Discrimination and bias against LGBTQ + people are common in today’s world. However, while implicit bias is still a common problem, more and more states eliminate institutional discrimination by enacting laws and promoting tolerance. Nevertheless, just a couple of decades ago, such an attitude was rare even in democratic countries of the world, the film If These Walls Could Talk 2 demonstrate.
The first overt and systemic manifestation of discrimination is the college attitude towards LGBTQ + people, represented in the film by Linda, Karen, Jeanne, and Michelle. The college prohibits a group of feminists from gathering on campus because the management believes they are lesbians; hence, Linda and her friends are expelled from the group (Anderson et al., 2000). This fact most discriminates against LGBTQ + people, since they are forbidden to fight for their rights, and in addition, it demonstrates unfair stereotypes about feminists.
However, the implicit bias also manifests itself among LGBTQ + members as women discriminate against each other due to their appearance and manifestations of their sexuality. For example, when Linda and her friends walk into a gay bar, the female bartender treats them with disrespect and bias because they look feminine, which is probably not gay enough for her (Anderson et al., 2000). However, Linda’s friends are also biased towards Amy as she dresses in masculine clothing. The viewer can see many manifestations of micro-aggression; for example, when girls call Amy a husband, man, or boyfriend, condemn Linda’s choice, and force Amy to try on more feminine clothes (Anderson et al., 2000). At the same time, girls defend their behavior with phrases like “I don’t mean to offend you” or pseudo-feminist ideas.
In conclusion, the film discusses the problem of bias and discrimination both inside and outside the LGBTQ + community. The plot represents explicit and systemic discrimination, as well as manifestations of various micro-aggression based on prejudices and stereotypes. Thus, although many of these examples are relevant in modern society, they demonstrate that the world has made significant progress towards tolerance, but it still needs to improve.
Reference
Anderson, J., Heche, A., & Coolidge, M. (2000). If these walls could talk 2 {Film]. HBO Films, Team Todd.