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Sexual Orientation: A Social Problem

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A social problem is defined as “a condition that undermines the well-being of some or all members of society and is usually a matter of public controversy” (Macionis, 2013). Sexual orientation is defined as “a person’s romantic and emotional attraction to another person” (Macionis, 2013). This is considered a social problem because a lot of people in the world battle issues surrounding their sexual orientation. This has affected me in more ways than I can count. Because of my sexual orientation I have been scared to make friends because of being bullied in school. I was afraid to tell my family because they are so religious and being anything other than straight was basically like throwing myself into seclusion from the family. So because of …show more content…
“Eight percent to 17 percent of gay and transgender workers report being passed over for a job or fired because of their sexual orientation or gender identity and The Williams Institute’s report also found that 12 percent to 30 percent of straight workers witnessed discrimination in the workforce based on sexual orientation” (Burns & Krehely, 2011). People aren’t losing jobs or not getting them because they are not capable or because they are lazy and are doing a subpar job. They are getting this treatment due to their sexuality and whom they choose to love. That is why I believe that people should be allowed to be open about who they are without being criticized. Someone’s sexual orientation has nothing to do with their abilities or the type of person they …show more content…
Just as recently there has been a thing about transgender people having to use the restroom according to the sex on their birth certificate rather than the sexuality they identify with. “Proponents of HB2, which asserts that people must choose which public restroom to use based on their gender assigned at birth, paint a vicious campaign of transgender individuals as scheming, voyeuristic pedophiles that endanger the safety and wellbeing of women and children” (Post, 2016). Sexuality doesn’t determine who is a predator or not. Straight men and women are more likely to be pedophiles and make someone feel uncomfortable just as much as anyone else. This is just another way to come against people who choose to identify themselves differently and it is absolutely absurd. There have been stores like Kroger and Target and many more who have stepped out to help the transgender community creating restrooms just for them or saying that if a person is uncomfortable they can go somewhere else and I commend them for their actions. I believe that more people should rebel against the so called norms of society and that will be a step towards making things better because they start with us, they start with the social

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