J. Louise Newton

MSW, P-LCSW

South East AHEC

January 21, 2011

Workshop Agenda 9:00-10:30 Overview of LGBTQ Terminology

10:30-10:45 Break

10:45-12:00 The Changing Queer Experience

12:00-12:30 Lunch Provided

12:30-2:15 Queer Youth, Violence, and Suicide

2:15-2:30 Break

2:30-4:00 Building Empathy and Creating Safety

Introductions

About the presenter

About the attendees: Please briefly

introduce yourself including

Your first name

Your place of employment

Your particular interest in the workshop

Workshop Participation

Agreements

Confidentiality

No dumb questions

Strive for respectful language

Step forward, step back

View this as a process

Others?

Potential workshop limitations?

Alphabet Soup:

Introduction to

Language and

TerminologyLesbian

Gay

Bisexual

Transgender

Queer

Intersex

The Q Word: Queer A umbrella term used to refer to all LGBTQI people

A political statement, as well as a sexual orientation, which advocates breaking binary thinking and seeing both sexual orientation and gender identity as potentially fluid.

A simple label to explain a complex set of sexual behaviors and desires. For example, a person who is attracted to multiple genders may identify as queer.

Many older LGBT people feel the word has been hatefully used against them for too long and are reluctant to embrace it.

The Q Word: Who can use it?

How does the term queer relate to other

terms oppressed communities use within

their subcultures?

Would you feel comfortable mirroring that

language back to students who use the

term queer to identify themselves?

With whom or where wouldn‟t you feel

comfortable using the term queer?

Cass Model of Gay and

Lesbian Identity Formation

COMING OUT is a life – long process of exploring one’s sexual orientation and Gay / Lesbian identity and sharing it with family, friends, co-workers and the world.

COMING OUT is one of the most significant developmental processes in the lives of Gay and Lesbian people. Coming Out is short for the phrase “coming out of the closet.”

COMING OUT means recognizing, accepting, expressing and sharing ones’ sexual orientation with oneself and others.

adapted from “Homosexual Identity Formation: A Theoretical Model”, by Vivienne C. Cass [Journal Of Homosexuality – Vol 4 (3), Spring 1979] and “10 Smart Things Gay Men Can Do To Improve Their Lives” by Joe Kort published by Alyson Books, 2003.

Cass Model Continued

1• Identity Confusion: Personalization of information regarding sexuality.

2• Identity Comparison: Accepts possibility that s/he might be homosexual.

3

• Identity Tolerance: Accepts probability of being homosexual, recognizes sexual/social/emotional needs of being homosexual.

4

• Identity Acceptance: Accepts (vs. tolerates) homosexual self-image and has increased contact with Gay/Lesbian subculture and less with heterosexuals.

5

• Identity Pride: Immersed in Gay/Lesbian subculture, less interactions with heterosexuals. Views world divided as “gay” or “not gay”.

6• Identity Synthesis: Gay/Lesbian identity integrate with other aspects.

Sixty Years of United States

LGBTQ History in 5 Minutes…1950s-1960s Mattachine Society and Daughters of Bilitis

1969 Stonewall Riots

1970s Beginning of Gay Pride parades and Gay Liberation, Homosexuality removed from the DSM as a mental disorder

1980s AIDS epidemic and ACT-UP

1990s Don‟t Ask, Don‟t Tell enacted, Matthew Shepard murdered

2000s Transgender and Queer movements gain visibility, Struggle for human rights such as same-sex marriage

2010 Repeal of Don‟t Ask Don‟t Tell

Queer

Collective

Trauma

Collective trauma as defined by Kai

Erickson (1994) is “…a blow to the basic

tissues of social life that damages the

bonds attracting people together and

impairs the prevailing sense of

community” (p. 233).Source: Erickson, K. (1994). A New Species of trouble: The Human Experience of Modern Disasters. NY:

Norton.

Examples of Queer Collective

Trauma

Reflecting on our history lesson, or your

own hunches, can you identify historical

examples of queer collective trauma?

How about contemporary examples of

queer collective trauma?

What evidence of these shared traumatic

experiences do you witness in your work

setting with children?

Queer

Resiliency

Factors

What aspects of LGBTQ communities might contribute to creating resiliency in the face of hardships?

How do these factors compare to other student populations‟ ability foster resiliency? i.e. students of color, blended families, low wealth students?

LGBTQ Youth in Schools: An

Overview

Sobering Statistics Video

LGBTQ Youth in Schools:

Lambda Legal Stats

Five to six percent of American students are

lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered

(LGBT)1 — a conservative estimate means

there are 2.25 to 2.7 million school-age LGBT

youth.2

Recent studies show the average age for a

gay or lesbian youth to come out is now 16-

years-old — down from earlier studies showing

the average age at 19 to 23 years old.3Source: Lambda Legal “Gay and Lesbian youth in schools”

LGBTQ Students Report…

“School was a living hell for me. It was like „faggot‟ this and „faggot‟ that-all the time. It wore me out. I was exhausted from trying to watch my back and deal with all the verbal insults that were hurdled at me. I finally couldn„t take it anymore, and I just never went back. I took the GED and passed. That was the end of my high school—I just couldn„t take the abuse anymore.”

Soure: Mallon, G. P. (2001). Sticks and stones can break your bones: Verbal harassment and physical violence in the lives of gay and lesbian youths in child welfare settings. Journal of Gay and Lesbian Social Services, 13(1/2), 63-81.

Students Report Continued…

“At the new high school, they were all bullies. I was getting beat up all the time, just because they thought I was gay. I tried to keep a low profile, and one day this kid who had been bothering me all day tried to jump me while I was in the gym. Then a whole bunch of other guys just started joining in, beating me, throwing stuff at me. I was crying and screaming, „Why are you so bothered by me?‟ It was just terrible. I just got to a point that I thought,‟ I„m just not going to take it anymore. I can„t keep going to that school.”

Source: Mallon, G. P. (2001). Sticks and stones can break your bones: Verbal harassment and physical violence in the lives of gay and lesbian youths in child welfare settings. Journal of Gay and Lesbian Social Services, 13(1/2), 63-81.

Students Report Continued…

“I told the counselor „don„t tell anyone„ and all that and he called my parents and I know that he had to, but there„s just some things that he didn„t need to tell my parents that he did.”

“Everybody‟s just like, „I need to think through these issue by myself, I don„t want to tell [the counselors],‟ it„s gonna get around school, the counselor„s just not good about being discreet.‟

“The counselors at my school are really not that supportive, I mean, with child abuse or family problems then its ok, but not so much [when] kids are coming to them and report about [being] gay.”

Source: Varjas, K., Mahan, W.C., Meyers, J., Birckbichler, L., Lopp, G., & Dew, B.J. (2006). Assessing school climate among sexual minority high school students. Journal of LGBT Issues in Counseling, 1(3), 49-75.

Exercise: Role Play Hallway

Break into small groups.

One participant will be an LGBTQ student,

2-3 will be a group of harassing students,

and one will be a school staff person.

The staff person is walking down the hall

and happens upon a circle of students

surrounding an LGBTQ student calling her

or him names. What do you do?

Exercise: Role Play Classroom

Break back into same groups.

Switch roles this time. One of you is a

teacher and the others of you are

students in class. One of you make

disparaging remarks during class (i.e.

“That‟s so gay”), the others will be peers

encouraging the behavior. As the teacher

how will you respond?

One Teacher‟s Intervention…“A common conversation in my classroom:

Student (to another student): You‟re so gay.

Teacher: Please don‟t use “gay” as a criticism, it suggests that „gay‟ is bad which it‟s not.

Student: Ewwwwww.

Teacher: Try using another word that doesn‟t use category of people. Like weird.

Student: My father says „gay‟ so I can‟t help it, my whole family is like that. I can‟t change the way I feel.

Teacher: You can and should change the way your feel, but in the meantime using the word „gay‟ in a negative context is not allowed in this room. Everyone deserves to feel safe and happy in here.” (p. 128)

Source: Nycum, B. (2000). The XY Survival Guide: Everything you Need to Know about

Being Young and Gay. CA: XY Press

Substance Use and Dependence in

LGBTQ Populations: What the Research

Says

SAMHSA‟s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment LGBT Manual (2001) reports that LBG persons are:

More likely to use alcohol than the general population

More likely to have higher rates of substance abuse

Less likely to abstain from use

More likely to continue heavy drinking into later adulthood

Source: Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. (2001). A provider’s introduction to substance abuse treatment for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals. DHHS Publication No. (SMA) 01-3498. Rockville, MD: CSAT.

Substance Use and

Dependence Continued

In a study conducted on 824 LGB participants, looking at the correlation of experiencing heterosexist events and internalized homophobia: “Participants who were classified as having at least one alcohol or drug use disorder were significantly more likely to have experienced heterosexism and internalized homophobia than those who were not classified as having a substance use disorder.”

Source: Weber, G. V. (2008). Using to numb the pain: Substance use and abuse among lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 3(1), 31-48.

Additional Factors that Contribute to

Addictions in the Queer Community

Lack of drug and alcohol free public places to meet similar others

Issues around family acceptance

Few spiritual resources that are LGBTQ affirming in many communities

The impact of collective trauma (also seen in high addiction rates among Native American communities, for example)

Feeling the need to hide or keep secret an integral part of one‟s identity

It Gets Better Project

Dan and Terry Clip from It Gets Better

Reactions?

Do you think it would help LGBTQ teens to

hear these messages?

www.itgetsbetter.org

www.thetrevorproject.org

Other Contemporary Factors that may

Impact your Work with LGBTQ Youth

Internet: social media sites, dating sites, access to information.

Sexual Health Education: How does your institution address LGBTQ sexual health?

LGBTQ Affirming Social Service Programming: Do DSS or other youth social services offer support specific to the needs of LGBTQ students? If so, where do you refer?

Exercise:

Heterosexual

QuestionnaireDeveloped by Martin Rochlin, Ph.D., 1977

Source: Retrieved on January 11, 2011 <http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/gays-anatomy/200810/the-heterosexual-questionnaire>

Moving Towards Empathy Reactions to the Heterosexual Questionnaire?

How does an exercise like this help us build empathy?

Merriam-Webster‟s Definition of Empathy: 1 : the imaginative projection of a subjective state into

an object so that the object appears to be infused with it

2 : the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner; also : the capacity for this

Tolerance vs. Acceptance

Most cultural competency trainings

encourage us to tolerate differences such

as LGBTQ identities.

What is the substantive difference

between coming from a place of

tolerance with your students as opposed

to a place of acceptance?

Implementing Change:

Strategies to Create Safety

Structural Change:

Within the School Setting

Individual Change: Become an

Affirming Service

Provider and Ally

Cultural Change:

Join Efforts to Shift

Oppressive Thinking and

Policies

Implementing Change:

Continued

Can you name off the top of your head,

what strategies you already employ to

create safety for LGBTQ youth in your

organization?

How about strategies you would like to

implement?

What are some barriers to the successful

implementation of these ideas?

Individual Change TacticsBuild your Awareness Counselors need to have an understanding of their worldviews and the cultural conditioning that has, and continues to influence them, as well as how their respective worldviews may be reflected in their counseling.

Acknowledge that LGBTQ youth are among your current clients (co-workers), whether they have told you or not!

Recognizes impact of one„s own sexual-affectual orientation, attitudes, or lack of knowledge can have

Explore own thoughts, feelings and experiences related to LGBTQ persons

Understand how one„s view of sex/sexuality, as well as gender roles, may impact one„s view of LGBTQ clients

Source: Goodrich, K. M., Luke, M. (2010) Straight talk about counseling LGBT youth. Pittsburgh, PA: American Counseling Association.

Individual Change Tactics:

ContinuedDevelop Knowledge:Counselors need to accurately conceptualize and assess client needs, determine developmentally appropriate and relevant goals, and select effective interventions.

Recognize unique needs & associated developmental challenges of LGBTQ youth

Aware of appropriate resources for LGBTQ clients and families

Understands LGBTQ identity does not equal pathology

Aware that LBGTQ identity may or may not contribute to presenting issue

Recognizes effects of heterocentrism and unique concerns of LGBTQ youth, as well as the ways in which other aspects of culture intersect

Conceptualize complexity of sexuality, sexual identity, and gender identity

Source: Goodrich, K. M., Luke, M. (2010) Straight talk about counseling LGBT youth. Pittsburgh, PA: American Counseling Association

Individual Change Tactics:

ContinuedDevelop New SkillsCounselors need to possess and implement interpersonal strategies to build relationships, and counseling techniques to facilitate the counseling process.

Does NOT engage in practices to change sexual-affectualorientation!

Open dialogue about acceptance of all forms of diversity

Assist youth in positive LBGTQ identity development

o Intra- and inter- personal focus

o Continue to understand that identity development is different for different individuals, and so we don„t all take the same paths

o Understand the challenges that some students might face to ―coming out and holding a LGBTQ publicidentity. Respect the students„ needs/desires

Source: Goodrich, K. M., Luke, M. (2010) Straight talk about counseling LGBT youth. Pittsburgh, PA: American Counseling Association

Individual Change Tactics:

Continued

Develop New Skills Continued

Inclusive of LGBTQ youth‟s strengths

Understands and validates diversity of relationships

Recognize importance of extended family, chosen family, and families of origin AND willing to intervene systemically to educate, support, facilitate change

Source: Goodrich, K. M., Luke, M. (2010) Straight talk about counseling LGBT youth. Pittsburgh, PA: American Counseling Association

Structural Change Tactics

As an advocate, educates and trains colleagues

As an ally, counters misinformation and discrimination and supports LGBTQ youth and their concerns

Gender neutral and LGBTQ affirmative language

Implement school policies to protect LGBTQ youth

Train teachers, administrators, other counselors and school staff around issues of stigma

Have informed trainings/discussion about suicide prevention, homelessness, harassment/abuse, as well as other risk factors for this community

Source: Goodrich, K. M., Luke, M. (2010) Straight talk about counseling LGBT youth. Pittsburgh, PA: American Counseling Association

Structural Change Tactics:

Continued Create school-based LGBTQ support groups

[Acceptance Coalition, Gay-Lesbian-Straight Alliance]

Provide support and assistance for your LGBTQ colleagues

Provide information and texts (books, magazines, non-blocked Internet sites for LGBTQ youth in school libraries

Develop curriculum that includes LGBTQ people!

Break the silence

Encourage school boards and school administrators to set standards addressing LGBTQ issues

Source: Goodrich, K. M., Luke, M. (2010) Straight talk about counseling LGBT youth. Pittsburgh, PA: American Counseling Association

Cultural Change Tactics Join area organizations such as PFLAG or OUTWilmington. Your status as

an Ally does not exclude you from participating in change efforts.

Donate money or volunteer hours to lobbying organizations, most

notably in our state, Equality NC.

Speak with your neighbors, church community members, co-workers, and family members about what you have been learning and your changing values around LGBTQ acceptance and human rights.

Promote and/or attend rallies and events that address LGBTQ equality.

Share books that you have read or websites you enjoy that address LGBTQ experiences.

Notice in media and government policy efforts where LGBTQ folks are excluded or made invisible. Help others notice these short comings.

Work diligently towards creating a safe space in your office by displaying LGBTQ related books and symbols.

Ready to Change the World?

Do any of these tactics look “doable”?

Which ones?

What barriers do you anticipate to

implementing any of these strategies?

Last but not Least….

You came to this training! You

have already begun to

create change and safety for

your students!

Contact Info:

J. Louise Newton, MSW, P-LCSW

J.LouiseNewton@gmail.com

http://www.linkedin.com/in/louisemsw

Mobile: 828.273.8422