.


Homophobia Test
Several of the questions left me in shock being that I am not homophobic. I was raised to accept people for who they are. To see questions about doing harm to people because of their lifestyle choices seemed like common sense questions with a simple answer "Strongly disagree." However it opened my eyes up to the fact that hate crimes do exist and are real. There are people who harm others because they dislike their lifestyle choices and this is a serious issue in society today. I do not necessarily agree with people choosing the lifestyle however I was raised to accept others because we all are different and not every part of who I am may be acceptable to others but I would want them to accept me despite any of my shortcomings. I just ask myself the question of how do we get passed the intersections of religion, morals and values, and lifestyle choices in order to see people as individuals so that they can be adequately protected against crime. At the end of the day we are all humans and deserve the right of safety and protection.