Running head: LGBT COMMUNITY

Cultural Immersion: LGBT Community

Whitney Reyes
Georgia State University

CULTRUAL IMMERSION: LGBT COMMUNITY

Abstract
This paper will discuss a cultural plunge exposure to the LGBT community by
attending the Atlanta Pride Parade. The culture and environment that was experienced in
the Pride Parade will be shared. The purpose of this paper is to have direct contact with
people who culturally different from oneself and to have a new cultural experience. The
exposure and contact will help one gain insight into another cultures community.

CULTRUAL IMMERSION: LGBT COMMUNITY

Introduction
June 26, 2015, marks a significant triumph for the LGBT community, ending a
long battle for couples of the same sex to legally marry. The ruling by the Supreme Court
states that same-sex marriage is a constitutional right. Now that same-sex marriage is
legal, people against this ruling have spoken out. Most famously, Kim Davis, a county
clerk, denied a same-sex couple their marriage license on the account of her religion.
Davis got international attention, and she got a lot of supporters and non-supporters.
Adams et al. (2013) stated that homophobia serves the dominant group by establishing
and maintaining power and mastery over those who are marginalized or disenfranchised
(p. 383). When a local radio show heard about Kim Davis actions, they decided to show
their support to the LGBT community in Atlanta by marrying a same-sex couple on a
float during the yearly Atlanta Pride Parade. Standing witness to a same-sex marriage and
participating in the Atlanta Pride Parade was an immersion into a different and unique
culture.
Reflection of Feelings About the Group Prior to the Experience
Growing up in a small city, the LGBT community was almost non-existent, in
comparison to within the city of Atlanta. Most people in this small city are religious, so
being in this subgroup would be frowned upon. The media and people portray this group
to being fruity, unsettling, and morally wrong. For the longest time, same-sex marriage
was illegal. Something that is illegal is usually viewed as being wrong, so many have
negative views on people who are in a same-sex relationship. A Pew Research Center poll
released in 2014, found that 49% of Americans favor same-sex marriage and 55% of
Americans support the legalization of same-sex marriage (Wyatt-Nichol & Naylor,
2015. p. 118). It was not until recently that the Supreme Court ruled same-sex marriage to
be a constitutional right. This ruling has been very controversial to many people. From a
personal perspective, however, the LGBT group has never been viewed negatively. A
family that raises a child to be open-minded and respectful can cause these beliefs. The
view of marriage, however, has always been viewed as just a piece of paper and the
importance of it has always been low. The knowledge of same-sex couples not having the
right to get married was there but did not think marriage was a big deal. One is
sympathetic towards the LGBT community because members do not get to have the same
rights as everyone else and when it comes to this group being viewed negatively by
people and the media.
Reflection of the Actual Experience
Attending the Pride Parade helped one experience the LGBT culture. The Atlanta
Pride Parade is an event that is celebrated every year to support the LGBT community by
promoting visibility, unity, and self-esteem. The parade helps the LGBT community
celebrate their culture, pride, traditions, symbols, and mythologies, which for much of
the time remain hidden from public view (Taylor, 2014, p. 27). The parade this year also
had a same-sex couple officiate their marriage while on a float. An event that was
considered an illegal act last year had occurred during this years parade.
Attending the Pride Parade was exciting. The parade was filled with people from
every sexual orientation, culture, age, and ethnicity celebrating themselves for who they

CULTRUAL IMMERSION: LGBT COMMUNITY

are. Colorful, loving, and supportive are words that can best describe the parade as a
whole. Michael and Todd got married on a float called The Suck It Kim Davis Float.
The float stopped while they were officially being married, and their love for each other
was easy to see. They shared that they were spiritually married for 12 out of 27 years they
had been together and never thought that they would have they chance to get legally
married in their lifetime. People were cheering, and some were even tearing up. There
was so much support and love towards Todd and Michael.
Reflection of Feelings After the Experience
After experiencing the Atlanta Pride Parade, one can glimpse the feelings of an
LGBT member. The parade was filled with advocates, who believed gay lives matter and
other social groups matter. Different religious groups, such as Christians, held up signs
supporting the LGBT community. The parade makes one realize the many different
problems members of the LGBT community have. For example, not being accepted by
their peers, being stereotyped to having aids, and also being viewed as being sinful in
certain religions. Despite the fact that the United States has been more accepting of the
LGBT community over the past decades, Callender (2015) states, gay and lesbian
people continue to face significant stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination across
numerous domains of life, including employment, health care, public accommodations,
civil rights, housing, and day-to-day interpersonal interactions (p. 782). The marriage of
Michael and Todd made one realize that finally having the right to get married is a
beautiful right to have. One might not believe in marriage as a whole, but one will agree
that having the right to marry someone on the base of love, and not exempting a pair
based on gender, is a beautiful privilege. This experience will help a future social worker
show more respect and understanding towards members in the LGBT community.
Reflection to Increase Cultural Competency with this Group
To increase cultural competency in the LGBT community, one must continue to
be open-minded to ideas and beliefs and continue to participate in events such as the
Atlanta Pride Parade. In the social work field, one will have clients that identify as a part
of the LGBT community, and it is important to educate oneself on their history of
oppression. It is also vital for a social worker to know their client and ask how their client
would like to be identified. Asking is better than assuming because that can lead to
stereotyping and classifying them as the other. Lum (2011) states, Leave stereotypical
thinking outside the client-worker relationship, attend to what the client is saying, and
develop empathic connections with the client (p. 431). Engaging with the client will
form a client-worker connection and relationship (Lum, 2011, p. 431).
Conclusion
It is important to develop a strong client-worker relationship to gain trust, and this
is done through the development of cultural competency. The Atlanta Pride Parade and
the marriage of Michael and Todd will make one realize how oppressed the LGBT
community is in America. This experience will last a lifetime and will help overall with
gaining cultural competency for the LGBT community while working with LGBT
members as a social worker.

CULTRUAL IMMERSION: LGBT COMMUNITY

References
Adams, M., Blumenfeld, W. J., Castaeda, C., Hackman, H. W., Peters, M. L., & Zniga,
X. (2013). Readings for diversity and social justice (3rd ed.). New York:
Routledge.
Callender, K. A. (2015). Understanding Antigay Bias From a Cognitive-AffectiveBehavioral Perspective. Journal Of Homosexuality, 62(6), 782-803.
doi:10.1080/00918369.2014.998965
Lum, D. (2011), Culturally competent practice: a framework for understanding (4th ed.).
Sacramento: Brooks/Cole.
Taylor, J. Festivalizing Sexualities: Discourses of Pride, Counter-discourses of Shame.
Wyatt-Nichol, H., & Naylor, L. A. (2015). Liberty and Equality: In Defense of Same-Sex
Marriage. Public Integrity, 17(2), 117-130. doi:10.1080/10999922.2015.1000108