Homophobia and transphobia are defined as fear or rejection of homosexual or transsexual people, respectively. All fear is overcome with knowledge, with discipline and education. This is what will truly make us people free from prejudice, willing to create a diverse society. One in which no one should be afraid of what is different, because no one will be the same as someone else.
It may be that despite a good education, there are those who continue to shield that fear and that rejection under arguments of little weight. However, I want to think that they are isolated cases, the last blows of an archaic society, doomed to the end.
Ignorance as the origin of fear
We are all afraid of the unknown and homophobia and transphobia are fears arising from ignorance of this natural condition. Because homosexuality and transsexuality are present in history and in nature, as we have mentioned in other posts on this topic.
In these posts, the fact that they are fears based on prejudice is mentioned. Due to the lack of knowledge about the sexual condition or gender identity to which we refer, it is the only thing on which they can be based. There is no reason why no one should fear or reject people with any of these conditions. However, homophobia and transphobia still exist.
Why do homophobic and transphobic people continue to exist?
Basically this keeps happening because we perpetuate homophobic and transphobic patterns unconsciously. Gender roles play an important role here. In most cases, we assign boys or girls these roles. If these do not correspond to what is expected of the person assigned to their biological sex, we prejudge a sexual condition or a gender identity that is not appropriate for them either.
We making a pejorative use of the words used to define these personal conditions. When in reality, there is nothing wrong with having them. It does not make you a worse person to feel one way or another.
How to break the cycle of homophobia and transphobia
The only way is educating both children and adults, on the true nature of both conditions. Explain, whenever necessary, that both are present in the story. They are part of animal and human nature.
It is very healthy for our children to grow up in diversity, to have contact with people of all conditions without this being a special event. Remember what is intended is a normalization, not a party of "integration" are neither more nor less than you. People are people, regardless of their sexual status or identity.
It is also essential not to support behaviors that can lead to a return to those prejudices that these phobias can cause. I mean, don't laugh at someone who makes jokes about homosexuals or transsexuals. As innocent or funny as they seem, they are jokes at the expense of people's feelings. It has cost many of them many tears, and even blood, to accept, assume and express their condition or their sexual identity.
Why is pride celebrated
It seems important to mention, at this point, why the LGTB collective celebrates pride day. Because we understand that it can be strange, that if you want to reach a normalization, you "celebrate" a special day to express your pride in being who they are.
However, do not forget the importance of expressing yourself on that day. There are many years and even centuries, in which homophobia and transphobia have reigned. They have been disowned, vilified, tortured and even massacred because of their condition or their sexual identity. Treated like monsters, like animals, as if they weren't people. Even today there are countries where they are still treated like this.
They have been limited and even today their rights are limited, hampering, for example, adoptions by families of said condition or sexual identity. That is why it is important to celebrate pride and speak out against homophobia and transphobia. In the hope of educating for a better society, in which it is not necessary to "celebrate" this kind of thing.