"People pretend the LGBTQ+ people don't exist because it is easier to stay with pre-conceived ideas of what they think they know about human beings. People still believe that being heterosexual is the only 'normal' and everything else is 'weird,'" psychotherapist Silva told Bored Panda.

"Ignoring the existence of the LGBTQ+ people is a way to stay comfortable with their own lives and not open to the diversity of humanity. Opening up to the diversity of sexual orientations requires being open to 'not knowing' and be curious enough."

The LGBTQ+ people still face many challenges in the West. According to Silva, these differ from country to country. And far from every Western country is as liberal and progressive as its neighbors.

"For example, in the UK, the LGBTQ+ people have legal rights and are protected by law under its discrimination act. However, some other European countries, such as Poland, have strong anti-LGBTQ+ rights and therefore people are not protected in that country, worse, some are even hunted," Silva gave an example of how two different European countries see the same community.

However, Silva warned, that even in the UK, having legal rights doesn't automatically mean that there is no discrimination. "Unfortunately, there is still much homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia. There are numerous reports of LGBTQ+ people being attacked only for holding the hand of their same gender partner in the streets, for example."

He continued: "One of the main opposition to LGBTQ+ people is religious beliefs as many religious people do not agree with accepting LGBTQ+ people as equal human beings. Many LGBTQ+ people are rejected by their own family when they come out. Some can feel very isolated. Because LGBTQ+ people are still ostracised in our societies, they tend to develop poor mental health and misuse of alcohol and drugs as coping strategies."

Bored Panda had spoken about homophobia and why some people are homophobic with British psychotherapist Silva before. He explained to us that homophobia can, in part, be explained by a person’s upbringing. The beliefs and values that one’s family members hold can influence how an individual thinks as they grow up. However, this isn’t the entire story. Things are more complicated than that.

“If people grew up with homophobic parents and they haven’t been exposed to different opinions, they are more likely to be homophobic themselves. Most religions promote the inaccurate idea that same-sex relationships and sexual behaviors are unnatural, wrong, against their God, and a sin,” Silva explained to Bored Panda.

“Even recently, the Pope declared that same-sex marriages were not endorsed by the Church. Islam is also very homophobic. Most Islamic countries have anti-gay laws with punishment ranging from imprisonment to the death penalty. Many people in the UK growing up in such households are more likely to be homophobic,” the mental health expert pointed out that homophobia is still very prevalent in modern times.

Some younger people want to be part of the ‘in crowd’ and adopt the beliefs of their friends and peers. Unfortunately, this means that they might start taking on a negative outlook when it comes to the LGBTQ+ community just to fit in with their social circle.

“Teenagers can be homophobic as a way to conform to heterosexuality and be more accepted by their peers,” Silva said.

Meanwhile, the therapist pointed out that some people become homophobic because they are trying to repress and deny that they personally have same-sex attractions.

 “In being homophobic they attempt to repress their own feelings by fighting against the source of their arousal: the LGBTQ people,” he said.

Even if someone had been living under a metaphorical rock, it’s still incredibly difficult to miss the existence of the LGBTQ+ community. Pride Month, traditionally held in June (but on other months in some countries), is a time for events that promote the community’s fight for dignity, equality, and justice. It is also a time to draw attention to the issues that some members of the community struggle with, including discrimination.

During a previous interview with Bored Panda, ‘Stonewall,’ a United Kingdom-based organization spoke about the importance of Pride. ‘Stonewall’ is an organization that aims to create a world where all members of the LGBTQ+ community are free to be themselves and live their lives to the fullest.

According to Robbie de Santos, the Director of Communications and External Affairs at ‘Stonewall,’ Pride Month is an annual way for everyone to show support for the LGBTQ+ crowd. It’s a global phenomenon that unites everyone.

“Pride is an opportunity for all of us to come together in celebration, protest, and solidarity with lesbian, gay, bi, and trans communities all over the world,” de Santos told us about the extent to which Pride is celebrated each and every year.

“All lesbian, gay, bi, trans, and queer people should be able to thrive as themselves, but in 2021, LGBTQ+ people are still being held back because of who we are,” he explained to us previously that even though there’s a lot of progress, there are plenty of challenges that yet remain to be tackled.

“For some LGBTQ+ people, these harms are particularly acute, and we need to stand together against all discrimination that holds our communities back, from racism to ableism, misogyny to classism,” de Santos said.

Pride Month, according to ‘Stonewall,’ is important because it allows everyone to come together and show their support, in their communities, workplaces, schools, online, and on the streets. It’s a celebration of who we are as people. It’s also a way to continue fighting for “freedom, equity, and potential” for all of us.

“At Stonewall, we’ll continue to fight until every lesbian, gay, bi, trans, and queer person is free to be themselves, wherever they are,” de Santos said that the fight for equality continues.