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Religion and Family on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Children in a Cup of Water Under My Bed: A Memoir by Daisy Hernandez (2015)In her memoir, A Cup of Water Under My Bed, Daisy Hernandez describes her first-hand experiences growing up in the United States as the daughter of Latin American parents from two different countries. Although Hernandez provides a number of salient examples of how cross-cultural issues affect her life, perhaps the most poignant issue explored in her memoirs concerns her coming to grips with being bisexual and what this meant for her and her family based on her Catholic education and her parents' views about human sexuality. Given the increasingly widespread acceptance of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in the United States in recent years including legislation and changes in social practices, it is important to identify any significant issues that could hamper this process. To this end, this paper provides the context of Hernandez's memoir, followed by an analysis of the impact of religion and family on LGBT children in a selected chapter. Finally, a summary of the research and important findings concerning the effects of religion and family on LGBT children as exemplified in this chapter are presented in the conclusion.
The author relates these points and more when she speaks to a group of teenagers at the request of a community organization. Following some candid admissions concerning her bisexuality and her background, Hernandez is asked by one female attendee, "Do you want to marry a guy or a girl?" In response, Hernandez first formulates a forthright but flippant observation ("I want to tell her: 'Girlfriend, I'd be happy to meet someone I like as much as my cat'"); however, she quickly remembers her audience and her own sensitivities during this turbulent period in life and adds, "I can't say that, because these are teenagers. They are impressionable. They're young. If I give them the wrong response, they might beat up a queer kid one day or not come out of the closet themselves." Although what she actually says reflects the reality that human sexuality exists along a continuum for everyone, she concedes that the response is "bullshit and the girl knows it" when she says: "For me, gender doesn't matter.... I'm attracted to who the person is on the inside."
Following a series of flashbacks that included a kindred spirit she was assigned to write about, the author cites her Catholic school upbringing as being fundamental to her own conflicted views about sexuality and credits a substitute teacher with helping her sort out her feelings when others were unable to do so. Because one of the incessant themes drummed into the young learners at St. John the Baptist School was the danger of sexually transmitted diseases, especially HIV / AIDS, Hernandez realized that some people were actually dying because of their sexual orientation and that their sexual orientation was not always a choice but rather a biological reality.
When a substitute…
In their second survey, the authors found that the majority of students felt that PROJECT 10 had been positive and beneficial - not merely for LGBT students, but for the overall educational environment. This resonates with one of the conclusions reached by Sedgwick (1993) when she offered her first class in gay and lesbian studies at Amherst College in 1986. While she initially designed the course for the five to
Carmilla chooses her victims (young women isolated from society and without friendship) mainly because they are easy prey. She is a sensual, tender and affectionate woman herself -- beautiful to behold, as Laura describes: "She was slender, and wonderfully graceful…her complexion was rich and brilliant; her features were small and beautifully formed; her eyes large, dark, and lustrous" (Fanu 30). Bertha is a young woman intended to meet and befriend
It delved into the historical record of integration of blacks into the military, public opinions and health risks and unit disruption. It also incorporated the findings of scientific literature on group cohesion, sexuality and relevant health and legal issues and their implementation. Only one policy would fulfill the President's directive. It would consider sexual orientation as not inherent in determining who may serve in the military. It would set
The fact that she gives up on the name that recalls her Jewish origins is considered to be a proof of her own anti-Semitism. It is very obvious that it is right from within the family that she receives the greatest pressure. This is the only clear act which she makes in order to better define her identity. She declares that she does not feel Jewish and this is how
Black Colleges Homosexuality In order to create more egalitarian, prosocial, and productive campus environments, it is necessary to understand attitudes toward homosexuality and homosexual students. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students experienced relatively high rates of substance abuse, depression, and stress related to discrimination, difficulties forming social relationships, and low self-esteem (Heck, Flentje & Cochran, 2011). As Kirby (2011) points out, "Having a negative self-concept plays a major role in
This can lead to social isolation, disapproval and prejudice, and shame and feelings of immorality (2008). Arreola et al. (2009) state that LGBM are one of the groups that participate in some of the riskiest sexual behaviors among gay and bisexual men. This prevalence of risky behavior among gay and bisexual men is higher in instances where the men have been sexually abused as a child; it is even higher