Individuals Who Identify As LGBTQ+ (Fang) | Cultural Immersion Project 2018

Advocacy Plan

Advocating for organizations and people who are pushing for LGBTQ+ equality is crucial. On a political level, this involves pushing back against and resisting the Trump-Pence agenda, giving visibility to numerous testimonies from LGBTQ+ individuals. Fortunately, many pro-equality candidates have been elected across the nation during the midterm elections. Currently, in the state of Ohio, legislation has been looking at the development of the Ohio Fairness Act (HB 160), introduced earlier this year. This bill would protect LGBTQ+ individuals from discrimination involved with employment opportunities, housing, public accommodations, and even hate crimes. In the state of Ohio, it is completely legal for people to refuse housing or employment to an individual simply on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. Ohio as a state also lacks laws that directly address hate crimes and school-bullying committed against LGBTQ+ individuals. Furthermore, Ohio lacks transgender-inclusive healthcare benefits, and restrictions on “conversion therapy”. Practical ways to make a difference for this community include: speaking up as an ally to raise awareness around you, staying updated, voting, volunteering, and fundraising.

Reference:

Amazon. (2018). Human, LGBT+ [Graphic]. Retrieved from

https://www.amazon.com/Human-LGBT-Sticker-Graphic-Bumper/dp/B0753BJZQ3

Servant Leadership

From my interviews with a few fellow members of the LGBTQ+ community, I’ve learned that the primary benefit of being a part of this community is having that close-knit solidarity. Furthermore, my interviewees also expressed appreciation that their queerness requires them to be more self-aware, as a result of extensive self-exploration. They shared that it’s freeing to be able to challenge societal norms in other areas (clothing, gender roles, social expectations), and not just the norm of sexuality. One of them shared that as a member of the queer community, she doesn’t have to censor herself because the others will not see her queerness as excessive. These people can share in her suffering without her having to first prove that she is suffering, and to explain why she is suffering.

However, a few perceived shortcomings of the LGBTQ+ community include unaddressed racism, misogyny, transphobia, and biphobia within the community. My interviewees also shared their perceived disadvantages of being of LGBTQ+ status: rigid, negative stereotyping, alienation from queer-phobic family and friends, and having to be on the defense against conservative, religious people. As a result, they’re also finding that they constantly have to explain themselves, as well as doubting themselves because of invalidation from all sides. Internalized homophobia is also a concern, as they still experience “deep-rooted self-hatred related to my sexuality”, especially when speaking openly about sexuality or dating. There is also a concern with the psychological aftermath from years of secrecy, shame, and repression from being in the closet. They shared that they have to monitor their environment to ensure it’s safe to come out, and that they also have to come out whenever they meet a new person (because heterosexuality is assumed).

My interviewees’ concerns in the counseling office would include: the fear of conversion therapy, having a space to work through internalized homophobia, and to have a counselor who advocates for their rights (marriage equality, adoption privileges, etc.). In general, they would want to look for a therapist who lists queer issues as either an area of specialty, or something they have experience with. In terms of political and legislative advocacy, my interviewees are concerned with: preserving marriage equality, general safety, better media and political representation, health care for trans and intersex people, and homelessness and suicide among LGBTQ+ individuals. They also wish to see further collaboration and coalition building between the identities that fall under the queer umbrella. As one of them stated: “Obviously, the sweeping, increasingly blatant homophobia sweeping the country is an issue, so – a legal definition of gender and sexuality that reflects our lives, the inclusion of trans and queer people as a protected class so that hate crimes and discrimination can actually be prosecuted as such, more funding for education and advocacy and outreach, and an attempt to reduce the administrative hurdles that trans people have to jump to get their gender marker changed.”

As a servant to the LGBTQ+ community there are several things I can do both in Columbus and in Ohio. Columbus actually happens to be home to the Kaleidoscope Youth Center (KYC), which is the only LGBTQ+ center in Ohio. Volunteers 23 years of age and older can sign up to work directly with the youth after extensive training and background checks. The center itself provides many resources, including a group called Genderscope for trans, gender nonconforming, and questioning youth ages 12 to 20. Every week, KYC provides free programs such as music, art, cooking, and HIV/STI testing. They also provide legal and social supports for mental, physical, and sexual health, and housing and shelter. In addition, they provide specific resources for trans and gender nonconforming youth, and survivors of abuse.

On a state level, there is legislation that should be monitored closely. Currently, Ohio lawmakers are trying to push for a law to mandate all teachers, health care workers, and counselors to “out” any clients under the age of 18 to their parents if they are transgender or if they are simply questioning. The intent of the bill is to place the “right” of making major health decisions with the parents of the child, should they want to pursue “gender dysphoria treatment”, which could mean therapy and surgery. House Bill 658, or the Parent’s Rights Bill, is being opposed by the LGBTQ+ community and allies because this would put queer minors at risk for bullying and estrangement from families who are not accepting. Even from an ethical perspective in counseling, this would blur the lines of confidentiality laws.

Reference:

MKE LGBT Community Center. (2018). Safe zone workshop [Graphic]. Retrieved from http://www.mkelgbt.org/events/safe-zone-workshop/

Strengths-Based Needs of the LGBTQ+ Community

As I cited in my previous discussion of systemic challenges, many LGBTQ+ individuals face higher rates of bullying and suicide (Ahuja, Webster, Gibson, et. Al., 2015), as well as difficult intersections between religion and sexuality (Beagan & Hattie, 2015). These individuals also face disproportionately high rates of homelessness (Ecker, Aubry, & Sylvestre, 2017), and higher levels of stigma in the healthcare system (van Trotsenburg, 2009). Because of this oppressive reality, community is crucial for people who are LGBTQ+; therefore, allowing for safe spaces of advocacy, support, and celebration can be healing. For these reasons, I chose a picture of a gathering for the Pulse Nightclub Memorial in Orlando, Florida, which is the location of one of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history. This took place at a gay club on June 12, 2016, and 49 individuals lost their lives (even more were injured). Although it should be acknowledged that there have been some claims the shooter was not motivated by homophobic hate, this event was still a culmination of the oppressive factors that exist against LGBTQ+ individuals, especially because of how divided this nation was in the aftermath of the tragedy. As someone who is queer myself, I remember that day clearly, as well as the drastically different responses from the right and left wings. A strength of this community, however, was represented well by the effort and support pulled together after this event. Social activists are more outspoken about prevention efforts and being an active citizen (voting and protests), and this strength is applicable even today, as the Trump administration is pushing for the erasure of trans* and gender-nonconforming individuals by setting a binary legal standard for sex and gender. The resilience of the LGBTQ+ Community and their refusal to be erased from society is remarkable, and I thought this image captured a lot of that emotion because there is strength in community and ally ship.

References:

OnePULSE Foundation. (2018). OnePULSE foundation memorial & museum [Photograph].

Retrieved from https://onepulsefoundation.org/onepulse-foundation-memorial/

Systemic Challenges

The numerous systemic challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community as a combined result of ignorance, prejudice, and consequential lack of resources include: increased rates of bullying and suicide (Ahuja, Webster, Gibson, et al. (2015)), conflict with religious belief systems (Beagan & Hattie, 2015), increased rates of homelessness (Ecker, Aubry, & Sylvestre, 2017), and discrimination and stigma in the medical field (Greifinger, Batchelor, & Fair, 2013). All of these sources point to a painful truth that individuals who identify as LGBTQ+ are indeed systemically and systematically oppressed, and all of these issues are areas that are in dire need of further research in order to increase visibility and awareness. The first picture of the crosses spread across a pride flag represents the disproportionately high suicide rates among LGBTQ+ teenagers, and I think that the cross (as a religious symbol) is an ironic and heavy metaphor. The next picture of the physician represents the countless struggles LGBTQ+ individuals must face if they wish to seek out medical care; physicians and other medical service workers may discriminate an individual on the basis of a diagnosis such as HIV. Furthermore, transgender individuals may avoid seeking out healthcare completely out of the fear of being harassed for their identity. The third picture represents the higher occurrence of homelessness among LGBTQ+ youth (40%) as compared to their straight counterparts (7%). These images have only further secured my knowledge that the LGBTQ+ community is still in need of prevention efforts and as well as social justice advocates.

References:

Ahuja, A., Webster, C., Gibson, N., Brewer, A., Toledo, S., & Russell, S. (2015). Bullying and suicide: The mental health crisis of LGBTQ youth and how you can help. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Mental Health, 19(2), 125–144.

Beagan, L., & Hattie, B. (2015). Religion, spirituality, and LGBTQ identity integration. Journal of LGBT Issues in Counseling, 9(2), 92–117.

Ecker, J., Aubry, T., & Sylvestre, J. (2017). A review of the literature on LGBTQ adults who experience homelessness. Journal of Homosexuality.

Greifinger, R., Batchelor, M., & Fair, C. (2013). Improving engagement and retention in adult care settings for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth living with HIV: Recommendations for health care providers. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Mental Health, 17(1), 80–95.

Sabine Medical Center. (2018). Physicians [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://sabinemedicalcenter.net/our-physicians/

The True Colors Fund. (2018). LGBTQ youth are 120% more likely to experience homelessness [Infographic]. Retrieved from https://truecolorsfund.org/our-issue/

Universal Life Church Monastery. (2017). Gay marriage linked to drop in suicide rate [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.themonastery.org/blog/2017/02/gay-marriage-linked-to-drop-in-suicide-rate/

Annotated Bibliography

This article addressed the pertinent need for suicide prevention and intervention among LGBTQ teenagers, specifically focusing on bullying-related causes. As a position paper that summarized this symposium, the researchers presented the connection between mental health issues such as suicide and anti-LGBTQ bullying. Ahuja, Webster, Gibson, Brewer, Toledo, and Russell cited current research that studied many different angles of this issue: school counseling experiences with bullying, gender differences in sexuality, types of bullying, and intersectionality of other identities with LGBTQ+ status in different states of the U.S. as well as other countries. The professionals involved at this symposium pointed to proactive strategies on federal, state, and local levels, but all of these were aimed toward increased visibility and inclusion of diverse individuals. Some examples included: state laws that enforced protection against bullying, as well as resources in the classroom for raising awareness. The important takeaways of this research are that: for LGBTQ+ people, there exists a connection between suicide and anti-LGBTQ bullying, and strategies were identified to treat such patients. This topic of LGBTQ rights and needs as a population is very relevant because the reality is that their suicide rates are disproportionately higher than their straight counterparts. For further research, I think a direction toward more protection (and not just inclusivity and awareness) would be beneficial.

Beagan, L., & Hattie, B. (2015). Religion, spirituality, and LGBTQ identity integration. Journal of LGBT Issues in Counseling, 9(2), 92–117.

This qualitative research study examined the relationships between religion and queer sexuality of 35 different LGBTQ adults. Researchers found that among the participants who were hurt by religious organizations, this psychological damage was significant and did not discriminate with age. Other common themes found were subsequent conflicts with their own religious faith as well as an alienation from their own identities. Literature cited by the authors were recent studies, and they included a diverse range of religions (Islam, Judaism, Catholicism) as well as ethnicities for the same issue (religion and queer sexuality). A few sources were also specific to transgender and gender non-conforming individuals who identified as religious. This research article examined 35 detailed interviews from very diverse religious and sexual identity backgrounds. The study aimed to better integrate these different identities, and how professional counselors can cater to this population’s unique struggles and needs. What the authors found was that although not all of the participants shared this experience, most of the 35 had been hurt by religious institutions, resulting in trauma, avoidance of religion, and a conflict with their sexualities. Because of this study’s findings, it is clear that the intersection between LGBTQ+ and religious identities are in need of further study and support. If this study could be replicated, I would be interested in interviewing a group of LGBTQ+ individuals who have chosen to remain religious in order to explore how they integrated those identities.

Ecker, J., Aubry, T., & Sylvestre, J. (2017). A review of the literature on LGBTQ adults who experience homelessness. Journal of Homosexuality.

This literature review focused on hundreds of studies researchers carried out on the widespread homelessness of LGBTQ adults. Some of the main concerns included the correlations with substance abuse and HIV among this demographic. Furthermore, the system works against individuals who identified as transgender or gender-nonconforming because of the nature of healthcare. This article also suggested interventions for future solutions. The sources this review studied were recent, and it covered both modern and longitudinal discussions of patterns of homelessness, substance abuse, and medical issues among LGBTQ+ populations. Among the sources, there was also a distinction made between age, gender, and sexuality differences. This literature review aimed to propose future research implications as well as raising support for this concern. The main conclusion is that LGBTQ+ populations are at a much higher risk for homelessness, HIV, mental health issues, and substance abuse. Something that should be noted is that much of the LGBTQ+ homeless population are youth, and this is a direct result of disownment from families, which is a preventable cause. If these studies could be replicated, I would be interested to see how the role of religion or ethnicity affects an LGBTQ+ youth’s likelihood of homelessness.

This position paper focused on strategies to enable health and social care providers in their service for LGBTQ patients (youth) who have HIV. Because of the extensive and deep-rooted stigmas against this community as well as the discriminatory attitudes held toward HIV care, many patients do not receive the necessary treatment. Researchers promoted more prevention efforts and methods to work against stigmas. Resources used in this paper were recent studies on a variety of specificities of the issue: how healthcare stigma affects different specific gender, sexuality, and ethnic groups. The paper argued that LGBTQ people who have health issues have to overcome a lot of stigma, and this puts their physical and psychological health at risk much more than their straight counterparts. Medical care providers, then, are at a unique vantage point and should implement strategies to advocate for these patients. I think an interesting perspective for further research would be more detailed statistics on just how many LGBTQ+ people avoid healthcare because of the stigma, and how that puts them at even more risk.

van Trotsenburg, M. A. A. (2009). Gynecological aspects of transgender healthcare. International Journal of Transgenderism, 11(4), 238–246.

This research study is a more specific approach to the previous source listed, and it examined how the medical world of gynecology was an increasing necessity for (ftm) transgender populations who wished to undergo sex reassignment surgery. Because of the institutional stigmas held against transgender individuals, many were discouraged from seeking healthcare in these areas. Researchers made efforts toward breaking down social barriers in order for these individuals to receive improved care. The resources cited were up to date in the medical world, and they covered issues over numerous details of the increased risk of many types of cancer for transgender patients because of this stigma. This study also covered the many risks involved for sex reassignment surgery for transgender people, and why all these factors mean that there is an urgent need for empathetic medical care professionals with whom transgender patients are able to feel reassured. I think further research on how the lack of state funding because of transphobia in this society also detrimentally affects the resources that are available to transgender populations.