Running head: CULTURAL IMMERSION

Cultural Immersion
Jordan Abernathy-Cornelius
Georgia State University

SW 3000 Communication/Cultural Diversity

Dr. Karen Watkins
November 30, 2014

Running head: CULTURAL IMMERSION

Prior to the activity

My current view of homosexuals as a group is that despite all of the gains theyve made
(in terms of adoption and marriage rights), they are still a group that faces prejudice and
discrimination. This viewpoint developed around the age of 16. Prior to this experience, I knew
of males who were homosexual, but Matty was the first openly homosexual, African-American
male friend I had. We were able to develop a closer friendship when we stayed at a summer
program on Valdosta campus for four weeks. In the media, homosexuals are often portrayed as
the flamboyant, sassy, over the top, token gay friend. Furthermore, they have a wealth of
knowledge in terms of clothing, and they love to shop. I am sympathetic to this group, because of
the time spent with Matty. He opened my eyes to a lot of issues that he and other homosexuals
face in our society. My current views will allow me to work with homosexual individuals,
without heterosexism (which may have influenced who I chose to work with them in terms of
helping them and looking out for the best interests of the client).
Why I chose to study this group/Cultural immersion experience
On October 16, I interviewed Matthew Cornwall (he goes by Matty) for my cultural
immersion experience. After meeting Matty and becoming friends I realized there was a lot
about this group that was foreign to me, so to enhance my knowledge Matty was my first cultural
immersion interview. The experience was very emotional, because Matty shared things that he
had never shared with me before. At one point in the interview, Matty became very emotional
while re-telling his experience of when his parents found out he was a homosexual. His parents
are both pastors, so they sent him away to a twenty-four hour prayer camp. Matty stated that
every four hours they were forced to wake up and pray. After the camp ended, his parents forced
him to go to church counselors and talk with them. Matty still believes that his parents think he
is going through a phase and that they will never truly accept him.
Research and brief summary of an area of interest about this group
An area of interest about this group is the Pride Parade. In Atlanta, we have the Atlanta Pride
Committee, which is an organization that works to promote unity, as well as visibility and selfesteem among lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and transgender and queer persons. The Pride
Committee also provides these individuals with educational and cultural programs and activities
to enhance their mental and physical health while providing social support. They also aim to
promote awareness of the contributions that lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender
persons (both past and present) made through community activities and services ( like the Pride
event) (Atlanta Pride Committee, Inc., 2014).
After the activity
Personally, this experience saddened me, because of what Matty shared with me. It was
obvious that despite the time that had passed, he is still hurting. This experience made me think,

Running head: CULTURAL IMMERSION

in terms of the messages that we convey through our words and how they truly can affect
someone. This experience reinforced my previous viewpoint that despite the gains that the
homosexual community has made, they still face prejudice, discrimination, and oppression.
Forms of discrimination that Matty talked about was when he was told by another male that he
doesnt count as a guy, because hes gay. Furthermore, Matty felt oppressed when his parents
accidently found out he was gay. They were not accepting at all and as pastors they had a big
conversation with Matty and prayed the gay away. He realized that his parents would never
truly accept the fact that he was gay, and went back into the closet. (Matty attends SCAD now
and feels much more accepted and supported). Stereotypes of homosexual men range from their
personality (they all love fashion) to outrageous claims that gay men arent able to raise happy,
well-adjusted children (Lipp, 2013). Matty told me that he learned in 6th grade that the word gay
meant that homosexual men would always try to hit on straight people and tries to seduce them.
Because of this stereotype he feels as if he as to be hyper vigilant when he is around other men,
and not to try to come across as if hes flirting with them. This experience may not affect my
future career objectives as a social worker because my goal is to be a medical social worker in a
hospital. However, knowing what I know after this experience, I feel more confident in terms of
addressing the issues that the clients I work with may face.
Continued Cultural Work
To improve my cultural competency and recognize previous misconception about this
group, volunteering at LGBT organizations or shelters would allow me to learn more about these
unique experiences. Also, attending a Pride event would give me another opportunity to learn
about this group in a more confidential manner.

Running head: CULTURAL IMMERSION

References
Atlanta Pride Committee, Inc. (2014). About Atlanta Pride Committee. Retrieved from
http://atlantapride.org/
(M. Cornwall, personal communication, October 16, 2014).
Lipp, M. (2013, June 19). Myths and Stereotypes That Dehumanize Gay Men Must Be
Challenged: Start With These 10!. Retrieved from
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/murray-lipp/gay-men-mythsstereotypes_b_3463172.html