Adversity and resilience of ho
Adversity and resilience of hoMen and women have been attracted to the opposite sex since the beginning of time, but throughout history, there have always been exceptions to that case. Homosexuals have always been subjected to battering and discrimination by society. It was not until recently that these people spoke out and confronted society about the rights that they deserve. The fictional tale Farewell My Concubine describes the torments and sufferings that homosexuals have to go through. These torments and sufferings are the results of stereotypes from the society. The video Anti-Gay, and the books The Facts on Homosexuality and Gay and Lesbian Stats: A Pocket Guide of Facts and Figures explains the reasons for gay stereotypes, and how they affect those who are homosexuals. Homosexuals are frequently viewed as the outcasts of society and are often subjected to discrimination. However, with the support of family and friends, they are able to overcome such aggression. Someday, homosexuals will be treated the same way as heterosexuals, and society will learn that homosexuality is not a disease, but just another way of life.
In the novel Farewell My Concubine, the main character, Xiao Douzi, is faced with the adversity of being a homosexual in a time when homosexuality was absolutely unaccepted by society. Douzi was born with beautiful facial features and a perfect complexion; because of this, he was chosen to play a woman on stage. Douzi fails to separate his on-stage gimmick from his real life persona, and he falls in love with his partner and best friend, Xiao Shitou. When Shitou married a woman, Douzi collapsed mentally and soon got addicted to opium. Shitou's wife was against homosexuality, and she did whatever she could to keep her husband from seeing Douzi; but despite all this, Shitou still cares about Douzi and helped Douzi get off his addiction to opium. He also helps out Douzi whenever he can and supports Douzi's decision to live his life as a homosexual.
Aside from his personal problems, Douzi is also faced with discrimination from the society. During the Japanese invasion of China, the Japanese army found out about his homosexual tendencies, and they forced Douzi to dress up as a woman and have sexual intercourse with them. During the Cultural Revolution, Douzi was brutally beaten and was humiliated by the Red Guards. Douzi was treated this way because his adversaries believed in the traditional gay stereotypes. According to the books The Facts on Homosexuality and Gay and Lesbian Stats: A Pocket Guide of Facts and Figures, these beliefs about homosexuals were made up by ignorant people, and spreads around through the media. Common beliefs about homosexuals are that they tend to act like the opposite sex, and many believe that homosexuals are all sex-craving perverts. These beliefs are...
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