As a gay man I have endured a great
deal of challenges because of my minority status. Growing up in a rural community as a
homosexual I have had to cope with my sexuality in a very heterosexist society. Because of my experience growing up gay in
rural society I have coped with a number of obstacles that have made my
developmental trajectory somewhat bumpy but ultimately has given me a more
consolidated sense of my own personal identity.
Related to being disadvantaged as a homosexual, I also was raised in a
working class family that was incredibly dissatisfied with the state of the
world and our place in it. Luckily,
however, our family realized the importance of this institution and stuck
together through some very difficult trials.
Coming out to my parents would be included in those trials faced by my
family, but as a strong unit we learned how to reframe our positions with one
another; I believe such experiences has made our family stronger. Our family has also faced with a number of
other obstacles such as drug and alcohol abuse as well as gambling
addictions. It was the solidarity of our
family that kept us going. Because of my
remarkable family that I feel incredibly blessed to have been born into I was
able to redefine who I am and not allow society to continue to segregate,
discriminate, and marginalize me based on my sexual orientation. This has resulted in me choosing a lifestyle
that is trying to make a difference for gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender
(GLBT) individuals in Nova Scotia.
My life course has been the product of questioning all ideas
presented with me and pursuing an education that would further enhance my
critical awareness of the mainstream ideas GLBT face. In my essay I would like to discuss a variety
of life experiences that have further developed my identity in trying to make a
difference for GLBT in Nova Scotia, as well as what I am currently doing to
make a difference for GLBT in Nova Scotia.
I would then like to conclude with a discussion of what I would like to
do for GLBT in Cape Breton when I am finished my education.
Starting in high school when I
revealed my sexual orientation to friends and family I became interested in
pursuing avenues that would lead to a better way of life for GLBT. I decided to forgo taking courses in the
sciences as suggested by my teachers, family, and peers, and instead focusing
on an education that would assist me in my pursuit for a better way of life for
GLBT. In order to explore what form this
would take, I took courses in the humanities ranging from sociology, history,
and law. I decided to participate in
activities that would further open my mind to the world that I live in, which
included religious education, drama, working with special needs, and working
with youth in a travel group.
Upon graduating from high school I realized that I would not be able
to further develop my identity as a gay male in a small town as fully as I
would be able to in a city. I therefore
decided to move to Halifax and attend Dalhousie University. What I came to realize however, was that
homophobia and heterosexism does not exist solely in small towns but is
institutionalized even in progressive universities. The school refused to make accommodations for
me because of my sexual orientation and decided to place me in their all-male
residence even after I had a explained my uneasiness with living in a residence
housed almost entirely by heterosexual men.
I spent two years at Dalhousie but only three months in their
residence. I believe that because of my
initial experience in that residence along with an atmosphere in an already
cold and heterosexist school resulted in a transfer to Mount Saint Vincent
University.
I am currently entering my fourth year of my Bachelor of Arts degree
at the Mount. Doing a double major in
psychology and sociology, I have benefited from learning material and the
assistance of professors, counselors, and the Mount community at large in
deciding the path that I want to take in creating better lives for GLBT living
in Cape Breton. The education that I
have received from MSVU has increased my appreciation for the social sciences
in such a way that I do not only feel that it is important for me to learn them
in my career but have grown to thoroughly enjoy learning about individuals and
the society that they live in, which I am sure will translate into a love for
my future job as a social worker in working with GLBT. To further my goal of gaining acceptance into
a Bachelor of Social Work program I have followed the advice and support of
faculty advisors and counselors and started working in the human services
field. Specifically, I have been
employed as a support worker with individuals who have special needs and began
volunteering as a big buddy with Children’s Aid. In the upcoming year I will be a member of
the executive on MSVU’s Mount Pride society, which encourages community
development for GLBT at the Mount as well as in the Halifax Regional
Municipality at large.
In this past year I had to struggle with the decision of whether to
assist GLBT as a social worker or as a psychologist. I came to the conclusion that GLBT need much
more assistance on a systematic social level where homophobia and heterosexism
penetrates the societies and communities in which they live. Clearly, many GLBT are at greater risk of
experiencing a variety of intrapersonal psychological problems. Although
statistics have shown that more homosexuals than heterosexuals try to commit
suicide I have chosen combat the systematic problems that cause these
intrapersonal psychological problems. I
have stated throughout this essay that I would like to work with GLBT in Cape
Breton because being from that island I am highly aware of the lack of
community for GLBT resulting in their segregation, lack of support, and the
barriers they face in building long lasting, satisfying romantic relationships
with partners. My career goal is
therefore to seek support and funding to establish a Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual
Youth Project in Cape Breton to assist in community development for GLBT.
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