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| OutZone Support Pages - Assertiveness |
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Being assertive is not about being pushy or superior. It’s about communicating what you want in a clear, level headed manner. Making decisions that you are happy with, whether it be in your sex life, work situations, at home or with friends and family. Assertiveness is not about changing the world it is about the way in which you deal with the world. Being assertive is about change. Most of our behaviour is learned, so is possible to unlearn or relearn. The starting point for becoming more assertive is to identify those situations where you would like to behave in a more assertive way. Then you can begin to make changes. Being assertive is also about choice. It can help you take more control in your life and in making decisions. It allows you to be clearer about the choices available to you and the confidence to act. It allows you to interact with other people on an equal basis. Assertiveness is about communicating what you need clearly, honestly and directly. It may sound obvious, but many of the difficulties we encounter in everyday life are the result of people not saying what they want or saying it indirectly. | 
When faced with the discrimination and prejudice that still exists towards gay men, it’s easy to give away our rights, stifle our ambitions, settle for abusive or unsatisfactory relationships in short, much less than we deserve and are entitled to! |
So what about our rights as gay men? Well the fight for equal legal rights is ongoing. There are, however, other rights, which we can claim that don’t depend on a change in the law. Here’s a list of everyday rights to consider: - I have the right to be treated with respect as an equal human being regardless of what I am
- I have the right to express my feelings
- I have the right to express my opinions and values
- I have the right to make mistakes
- I have the right to ask for what I want
- I have the right to deal with others without being dependent on them for approval
- I have the right to say 'no' or 'yes' for myself
- I have the right to change my mind
- I have the right to say 'I don't understand' and ask for more information
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| Assertiveness related pages
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