So I am a part of the LGBTQ community and work in a big city in middle europe. A lot of my coworkers are religios and have a foreign background. They are mostly very nationalist and homo-/transphobic. I hate them for their blind hate and bigotry, which wont change. I have realised, that I have become a bit bigotred towards people like them in the last few months, which is, even tho my biases often revealed to be true, just unfair to them. How could I stop that?
Do not associate people’s behaviors with their race. I am from the middle east myself, and I am pro-LGBT. A lot of middle Eastern immigrants are anti LGBT, but not all of us. There are also many Europeans and white people who are homophobic, so the reverse isn’t true either.
And just remember that homophobia as it exists today was exported by European colonial powers. While Muslim regions were never particularly excited or warmly welcomed LGBT, they tended to leave them be and treated them normally for the most part. It was not a societal issue worth considering. Modern homophobia was introduced by the west, and while Europe has seen great improvements there, the Middle east and third world is sadly behind on all fronts. Our wars and lack of education keep us more ignorant.
Last thing I’d add is that I notice middle Eastern immigrants to be more homophobic than the ones at home. I suppose it’s their reaction to going to LGBT friendly places and thinking it’s a conspiracy theory. I only say this to say that it is not as bad at home.