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 Centre for Addictionand Mental Health |
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ARQ2: Question B6 - Body image and aging
Do you have concerns about body image? Do you have concerns about aging? Do body image pressures and ageism in the lesbian, gay, bi, trans, two-spirit, intersex and/or queer (LGBTTTIQ) communities affect you?
Relevance/intentBody image, appearance, youth and fashion can be important issues for all LGBTTTIQ people. Male gay culture places great emphasis on a lean and muscular body ideal, youth, appearance and fashion. Stereotypes of male beauty contribute to low self-esteem and alienation of gay and bisexual men who do not fit these images. These factors increase the risk for eating disorders, depression, low self-esteem and isolation. Stereotypes of beauty, self-esteem and appearance are also an important issue for lesbians and bisexual women. Although lesbian culture may be more tolerant of diverse body sizes and shapes, women have been exposed since childhood to media and societal messages that promote thinness and attractiveness. This makes body image a relevant topic for lesbians and bisexual women. Transgendered, intersex and transsexual people often have a difficult relationship with their bodies, given that their gender identity doesn’t necessarily match up with their biological sex. Some transsexual people experience a great deal of discomfort with differences between the way they look and the way they want to look. For example, a male-to-female transsexual woman may feel too masculine and wish to be more feminine. This discomfort can contribute to loss of self-esteem. Although not all transpeople have a desire to pass, some may also become preoccupied with passing successfully as the gender they set out to present. Passing can be made more difficult because of restrictive gender expectations (e.g., men must be muscular). Difficulty in passing makes someone susceptible to harassment or abuse and can lead to depression, anxiety, despair and substance use. Body image and physical appearance may also be more of a problem for clients with visible physical disabilities or for those from other marginalized communities who do not fit into dominant “standards” of beauty. Older people face a lack of visibility within mainstream and LGBTTTIQ communities alike. Our society places a higher value on youth and tends to assume that older people are non-sexual. However, older LGBTTTIQ people have begun to create a presence for themselves, meeting to create supportive networks and services. In Toronto, Ontario, the 519 Church Street Community Centre provides a resource centre for LGBTTTIQ people. This centre conducted a needs assessment that revealed the need for sweeping changes to services for older adults, including LGBTTTIQ-positive housing, geriatric care and social activities. The report also suggested changes to LGBTTTIQ organizations, such as including older people in leadership roles, advocacy efforts and a “cultural shift” in the way that the community views, recognizes and celebrates it elders (Harmer, 2000). Additional probesHave you ever worried about getting older or your body changing? Do you have any concerns about fitting into the community? Client perceptions“You’ve got to be 20-something. You’ve got to have a skinny waist. You’ve got to have big muscles. Your penis has to be a certain length. And you’ve got to be young…. You look at any of the gay media and it’s all young, skinny, drop-dead-gorgeous guys. And these images, as tasty as they might look, are absolutely impossible to live up to. I think the gay community suffers from that in the same way that women do. There’s just a profound pressure to conform to culture stereotype.” “The gay community is very cruel in its treatment of anyone who is over the age of 23 as far as I’m concerned. You have to be between 14 and 18 to be loved, admired and wanted. Over 18 and you are finished.” “The social scene is almost off-limits to a lot of people with mental illness, because the bar scene is very much a scene of aesthetics. It’s all about how you look. When you’re mentally ill, maybe you have less money. Your clothes aren’t quite as snazzy. You might be on medication that makes you heavy and has a whole sedative effect on your body. There are economic factors within that community, particularly with women and transpeople that makes it harder to have the cutest clothes or whatever is hot this week. Certainly because of the weight that people put on with medication, or the lethargy, it’s harder to go into that environment and feel comfortable because it’s so all about how you look. So you get pushed out of that scene, because it’s just not a comfortable place to be. It’s just one more place you can’t go.” Therapist/counsellor perceptions“One of the difficult things for transmen is you can be 23 and you start taking hormones and you look 13. So that can be a whole set of issues where age is very relevant and the question needs to be raised.” “First, coming out can happen at any age. The other thing is that older people are assumed not to have any sexuality whatsoever. They shouldn’t even enjoy sex. When an older woman starts to talk about sexuality, she is often completely, totally dismissed, and yet that is such a big issue.” “I’ve encountered trans clients who feel uncomfortable with their sexuality. And they also feel uncomfortable with another person or a partner looking at their body. And are not sure that they will feel comfortable with a partner’s body in a sexual situation.”
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Last updated: Mar 14, 2007 9:51 AM Published: Sep 05, 2008 7:53 PM ID#P19854 |