Stigma is defined as the discontent with a person or persons of a characteristic that is seen as different or in contrast with the norm or the social setting. When one becomes the one who is stigmatized it can have a lasting impacting through the feelings of separation and exclusion it creates. In my case the stigmatizing came from me being gay and in a relationship at the time of me going to catholic school.
For the specific stigma of being gay, it stems from the supposed norm, which society can tend to make seem more acceptable than actuality, that it is okay to label and stigmatize those who are gay. While a good percentage of the population identifies as gay (gay being used as an umbrella term here …show more content…
For instance holding hands and being affectionate with your partner in public, how you may be perceived for being affectionate in public may not ever cross your mind if you are straight but can be a constant worry for those who identifies as gay. This along with many other anxieties are the exact result of stigma and how it affects the day life of those stigmatized. It also shows how unaware and unaffected people who don’t have to deal with the stigma can be about minor or even major aspects that permeate the lives of those who are …show more content…
During my time at catholic school I experienced being majorly stigmatized for being gay for the first time. While there was no physical violence nor was it emotionally abusive it still left a lasting impact as being the stigma itself. The feeling of being outcast and seen as the undesirable other within a group is not particularly sought after. Being stigmatized is undesirable because it makes one feel less like a person and more like a sole characteristic of their complex being that generalized and oversimplifies and stereotypes them as an