TODAY’S ZAP! article is about
homophobia —- many people are
afraid of, or don’t like, homosex-
uals. How do you feel? Do do
have any gay or lesbian friends?
How would you react if a good
friend told you that he or she is

250K {YOUTH NEWS

AOS

Homophobia still exists in today’s | society

However, we have not changed

# enough. Homosexuals still cannot

ze. adopt
Maj marriages are not recognized by
My the government.
Sand lesbians are excluded from

children, and same-sex

Therefore, gays

Sy many of the financial advantages

I involved

& available to married couples.

ill or is
their

Also, if a homosexual is
in an accident,

Be partner is not given any informa-
a4 tion on their condition, because

I COULDN’T believe it!
Last March 1 was doing a
term paper for psychology
on homosexuality and I
went to a public library.

The libraries now have a new
computer system that 1 did not
understand, so | asked the librari-
an for help.

She asked me what my topic
was and.when I told her
“thomosexuality,’’ she replied,
“We don’t have books on that
topic!’*

I said, “Why not? It’s an
everyday thing.”” :

Well, she just about took a fit
and said in a matter-of-fact tone,
“Not in my library.’’

*E couldn’t even speak, I was so
shocked. It really bugged me, and
the more I did my report, I real-

. ized. how homophobic society still
is.
_. Homosexuality. has been a part
- of life since humans: were created,

-yet it is a part-of life: that people,
do not know how to deal with. It,

is estimated that 10% of all males
are gay and 5% of all females are
. lesbian.

Homosexuality . was
crime until 1968 ‘and punishabl:
‘by life in prison, Can you imagine
10% of Canada’s population add-
éd to the. prisons? Fortunately,
society has changed considerably
and it is no longer a. crime in
_Canada.

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I LIKE To RUN THINGS!

THEYRE LINCOLITH,
AND VULGAR...

relationship,

“even ac

“they are not seen as the next of
1 kin.

Only recently, the
changed to allow homosexuals to
join the army in Canada. Yes, 4
change in the right direction!

Yet in Canada, only four
jurisdictions have included sexual
orientation protection in their
human rights legislation. They are
Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba and
the Yukon. B.C. has yet to
follow.

Everyone has different opinions
and ideas about homosexuality.
Some think it’s immoral or un-
natural; many think it’s acceptable
as long as hemosexuals are kept
apart from society, and others
totally accept it.

Society as a whole seems to ste-
reotype homosexuals just as they
do everything else. One stereotype
is that gay men are effeminaie,
limp-wristed, have a feminine
walk or talk with a lisp.

People think that it is easy to
spot homosexuals when, in fact,
that is far from the truth. Gays
and lesbians look like any cther
man or woman. Only a small per-
centage fit such stercotyping.

Another stereotype is that in a
homosexua! relationship, partners
play heterosexual roles. This is far
from the truth. [It all depends
upon the individuals and their
just as with
heterosexuals.

The most severe stereotype is
that homosexuals are child
molesters. On occasion, when

‘teachers. are found to be gay, the
‘community demands
teacher be suspended or fired, as .

that the
it is believed that the teacher will.
harm the children.

“Studies have shown that 80% of
child molesters are heterosexual

and only 20% are homosexual,

Tm A

law was —

IT IS seid that three-quarters of the homosexual population will
not admit they ace gay because they fear social discrimination.

and 93% of the homosexuals have
not had sex with anyone under the
age of 12.

The stereotype ‘‘all gays have
AIDS” has caused widespread
paranoia among the heterosexual
population in North America, as
the male gay population was the
first group to be identified with
the AIDS virus.

Therefore people believe that all
gays have AIDS. This is not true,
and in fact, more recently and
worldwide, AIDS has moved
quickly through the heterosexual
population.

On the North Shore 197 indi-
viduals between the ages of 20 and
29 are HIV infected. Many of
these individuals were infected in
their teen years and may have
been unaware of it.

The AIDS virus is spread
through: infected blood (the shar-
ing of intravenous needles, infec-
tion from mother to fetus) and in-

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fected semen and vaginal fluids’

(unprotected sex).

Because of these
mary homosexuals have been
forced underground te avoid
jeopardizing their freedom, social
position and physical well-being.

It is said that three-quarters of
the homosexual population ‘will
not admit they are gay . because
they fear social discrimination.

Homosexuals are people and
just want to be treated like
everyone else. Homosexuality is

stereotypes,

not my orientation, but I think’

everybody is entitled to their own
sextial orientation. :

- However, I wanted to get other.
people’s opinions as well. This is
what I found: :
E:R., 46 (female): They are the
reason for AIDS.'1} wouldn't go
near one, and if my child brought
one home i would kick them out.
S.Y., 38 (female): I feel weird
around gays. I know it’s not a
disease, but 1 grew up in a society
that did not accept it. I think that
if 1 had been educated about it
when I was younger, I wouldn’r
feel so weird.

Last week we asked if you
know anyone who is in a gang,
and we asked why gangs exist.

My boyfriend’s in a gang
and I can’t take it any more.
I'm afraid that he'll get stabb-
ed.

I think that everyone would
like to know why it’s tike this.
But I think there’s one major
reason — when the kids get
caught there's no stiff punish-
meat. There’s always that faw,
the Young Offenders Act. I’m
really getting sick and tired
hearing the kids get off for
stabbing people or killing
another human being like
stabbing them 15 times in the
heart and they don’t get some
kind of punishment for it, and
I'm really getting sick and tired
from it.

A bunch of my homies are in
gangs, you know what I’m say-
ing? E don’t want them shot

K.B., 37 (male): There’s no dif-
ference. ] know people that are
gay and they are just like me.
P.W., 29 (male): I don’t mind if a
person is gay, but I don’t want
them in my church or around me.
M.J., 18 (female): I would proba-
bly feel weird if another girl came
up to me and asked me to have
sex with her. At that moment 1
would probably flip out, but I
would not stop being friends with
her. .
G.F., 40 (gay maie): As a gay,
sometimes you feel that you have
to be the best because then people
won't take your difference in sex-
ual orientation so hard.
K.T., 18 (male): Everyone is dif-
ferent. If men like men, then so
be it. And if women like, women,
that’s OK too. I'm totally open. I
don’t know why people are mak-
ing such a fuss about it. If they -
want to have their fun, then let
them.
C.B., 17 (female): It doesn’t really
matter to mez, and if one was in
my school, it wouldn’t bother me
at all. They shoulc be treated the
same as everyone else. They don’t
bother anyone. It’s their sexuality
and it doesn’t harm anyone.
B.Y., 17 (female): 1 personally
don’t feel comfortable being
around homosexuals, but I -feel
it’s none of my business to con-
demn other people’s sexuality.
R.S., 17 (male): I don't care. If
they’re a fag, they’re. a fag. It’s
no big deal.
B.S., 34 (gay male): Homosexuals
are people too and have all the
feelings that any straight person
does. 1 am so sick of men think-
ing that gay men will sleep with
any man. We have our preferences
too.

eee

So you can see this topic is very
broad and full of conflicting opi-
nions and ideas. I’ve come to the
conclusion that society is slowly
changing and yet prejudices still
exist in society today. Society’s at-
titude toward homosexuality is
only orie of them.

Youth Views is writter: coopera-
tively by the students of
Sutherland secondary school’s
Video Production career prepara-
tion course. Allison Poirier is one
the class’ four students. .

If you need more information
on this subject, contact the Gay
and Lesbian Centre Vancouver at
684-6869.

and killed or ‘something. Peace
to you.

Yeah, I’m in a gang. I’m go-
ing to call all these NVL
(North Van Locals) people and
we're going to strike back and
kick their butt.

My mom says that |
shouldn't even talk to those
kids. Se I just want to say that
the firebomb in North Van-
couver, I think it is the bad
boys. -