Growing up in the 2000s and even now in 2020 I still don’t have LGBT role models in my daily life. I’m not the only one. 60% of LGBT youth report they have healthy role models to look up to, but only 33% are accessible. This means that most young people don’t have role models that they can actively reach out to daily. The numbers are even worse for transgender youth or people of color.
This is a big problem. Role models are important to the development of youth, especially in minority groups. They help influence our actions and push us to be our best selves. Every great person has strived to emulate their role models and have succeeded in surpassing them. In particular, LGBT role models help young people see that they have a voice. If their role models can show the world that it is perfectly okay to be gay or transgender — then young people can see that it is okay to be their authentic selves.
I’ve seen the impact of being out and open as myself. I never imagined when I came out that it would make so much of an impact, but when I was open about who I was, others were in return. It was unexpected, but not unwelcome. I enjoyed talking to others about their sexuality and gender.
When we swapped stories and gave advice, I was filled with hope and despair. As much as I enjoyed hearing their stories and experiences they were all people from my high school who were young. I have only met one gay adult, but have never met a gay couple and certainly not one with children. This saddens me greatly because as much as I have been a role model to others, I don’t have any older people in my life to look up to. Not when I was in high school, not in the workplace, or any place in my life currently.
Being the first one to do anything is terrifying. In many situations I have been the first LGBT person others have ever met. I’ve had to answer difficult questions, ignore rude comments, and do a lot of educating people.
I have outed myself to an employer because I felt like I needed to answer her questions. I have had a woman ask me if I was gay because I was wearing nail polish. I have spent countless hours sitting down with people trying to explain terminology and the correct way to treat people within the LGBT community. (Hint: like a human being.)
There have been highs and lows. The highs make me feel on top of the world as if I can lead the charge, educate people, and fight for my rights. The lows have made me question if I’ll ever be welcome anywhere, find a significant other, lose a job because I come out at work, or even have a family. Straight people would never question these things in regards to their sexuality, but they are realities for people in the LGBT community. That is why role models are so significant. By showing people it is okay to be themselves they feel empowered and open to a plethora of possibilities.
To see ourselves in others, things need to change. For the whole community, no matter the age, education, and emotional support is needed.
For schools, gay-straight alliances (GSAs) provide a group for kids to meet people like them, express their emotions, receive education, and enact change within their communities. On top of that, school psychologists and social workers being well versed in the issues and struggles of the LGBT community can help students talk through their problems.
In the workplace, training helps facilitate meaningful conversations, helps employees recognize bias, increases knowledge, and develops inclusive thinking. Within the work environment, leaders are incredibly important. Not only do leaders help guide people, but a diverse leader is always thinking of ways to include marginalized groups and help foster forward-thinking. Unfortunately, LGBT people often don’t get the chance to be in leadership positions, but by companies doing so, it shows that they take diversity as a serious initiative.
School or work is where most people spend the majority of their lives. If neither of these places is safe to go, then people look elsewhere. That’s why outside of school and work mentors are an invaluable resource. They provide relief from the daily grind by providing guidance, emotional support, motivation, and role modeling. Good mentors value life long learning and stepping out of your comfort zone. All these qualities can help engage and develop people in the LGBT community in a diverse range of fields.
Overall, these solutions benefit the mental health, brain development, self-confidence, and leadership skills of LGBT people. There is much to be done for the development of the community, but we have to start somewhere.
