Human Services Case

Sexuality and Development

Human sexuality is much more complex than the biological forces that initiate the sexual maturation process. In today's society sexuality is more than just heterosexual. Now and days there are many individuals that are homosexual meaning attracted to the same sex (E.g., Lesbian or gay), and also transgender. People who identify as transgender usually are people who are born with typical male or female anatomies. However, they feel as though they have been born into the “wrong body” and go through a transition to becoming who they want to be (Huskee, 2010). As a person grows and develops, he or she becomes more aware and in-tuned with sexuality. In this paper, I will interview a lesbian individual by the name of Kesha. In this interview, I will cover the LGBT member’s self-identity, societies perception of her community, and the impact same-sex marriage has had on the LGBT community.

Self-Identity

Kesha is a thirty-two-year-old African-American female. She has a fifteen-year-old son that she gave birth to before she changed her sexual preference and identity to a lesbian. Kesha stated that during her elementary school years she realized that she was attracted to the same sex but did not know how to describe the way she felt about other girls. It was not until age seventeen one year after she became a mother that she knew for certain that she was gay. Kesha has been with women every since then and is now in a serious relationship with a woman, and she has the “butch” role in her companionship. The term “butch” refers to masculinity and often the most dominant partner in the relationship (Huskee, 2010). Kesha revealed her self-identity as a lesbian to her family soon after knowing that she like women because she knew her family would not judge her being that homosexuality is common in her family. Even though homosexuality was ordinary in most her family, Kesha had another side of the family that was very religious. With that being said, Kesha feared that her choice to be lesbian would not be accepted by those members. Kesha stated that she was raised in the church and knew that homosexuality was a sin but that she could not control her desires. She said that although she knows that she is gay, she still continues to struggle with her decision to live the lifestyle she does because of her upbringing and religious beliefs. Kesha informed me that she prays all the time and hopes that she will not be judged for her choice to love someone just because they are the same-sex.

Societies Perception

Societies perception of the lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender community can be both positive and negative. Kesha stated that most of the responses she gets from people in society are constructive. However, she also said that at times she felt stigmatized. Studies show that Americans