6 Things You Shouldn’t say to LGBTQ groups

Hello, Psych2goers. We hope you’re doing well. In this article, we’re going to talk about what not to say to LGBTQ groups. Disclaimer: The purpose of this article is to consider and respect everyone we encounter, it is not meant to be scientific.

1. Relating them to certain celebrities

TV shows and paparazzi always catch something new about celebrities, even their sexual orientation. However, that should not be the way to relate to any members of the LGBTQ groups. For instance, by associating with a person you know to a celeb like Ellen, they may not know what to say or they feel irrelevant to relate to. This can cause the conversation to become awkward (López & Ward, 2020).

2. Using the wrong pronoun

From time to time, we see profiles of many people label themselves as “he”, “she”, “they” or even more. This may be complicated and it may take time to adapt after making a few mistakes. However, the takeaway messages are being mindful of the pronoun after correction and asking the person which pronoun is preferred (López & Ward, 2020).

3. Failing to recognize their partners

In Smith’s unhappy experience, she addressed that her boss called her partner a “friend” instead of “girlfriend” after Smith’s reminder. To her, it was like an invalidation and disapproval of her relationship. It also gave her a sense of being boycotted based on her sexual orientation (López & Ward, 2020).

4. Asking about surgeries or bodily alterations

Even for a regular and daily conversation, we won’t cross certain boundaries by invading someone’s privacy. This goes the same for LGBTQ groups as well. No one should interfere or decide whether one should go through procedures in order to conform to society standards no matter what the sexual orientation is (López & Ward, 2020).

5. Bringing religion into discussion

Everyone has different beliefs and values, bringing religion as part of the topic can be detrimental and hurtful. More arguments and misconceptions can occur and it’s not a good idea to incorporate them into the conversation (Tam, 2020).

6. Labelling male or female part in a relationship

Most of the time, people don’t like to roll with the traditional gendered relationship. Some may even view that as sexism. In short, be cautious and aware of the labels and avoid causing discomfort (Tam, 2020).

Conclusion

What do you think of this article? Are there more things you’d like to add? Leave a comment below!

References

López, C. & Ward, M. (June 5, 2020). 13 things you should never say to your LGBTQ coworkers. Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/lgbtq-workers-discrimination-things-not-to-say-2019-9

Tam D, T-L. (July 7, 2020). 6 things NOT to say when your LGBTQ+ friend comes out to you. South China Morning Post. https://www.scmp.com/yp/discover/advice/personal-development/article/3090050/6-things-not-say-when-your-lgbtq-friend.