Creating Welcoming and Affirming Services for Persons Who Are LGBTQ or I

Providing safety, support, and affirmation through knowledgeable and caring programs and practices

Sex, Sexuality, Gender…

SEX: male, female, intersex, indeterminate – not simply binary SEXUALITY: sense or expression of one’s sex – multiplicity of possibilities GENDER: internal sense of, and external expression of, one’s sexual identification

Difference – What Do We Mean?

• Do you appreciate “difference” in the world around you?

• Are you uncomfortable around people you perceive as very different from yourself?

• Can you imagine what the world would be like if everyone in each species were all the same?

Appreciating Difference/Diversity

• Nature encourages biologic diversity as protection and survival.

• There are sexual and gender differences in many mammalian species.

• People come in a diverse range of sexual and gender expressions.

• Lack of knowledge can contribute to discomfort and denial of difference.

• We sometimes fear what we do not understand.

Sex and Gender

• We are all born with some combination of them.

• Many of us take these things for granted or are not well-informed about the processes that created our gender ID and sexual orientation.

• More people in the overall population are clearly male or female & identify with being that gender.

• More people in the overall population are predominantly heterosexual in orientation (attracted to/desire to have emotional and sexual connections with the opposite sex).

Remembering the Kinsey Scale

0 6 1 2 3 4 5 0 = Exclusively heterosexual 1 = predominantly heterosexual, incidentally homosexual 2 = predominantly heterosexual but more than incidentally homosexual 3 = equal heterosexual and homosexual 4 = predominantly homosexual, but more than incidentally heterosexual 5 = predominantly homosexual, incidentally heterosexual 6 = exclusively homosexual

“Minority” Status

• Compared to all of the people in the world, we all have “minority” status (often unrecognized) • What does it feel like to be a “minority”?

• What are the potential risks?

“Minority” Status

(continued) • What happens when “different” is translated as “inferior” or “wrong” or “bad” or “dangerous”?

• What happens when a person’s minority status is obvious?

• What happens when it is

not

obvious to others?

What Are Our

Own

Issues?

Stereotypes and Strangeness: How Can We Affirm Our Willingness to Learn and Question Our Own Biases and/or Lack of Knowledge

Heterosexual Privileges

• Publicly holding hands, show of affection • Dancing with my partner in bars or halls • Talking freely about my relationships • Discussing personal issues in job interviews or at my workplace • Joining membership organizations that examine one’s personal connections • Walking the streets without fear of verbal or physical attack based on perceived sexual or gender identity

First Steps in Welcoming and Affirming

• Educate ourselves about ourselves: – What are our current biases? How do we identify them? How do we discuss them with others?

– How has our own cultural upbringing and history contributed to our current beliefs and biases?

– What do we need to do to deal directly with our own biases, blind spots, potential prejudices?

First Steps

(continued) – What knowledge and support do we need to become more effective and authentic practitioners?

– Is there any place in ourselves where we are in need of healing regarding these issues?

What Are All These Initials About?

Learning the Vocabulary and Affirming the Person Represented by These Terms

What Do We Know-What Do We Say?

• Use of language – Words can be used as balm or bullets – Our language may give us away – Learning appropriate language – Checking out preferred use of language with others

Some General Terms to Consider

• Sex – your biological sex at birth (male, female, or intersex) • Gender – your internal sense of yourself on a male…female continuum • Orientation – your attraction to sexual/emotional partners (this may change over time) • Identity – how you define yourself in a number of ways, including gender • Behavior – your actions (may/may not match the above considerations) • Perception by others – how you are viewed (may differ from how you view self)

Current Terminology

• Bisexual • Coming Out • Gay • Gender Expression • Gender Identity • Heterosexism • Intersex • Lesbian • Questioning • Sexual Orientation • Transgender or Gender Variant Person • Transphobia • Homophobia • Two-spirit 16

Other Terms…

• Cisgender • Androgynous • Peeps • Cross-dresser • Drag Queen/King • Pansexual • In the life • On the down low (or DL)

Issues in “Coming Out” Benefits and Barriers

“Choice” is about wisely affirming what is true for us about our gender and sexual orientation and personal identity

“Coming Out”

• Coming out: point at which the person decides to affirm sexual or gender identity to self/others – Usually a process from internal to external – May be to only a few or more public – May involve some real risks to consider

Barriers to Coming Out

• Heterosexism: assumption that partners are always of the opposite sex.

May

include belief that any other sexuality is inferior/wrong/bad or that “that person” is confused or immature. Generally unconscious superiority and non recognition of any other possibility – exclusionary to many people.

• Homophobia: going toward fear and hate

Barriers to Coming Out

• Transphobia: negative attitudes and feelings based on one’s expression of their internal gender identity; may range from violence and malice to misunderstanding and discomfort.

– Cultures that have a strong bias toward male superiority often show particular rage toward biological males who identify as female and may rape females identifying as male to display their contempt

Primary Dimensions

Age Race Ethnicity Sexual Orientation Gender ID Social Class Language Physicality

Secondary Dimensions

Educational Background Geographic Location Relationship Status Hobbies/Recreational Interests Work Experiences Military Experiences Religion/Spirituality

Tertiary Dimensions

Historical Moments/Eras 22 22

Ethical and Caring Responses

Environments and Behaviors That Welcome and Affirm Persons Who Are LGBTQI

Addressing the Need

• History of adverse perceptions and treatment for persons perceived as sexually or gender variant • Current negative stereotyping, bias, and violence – verbal and physical

Addressing the Need

(continued) • History of homosexuality classified as mental illness (until 1973) • Transgender people still encounter problems with diagnostic criteria in DSM – hard to avoid

Addressing the Need

• Some religions still create bias and rejection • Many people are still unknowledgeable about differences within these populations

Three Levels of LGBTQI Competence

• Non-discrimination – expected • Cultural Competence – Expected or Refer • Clinical Competence – Specialty

Strategies to Combat Social Context of Discrimination in Practice • Policy • Visibility • Inclusive Assessment / Forms • Training • Specific Outreach • Knowledge of Resources • Diverse Staff • Confront discriminatory remarks / jokes

Policy

• Written in non-discrimination policies of agency in clear, specific language • Affirmed in welcoming statements publicly posted in waiting rooms and other spaces • Discussed in staff orientation for new staff and reiterated during staff refresher trainings • Put into action by all levels of the organization and by hiring practices that encourage diversity of every kind

Visibility

• Welcoming information in public places – posters, brochures, art, etc.

• Self-assessment intake forms and questionnaires (see assessment) that ask questions in gender/sex neutral ways • Staff who do not hide their orientation while still presenting a professional appearance as appropriate to the particular service offered

Inclusive Assessment - Forms

• Our paperwork gives us away re: heterosexism • “Legal status” vs. who is considered “family” • Use of inclusive language may include: – Do you have a spouse/partner/significant other?

– Are you in a romantic relationship?

– Whom do you consider your family?

– Do you live with someone?

– Who are your most important support people?

– Gender identity: female?___ male?___ other?____*

Staff Training

• Language: what is friendly and inquiring • Reasons for service (without assumptions)

Staff Training

• Information: about human sexuality in general • Information: about LGBTQI – facts and myths • Information: how legal, religious, and social discrimination impact everyone negatively

Staff Training

• Perspective: how discrimination hurts • Strategies: how to help, welcome, affirm, advocate, and continue to self educate • Enforcement: how policies will be monitored and respectful language and behavior expected

Knowledge of Resources

• Staff training manuals include a wide range of interdisciplinary LGBTQI policies and materials.

• On-line resources are named and used by staff and clearly available for service users.

• Local resources (organizations, bookstores, gay-friendly self-help meetings, publications, etc.) are sought, identified, and used.

Knowledge of Resources

(continued) • Safe legal and law enforcement resources are identified, cultivated, and used as referrals.

• Safe health providers and other needed service providers are identified as collaborative helpers.

Confronting Discriminatory Remarks

• Language used as violence • Cruelty excused as humor • Widespread use of intolerant language aimed at many kinds of people

Confronting Discriminatory Remarks

• Confronting our own “isms” • Dealing with our own discomfort • Clear and simple responses • Healing language

Finally…

 Learn all you can from multiple sources  Stay open and teachable  Don’t presume that one person’s life journey is like another’s because of surface similarities (such as diagnosis or sexual or gender labels) – listen deeply to their stories  Refrain from judging – seek to understand  Work to have love overcome your fears  Continue to grow and care for yourself and others