Sexual Minority
A sexual minority is someone whose sexual orientation differs from what is considered the norm in a given society. Modern Western culture is quite heteronormative, so the sexual minorities in this case would be those who identify as gay, bisexual, lesbian, etc. Younger generations are more likely to identify as a sexual minority. This is most likely because of the reduced stigma around being LGBTQIA+ allowing more people to openly identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, etc.
The term “sexual minority” does not refer to people whose gender identity is different from their assigned sex at birth. “Sexual minority” specifically refers to a person’s sexual orientation, so transgender and nonbinary individuals are not inherently considered sexual minorities. To rectify this, the term “sexual and gender minority (SGM)” was coined to be more inclusive to all people under the LGBTQIA+ umbrella who have to deal with the prejudice and discrimination that comes with being queer in a hetero/cisnormative society.
Sexual Orientation
A person’s sexual orientation determines who they are sexually (and often romantically) attracted to. Sexual orientation doesn’t necessarily denote romantic attraction; they just happen to be the same for the majority of people. For example, someone can identify as homoromantic heterosexual, which means they only form romantic bonds with people of the same gender, but are sexually attracted to people of the opposite gender.
Today, there are many different sexual orientations, with more being conceived frequently to address different gaps in representation. Among the most common are heterosexuality (being attracted to a different gender), homosexuality (being attracted to the same gender), and bisexuality (being attracted to both the same gender and different genders than your own). Although being transgender is often included in the same conversation, it is not a sexual orientation; it is a gender identity, relating to who someone is rather than who they are attracted to.
Shame (Brene Brown)
Shame is a painful feeling that arises as a result of a negative evaluation of one’s self. It is normal to experience shame every once in a while, but chronic shame can cause psychological issues, low self-esteem, and negative self-talk. Shame is quite similar to guilt, which arises as a result of committing some wrongdoing and feeling regret for it. The difference between shame and guilt is that shame does not require any wrongdoing; one can feel shame from being made fun of for an interest of theirs or an aspect of their personality.
There are two types of shame: trait shame and state shame. Trait shame is an enduring feeling of negativity regarding a specific aspect of one’s self. The shame could stem from one’s physical appearance, a medical issue, insecurities about one’s voice, etc. On the other hand, state shame is temporary and based on a specific moment of embarrassment. As the name suggests, the shame is tied to the state the shameful party is in, and not a trait inherent to their personality.
Specific Learning Disorder
Have deficits in one or more academic skills; reading, writing and/or mathematics; difficulties in reading is often referred to as dyslexia