Over the years, humans have adapted and accepted minorities and changes in our society. Nevertheless, it is difficult to say that they have managed to adapt to the changes, as problems such as racism, sexism and especially homophobia continue to grow in many countries. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Homophobia is the feeling of hatred or distress toward lesbian, gay, or bisexual people. Homophobic attitudes are a growing disease that minorities in our society suffer from every day. This disease should therefore dissipate to repair the hearts that have lost their loved ones to these attacks and to make our society safer and more tolerant. Homophobia has many lasting negative impacts, particularly on the mental health of people who are bullied because of their sexual orientation and gender identity. The harmful effects of homophobia have increased over the years. First, people with a different sexual orientation are more likely to experience violence from the majority of society. The LGBTQ+ community is twice as likely to be targets of violence as African Americans. The rate of hate crimes against them is higher than that of crimes committed against Jews. Among people who believe it is right to discriminate against people with a different gender identity than their own, those who face hateful attacks would consider it acceptable to do the same and that it is acceptable to harm minorities. Being different from most of the population will always be difficult and scary as they are subject to discrimination because they are unique. Twenty years ago, in October 1998, Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old gay University of Wyoming student, was robbed, beaten and tied to a fence by two homophobic men and died later that week he was found. This event sparked LGBTQ+ protesters and gay propaganda 20 years ago and it still remains the most horrific hate crime ever inflicted on a 21 year old who is just like everyone else. Increasing numbers of hate attacks or hate crimes primarily target people in the LGBTQ+ community because they are different from others. Additionally, people who experience homophobia are more likely to suffer from mental illness, anxiety and depression. These people face mental health problems due to society's stigma against homosexuals, discrimination and denial of their civil and human rights. LGBT people can experience mental health issues throughout their lives, just like anyone else. Nonetheless, rates of people suffering from mental health complications have increased, particularly within the LGBTQ+ community. Members of this community often struggle with depression, trauma, anxiety, and self-acceptance due to continued discrimination (insert quote). Not everyone lives the same life and some might experience family issues other than judgment based on their sexual orientation. Many families are also unaccepting of their gender identity due to past experiences and cultural and religious beliefs, but it is also morally wrong to not accept people as they are or as they want to be . Due to serious mental illness, "an estimated 20 to 30 percent of LGBT people abuse substances, compared to about 9 percent of the general population." 25% of LGBT people abuse alcohol, compared to.