Praise: University of Washington on Gaydar

One of the arguments that is sometimes made against including LGBTQ people in hate crime legislation is that we are not really discriminated again.  After all, unlike most who are Black, we can "pass".  But, then again, maybe we cannot.

Back in January, there was a study out of Albright College that indicated that homosexuals may have less symmetrical facial features than heterosexuals.  This week we are learning about a study out of the University of Washington that indicates that people's gaydar, the ability to discern whether someone is gay or straight, may be real particularly at discerning lesbians.

After seeing faces for less than a blink of an eye, college students have accuracy greater than mere chance in judging others’ sexual orientation. Their "gaydar" persisted even when they saw the photos upside-down, and gay versus straight judgments were more accurate for women’s faces than for men’s.

The findings, published May 16 in the open-access online journal PLoS ONE, suggest that we unconsciously make gay and straight distinctions.

From the discussion section of the full paper:

[I]t would appear that minority sexual orientation is not the concealed stigma that many argue it is. Indeed, the need to protect gay people from discrimination would seem increasingly urgent to the extent that minority sexual orientation is tacitly inferred from aspects of personal appearance that are routinely available for inspection (e.g., faces).

Discrimination is real and we now know a little more about how that occurs.  We also know that heterosexuals may be discriminated against because of false impressions that they are homosexual.  Important for all in society to consciously endeavor to avoid discriminating against the LGBTQ Community.

Praise: University of Washington on LGBT Caring and Aging with Dignity

A new study on elderly LGBT has been released from researchers at the University of Washington School of Social Work.  The study is disturbing in that it finds numerous problems for elderly LGBT people.

Some additional data from the report

One in ten LGBT older adults who participated in the project have been denied healthcare or provided with inferior care. Nearly one-quarter of transgender older adults have needed to see a doctor but could not because of cost. Fifteen percent of LGBT older adults fear accessing healthcare outside the LGBT community, and 8% fear access-ing healthcare inside the community. Bisexual older women (16%) fear accessing healthcare services inside the LGBT community at nearly three times the rate of lesbians (6%) and are less likely to have a primary physician or healthcare provider than lesbians.

The full study and considerable more information are available at a new website, Caring and Aging with Pride.  We need information like this to move forward with fair and equal care of all.