Sexual Orientation and Western World
Introduction
When people’s sexual identities are referred to, they are often falsely divided into two groups: heterosexuals and homosexuals. In fact, sexual identity is much more complex, as some may identify themselves as bisexual, or transgender for example. LGBT hence stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. Whilst Lesbians and Gays generally refer to women and men who are sexually attracted to their own gender, bisexuals, also known as “pansexuals” consider the gender of their partner to be irrelevant, in the sense that they may be attracted to both genders equally or unequally. As for transsexuals, they are generally regarded as people who have reversed their gender roles, at times with the help of surgery (“LGBT: What is it?”, ¶ 4,5,6). Having been significantly discriminated against prior to the sexual revolution (aka the sexual liberation) which took place in the 1960s, in the 1970s and 1980s in the Western world, it was then when gays and lesbians were finally able to be who they are without shame and when society started accepting their image. What is more, in the 1990s bisexuals and transsexuals were also given respect. As for the Arab world, the fact of the existence of homosexuality still remains unusual and is not likely to be accepted by Arab society. This could be due to several factors such as Arab culture and religion which doesn’t cope with the concept of homosexuality. Taking Lebanon for example, according to article 534 of the Lebanese penal code, the act of sexual relations that defy the laws of nature is prohibited; in this case it would be homosexuality and therefore it is considered a crime in Lebanon which is yet considered a country a bit more open in relative to other countries in the middle eastern region. Furthermore, countries such as Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates and Yemen also consider same-sex sexual activity as a crime and would even sentence the people taking place in this activity
When people’s sexual identities are referred to, they are often falsely divided into two groups: heterosexuals and homosexuals. In fact, sexual identity is much more complex, as some may identify themselves as bisexual, or transgender for example. LGBT hence stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. Whilst Lesbians and Gays generally refer to women and men who are sexually attracted to their own gender, bisexuals, also known as “pansexuals” consider the gender of their partner to be irrelevant, in the sense that they may be attracted to both genders equally or unequally. As for transsexuals, they are generally regarded as people who have reversed their gender roles, at times with the help of surgery (“LGBT: What is it?”, ¶ 4,5,6). Having been significantly discriminated against prior to the sexual revolution (aka the sexual liberation) which took place in the 1960s, in the 1970s and 1980s in the Western world, it was then when gays and lesbians were finally able to be who they are without shame and when society started accepting their image. What is more, in the 1990s bisexuals and transsexuals were also given respect. As for the Arab world, the fact of the existence of homosexuality still remains unusual and is not likely to be accepted by Arab society. This could be due to several factors such as Arab culture and religion which doesn’t cope with the concept of homosexuality. Taking Lebanon for example, according to article 534 of the Lebanese penal code, the act of sexual relations that defy the laws of nature is prohibited; in this case it would be homosexuality and therefore it is considered a crime in Lebanon which is yet considered a country a bit more open in relative to other countries in the middle eastern region. Furthermore, countries such as Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates and Yemen also consider same-sex sexual activity as a crime and would even sentence the people taking place in this activity