Immersive Experience, Interview Example

Literature Review

Chauncey, G. (1994). Gay New York: Gender, Urban Culture, and the Making of the Gay Male World. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=NNHGuVdPELYC&oi=fnd&pg=PR9&dq=gay+culture&ots=6Ofn6WwMbS&sig=GDdm6hBOSGGNYYYxt9FY6YF16zI#v=onepage&q=gay%20culture&f=false

This book demonstrates that while gay culture is rejected in many areas, it has always had a place in New York City. Gay culture has thrived since the late 1800s, and there has been many gatherings of gay groups for the purpose of communication and development of art. This appreciation for gay culture is still celebrated in New York, where there are many celebrated galleries and productions on the topic. The city acts as a safe haven for those in the gay community feel that they are discriminated against elsewhere.

Douglas, CJ, Kalman CM, Kalman, TP. (1985). Homophobia among physicians and nurses: An empirical study. Retrieved from http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/1986-30383-001

This article notes that homophobia exists among physicians and nurses and that some have a judgmental attitude towards gay patients who visit the hospital for HIV and AIDS related issues. This is important because it may negatively impact the type of care that gay HIV positive patients receive. It is important to pay attention to the attitudes of healthcare professionals to ensure that gay individuals are not being discriminated against in healthcare.

Fries, K. (1998). Looking Queer: Body Image and Identity in Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay, and Transgender Communities. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=OXsd4FmBlA8C&oi=fnd&pg=PA315&dq=gay+and+disabled&ots=apVBh8n01n&sig=phjQ29YY8OdTxgO1-LVsCA3eZYg#v=onepage&q=gay%20and%20disabled&f=false

A section within this book entitled, “The Imperfections of Beauty: Being Disabled”, brings into question the sexual life of individuals with disabilities. Many people assume that disabled individuals have no sexual life, and the author demonstrates that this is not the case. It also presents the struggle of dealing with stereotypes on the basis of sexual preference. This source provides a unique outlook into the lives of individuals who are discriminated against in more ways than one, and it is important to understand the impact that discrimination has on their mental well-being. It is also an interesting analysis of how others behave towards these individuals; do they typecast them primarily as gay or as disabled?

Harper, GW. (2007). Sex isn’t that simple: Culture and context in HIV prevention interventions for gay and bisexual male adolescents. Retrieved from http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/amp/62/8/806/

This article discusses a health issue that many gay individuals need to live with HIV infection. This illness could contribute to the stigma against gay men from society in addition to impacting the way they feel about themselves and their outlook on life. Educational programs are essential to hinder the spread of infection because it contributes to low quality of life. It is important to counsel this group on the psychological impacts of HIV infection.

Kruks, G. (1991). Gay and lesbian homeless/street youth: Special issues and concerns. Journal of Adolescent Health. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0197007091900806

This data indicates that gay and bisexual men are at higher risk for homelessness and suicide than their straight peers. These men are usually forced from their homes due to their lifestyle and are forced into prostitution as a means to get by. They are regularly faced with discrimination and have a difficult time dealing with it.

Discussion of Individual Interview

I interviewed a young gay man who works for a local charity organization that aims to help individuals who suffer from HIV and AIDS and cannot afford their medical care. The questions I asked him include:

• How do you feel when people state that they believe that homosexuals deserve HIV?
• What kind of events or meetings do you attend to embrace your identity as a gay man?
• Why do you think homophobes feel the way they do?
• Do your parents accept your sexual identity? Do your friends?
• Did you grow up having a lot of friends who also identified themselves as homosexual? Did you feel closer to these individuals than others?
• Has anyone ever said anything hateful to you deliberately because you’re gay?

My interviewee was very fortunate that he had grown up with parents and friends who were accepting of his sexual identity. He is very involved in this charity organization because he feels that it’s an opportunity to be around other people like him and embrace gay culture while helping others who need it. He regularly attends the theater with some of the men he knows from the charity group. He feels angry when people say they believe that homosexuals deserve HIV and that people who are homophobic are simply uneducated and aren’t able to think freely. People have said hateful things to him because he is gay, but he’s learned to ignore this and not care about other people’s opinions. To immerse myself in this culture, I attended a dinner-dance hosted by my interviewee’s charity group as a fundraiser. The main goal of the fundraiser was to support the medical bills of HIV-infected individuals in the community who did not have health insurance. There, I had the opportunity to interact with many members of the local gay community and determine how the behavior and beliefs of others contributed to the way they portray themselves.

Reflection on Immersion Experience

This immersion experience taught me that the gay and lesbian community in this area is very caring and they look out for one another’s needs. Living with HIV and AIDS is a serious issue in the community, and they try their best to increase education about disease transmission in addition to helping one another out if they are unable to take care of themselves financially as a consequence of their illness. While this education involves mainly word of mouth from members to the public, there are also efforts to include HIV health information in local newspapers on occasion. To help one another out, they volunteer at the organization’s food pantry and hold charity events similar to the one that I attended.

The most important aspect of my immersion experience was that I learned that the friendships between LGBT individuals are no different than the friendships that straight individuals share. Everyone was very friendly and welcoming and made me feel very comfortable. I was a little surprised that some men were dressed in sparkly suits and wore makeup, although that feeling passed as the night went on; they were having fun and that’s all that matters. This taught me that it is important to not be critical of others, whether it’s due to how they behave, dress, or live, because they are simply expressing themselves.

I thought this immersion experience was valuable, because once people meet a few members in the LGBT community, they will be able to learn that they are no different than straight people. I feel that it is important for people to make this attempt so the social stigma can be lifted off of these individuals, who don’t deserve to feel different than the rest of society as a consequence of their sexual preferences.

Synthesis of Data & Final Reflections

The information I obtained was gained mostly from my personal interactions with the individuals I encountered at the charity dance, although these interactions confirmed a lot of the information I gained from the literature review portion of this assignment. A majority of the information in the literature review indicated that this group is frequently discriminated against, which affects them psychologically. However, it is clear that in situations where LGBT individuals are able to form a close knit support group, they are able to overcome the social stigma against them and work together to reverse the opinions that some people have of them. For example, the literature indicates that HIV infection is a major concern in the LGBT community, but my interviewee’s organization attempts to help these individuals with both their medical bills and associated living costs. While HIV is still a problem, this organization’s action shows that at least the social stigma of the disease could be fought against.

Interacting with this group allowed me to further understand the unique needs that they have. While the individuals I interacted with had their needs met, it allowed me to have a greater understanding of the needs that other LGBT individuals have. The article I reviewed, “Gay and lesbian homeless/street youth: Special issues and concerns” discusses the many LGBT individuals that have been forced to live on the streets as a consequence of their sexuality, and often resort to prostitution to survive. It would be useful for psychologists to implement a support group system among these individuals so they are able to recognize that they are not alone and they don’t have to accept this treatment. Group therapy would also be a useful method to increase their mental health.

Even though the individuals I met during my cultural immersion experience were all similar because they are members of the LGBT community, it is essential to emphasize the differences I noted among the individuals; despite our tendency to group these people together, they are actually all very diverse and the extent to which their sexual preferences define them differ from individual to individual. Therefore, this “culture” is somewhat inconsistent and has many stereotypes within it. There are gay men who are effeminate and dress the part, there are some gay men who appear and act straight, there are girly lesbians, and there are those that prefer to look manlier. In addition, there are a range of different personalities within these subgroups. Some of the gay individuals fit into the “artsy” stereotype, while others had little appreciation for the theater. We can therefore define the “culture” of these individuals as not who they are, how they dress, and what they like to do in their free time, but who they are when they come together. They are individuals who are strong enough to continuing being who they are even though others may not agree with their lifestyle. Even those who let society define them will never change who they are.

The strength of this group helped me overcome my personal beliefs to an extent. Even though I am not against the LGBT lifestyle, I have previously felt awkward and imposing for asking members of this group personal questions. However, this interview process helped me overcome this because I realized they are willing and eager to educate individuals outside their community on what being LGBT means to them, and that their main goal is to reverse the social stigma that people have against them. While I recognize that LGBT are normal people, they do have unique psychological needs. Those who believe that they did something to make others hate them for their sexual preference need to learn that this is not the case and others are there to help them through associated problems. It is also important to counsel others who commit hate crimes against this group and help them discover the source of their hate.