What's the Big Idea?

It's about people…

Homosexual men and lesbian women have no control over their sexual orientation, yet year after year many young people who are gay have to cope with coming to terms with their sexuality in a climate of fear, prejudice and discrimination, and without basic information and support. This can be detrimental to their health and wellbeing, and to personal fulfilment in terms of relationships, work and achieving their own potential.

The stigma of homosexuality is so great that non-gay people can find themselves at the receiving end of homophobic abuse by people who wish to hurt them or control their lives. This can lead to fear, misery and ill health for the victims, just as it does for people who are homosexual, with the same potential for undesirable retaliation and damage.

It's about sexuality…

Sexual orientation refers to deep feelings and emotions for a particular sex, and a self-concept that people may or may not express. It can be considered as a continuum ranging from exclusive heterosexuality at one end, to exclusive homosexuality at the other, and includes various forms of bisexuality. A distinction has to be made between sexual orientation and people's actual sexual behaviour

>One of the things often identified as being responsible for attitudes to gay people is the idea of men having anal sex with each other. This one activity would seem to influence the diversity of issues affecting homosexual men and lesbian women. Young people too, tend to find the idea of anal intercourse between men disgusting. However, the nature and range of sexual practices within the heterosexual population is itself considerable and attracts little comment, as long as it's conducted within the law in relation to age, and no one is hurt physically or damaged psychologically.>

Recent research suggests that perhaps as many as a third of gay men choose not to practise penetrative sex on a regular basis and the traditional division of gay men into active and passive is not borne out by experience. Gay men and lesbians display as wide a range of sexual lifestyles as does the general population. Sexual activity takes different forms and is variable in all groups. While some gay men don't engage in anal sex at all, a recent survey in the UK found the practice fairly widespread among the heterosexual population. For historical reasons lesbian activity is not enshrined in law and for this and other social and cultural reasons would appear to be tolerated more than male homosexuality.

It's about health…

Sexual orientation raises a range of issues in relation to people's mental, social, emotional and physical health. Fear, worry, distress and isolation all influence health status. Recent studies of inequalities in health have revealed gaps in understanding about the health needs of lesbians and gay men and a corresponding lack of services to meet their needs in some parts of the UK. It's difficult to be a happy and fulfilled human being if your sexuality is denied. Sharing aspects of sexuality with others is important for mental health. The process of 'coming out' has been strongly related to psychological adjustment: the more positive people are about their sexual identity, the better their mental health and self-esteem. Safer sex and the prevention of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV/AIDS are issues for all sexually active people. Particular needs of lesbians and gay men have to be recognised as part of the general move towards reducing inequalities in health. Care has to be taken not to view the issues in terms of comfortable heterosexist ideals of homosexuality, and this is also important in any educational process.

As young people move through adolescence they have to adjust to a wide range of physical and emotional change, changing relationships with others, and pressures associated with exams, careers and finding employment. Coping with the realisation you are or might be gay is particularly difficult at this time, hence the need for understanding, education and support.

It's about education…

Education about sexual orientation and homosexuality has the potential to help to diminish gay prejudice. Accurate information about homosexuality is especially important to young people first discovering and seeking to understand their sexuality, whether homosexual, bisexual or heterosexual.

Negative attitudes towards lesbians and gay men tend not to be based on actual experience, but on stereotypes and prejudice. Research has found that people with the most positive attitudes are those who have friends, neighbours and colleagues who are gay. Young people who are more knowledgeable about the issues also have more positive attitudes.

Fears that access to information and education about homosexuality will actually make people gay have no validity, and credible sources of advice and information are clearly more desirable than prejudiced viewpoints and rumours.

It's about society…

While in some ways society would seem to be becoming more tolerant of gay issues, many liberal, well-meaning people are initially shocked when they personally have to cope with knowing their son or daughter is gay. Media images, as in other aspects of life, have the potential to distort and belie the diversity of lesbians' and gay men's lives, as there is a tendency to sensationalise and focus on celebrities and the spending power of a few. Lesbian and gay rights are not just about individual rights. Like heterosexual people, lesbians and gay men form families. The European Convention and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights recognise the right to family life is a fundamental human right. This has implications for a range of legal issues such as tax and family law.

It's about religion and faith…

There are wide-ranging perspectives on homosexuality among the world's faiths and frequently a range of interpretation and tolerance within any one faith. Religious texts have been interpreted (often inaccurately or within a historical context which no longer applies) to discriminate against homosexuals. More liberal denominations, such as Quakers and Methodists, have gradually changed their positions in recent years to adopt a more inclusive stand. In the past people have often continued to practise their faith even though the faith itself may not have been tolerant of their sexual orientation. Blessings on same-sex relationships, and in some countries marriages, are becoming more common.>

It's about responsibility…

The important thing is what kind of person you are, not what your sexual orientation is. Heterosexual people can be kind, loving, generous and caring, as can homosexual people. Heterosexual people can also be insensitive, cruel, exploitive and abusive, as can homosexual people. The issue is not about sexual orientation but about how people behave towards each other and the responsibility they take for their actions. It's about everyone.