In United States today it is just as horrifying to see someone openly homophobic as it is to see someone who identifies as anti-Semitic or racist. Although there still are prejudices against gay, lesbian, and trans-gender people.
Recently I read an article about a trans-gender person switching from female to male. When he applied for a job he stated he was male but his social security information said otherwise. His boss obviously did not understand and contacted him. The man explained and his boss reassured him it would be no problem. The next contact he had with his boss, was when his boss told him how to apply for unemployment.
I understand people are uncomfortable with things they are not use to. I do not understand how someone can dislike or be unable to work with someone because of who they are attracted to. Professionalism is defined as the conduct, aims, or qualities that characterize or mark a profession or a professional person who exhibits a courteous, conscientious, and generally businesslike manner in the workplace. There is nothing about the persons likes or dislikes in a professional workplace. People should be hired because of their ability to do the job not because of their anatomy, skin-color, or orientation.
I was in a college interview a couple months ago, when the woman interviewing me brought up her honeymoon plans. She was planning to go the a Scandals resort. She soon found out from one of her close friends that Sandals does not allow homosexual couples to stay at their resort. She is in a biracial marriage and agrees that being homophobic is the same level as being racist. She switched her plans, losing at least a thousand dollars.
I believe that if someone is not bothering you, everyone should be able to coexist. You do not have to like it but everyone should be able to live with it. The only person you can control is yourself and if you have an issue with how someone lives their life it doesn’t change that they are probably going to keep doing what their doing despite your views.
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I still vividly remember my mom being shocked when I told her that I have a friend who is gay. In many Asian countries, including South Korea, the terms like ‘lesbian’, ‘gay’, or ‘trans-gender’ are unfamiliar to most people. We usually prevent ourselves from using those words in formal meetings or organizations. I was also not used to those words or those people until I came to United States. I was, honestly, surprise to learn that there are some those people at Tabor. However, as I talk and get along with them, I gradually learned that they are not different from non-lesbian, non-gay, or non trans-gender at all. They were same people who just have different perspectives from the “majority.” From my experience of changing my perspectives on those people, I realized that the ways people look at those people are wrong, and now is really the time to change our perspectives.