Answer:
Stereotypical situations occur quite often - perhaps even more than we are aware of. Although there are common types of stereotypical circumstances, such as saying, "You're gay, aren't you supposed to be feminine?," or the more obvious, "You're acting like a little girl," people can face all sorts of degrading statements that may upset them, or even make them question their self worth.
One experience I have that I can provide is when I was in 6th grade. I was starting off a new year, young, bold, and excited for my future. Some of the kids were questionable, given that this old school wasn't in the nicest area. I hair was shorter than it is now - much, much shorter. People with short hairdos, specifically girls, aren't usually viewed as straight, and this stereotypical point of view was the unfolding of a nightmare of a year I was about to have.
When I walked by new people at the school, they would often run, or just move away from me. I got remarks such as "I don't want to be near the gay girl," and it got to the point where I would receive threats in my locker, like "If you approach us, we are legally allowed to kill you." You can understand why this came across as degrading to me.
It's simply not fair for people to be viewed as something just because of their gender, clothing, hairstyle, etc. Stereotypes are commonly used to address people, even if we do not realize it. We, as a whole, should become more aware of how we communicate, as it may hurt some people.
