Advocacy
Image source: https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/08/supreme-court-clashes-over-meaning-of-sex-in-lgbt-discrimination-cases.html
Through interviews with members of the transgender community, I learned about the high levels of discrimination experienced by transgender individuals in employment, housing, and public accommodations. I also learned how Ohio does not have a non-discrimination law to protect LGBTQ individuals from these instances of discrimination. Both the interviews and research exemplify why this lack of legal protection is unacceptable. Transgender individuals endure higher levels of discrimination in employment and housing contexts (Kattari, Whitfield, Walls, Langenderfer-Magruder, & Ramos, 2016). In a national study of transgender people’s experiences, about one-third reported enduring housing discrimination: 11% of respondents indicated experiencing eviction, and 19% of respondents reported being denied housing because of their gender identity. The national study also found high levels of employment discrimination experienced by transgender individuals. For instance, 44% of surveyed individuals indicated experiencing underemployment. Additionally, 47% of surveyed individuals indicated experiencing events such as not being hired, being fired, or not receiving a promotion (Kattari et al., 2016).
Given the discrimination experienced and the lack of legal protection, an important area of advocacy includes public policy. Public policy involves interventions aimed to alter laws and policies. In this situation, I need to engage in social advocacy and action to introduce new laws and policies that can address this lack of protection of a marginalized group (Ratts, Singh, Nassar-McMillan, Butler, & McCullough, 2015). Therefore, I am going to advocate for the Ohio Fairness Act which would alter Ohio’s non-discrimination law to include sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes. This would prohibit discrimination against transgender individuals in employment, housing, and public accommodations (ACLU Ohio, n.d.). I plan to advocate for this legislation by contacting Ohio senators and representatives. I will call and write emails to these congresspeople emphasizing why they should support the Ohio Fairness Act. Additionally, I will do this consistently to help highlight that this is an incredibly important issue. The image above illustrates the importance and power of advocacy through public policy. I think the crowd of people in front of the giant government building exemplifies how we need to unite to promote change. When people join together to support a cause, it makes all of their voices louder which increases the likelihood for change. Allies can help the LGBTQ community by joining with them and advocating for the Ohio Fairness Act.
References
ACLU Ohio. (n.d.). The ACLU of Ohio legislative priorities for the 133rd Ohio General Assembly (2019-2020). Retrieved from https://www.acluohio.org/oga-2019-2020
Kattari, S. K., Whitfield, D. L., Walls, N. E., Langenderfer-Magruder, L., & Ramos, D. (2016). Policing gender through housing and employment discrimination: Comparison of discrimination experiences of transgender and cisgender LGBQ individuals. Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research, 7(3), 427-447.
Ratts, M. J., Singh, A. A., Nassar-McMillan, S., Butler, S. K., & McCullough, J. R. (2015). Multicultural and social justice counseling competencies: Guidelines for the counseling profession. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 44(1), 28-48.
Servant Leadership
Image source: https://lgbtqia.gatech.edu/content/resources
Servant leadership is about committing to assisting others through empowerment. It is not about just doing acts of service, but instead is about giving your time and energy to causes that groups emphasize as important to them. Rather than acting on behalf of people, servant leadership involves taking action with people; this approach focuses on the group defining what they need and how an ally can help. This kind of action promotes positive change throughout the system, as it expands beyond oneself (C. Dollarhide, personal communication, October 21, 2019). The Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies Part IV highlights the many different forms of servant leadership: intrapersonal, interpersonal, institutional, community, public policy, and international and global affairs (Ratts, Singh, Nassar-McMillan, Butler, & McCullough, 2015). As described in the systemic challenges and strength-based needs sections below, individuals from the transgender community deal with pervasive discrimination and oppression throughout their daily lives. I am going to dedicate my time and ability to be a servant leader for the transgender community. I currently have plans to engage in servant leadership in a community context and an intrapersonal context (Ratts et al., 2015).
During interviews, several transgender individuals talked to me about the lack of visibility of the transgender community. These individuals talked about how textbooks and media need to better highlight the history of transgender people. Additionally, during other interviews, members of the transgender community talked to me about the importance of listening to transgender people’s experiences and needs. The transgender community plays an important role in fostering resilience against the discrimination and oppression that transgender individuals experience. Therefore, an area of community servant leadership involves supporting the transgender community’s voices. Being a servant leader in the community context means addressing norms, values, and regulations established by society (Ratts et al., 2015). Therefore, I will challenge these established elements by supporting the transgender community’s voices through helping increase accurate representation in television and the media. Representation needs to describe transgender people’s history as well as highlight both the transgender community’s strengths as well as the discrimination they continue to face on a daily basis. Research has shown the media’s ability to positively influence society’s attitudes toward the transgender community and policies (Gillig, Rosenthal, Murphy, & Folb, 2018). Proper media and television representation have the potential to educate, change attitudes, address discrimination, and influence policy-related behaviors (Gillig et al., 2018). As a servant to the transgender community, I am going to work to increase representation of transgender individuals in the media. One way I can do this is by volunteering for GLAAD’s Transgender Media Program. GLAAD aims to shape the media narrative in entertainment, news, and digital media to foster acceptance (GLAAD, 2019). GLAAD’s Transgender Media Program focuses on increasing accurate representation of the transgender community. By volunteering for GLAAD, I can do my part to increase representation, which has the power to shape people’s attitudes and behaviors.
I also want to act as a servant to the transgender community by addressing intrapersonal factors such as my own knowledge and skills (Ratts et al., 2015). For me, this means working to become a counselor that is culturally competent to work with transgender individuals. From interviews with members of the transgender community, I learned about the pain often experienced from meeting with a culturally-incompetent professional. Additionally, Austin and Goodman (2018) studied transgender individuals’ experiences and perceptions of the therapeutic services they received. Of the 65 respondents, 26% indicated they struggled to find a mental health practitioner with knowledge of the transgender community, and 19% indicated they struggled to find a trans-supportive mental health practitioner. Austin and Goodman discussed how mental health practitioners need to advocate for the trans-specific needs of their clients. Additionally, the researchers emphasized how practitioners need to increase their knowledge of transgender people’s experiences, transition-related service needs, and how to provide transgender-competent mental health care (Austin & Goodman, 2018). Transgender people experience discrimination and oppression throughout their daily lives; this should not be perpetuated within the therapeutic relationship. By not practicing in a transgender affirmative and competent manner, practitioners are causing more pain and trauma. I plan to educate myself to become a more competent counselor in order to truly help my future transgender clients. I want to be knowledgeable so that future clients do not need to experience the burden and pain of educating me. To increase my knowledge, I am going to attend counseling workshops that focus on culturally-competent practices with transgender individuals. I also am going to dedicate time to reading literature about transgender people’s experiences. I want to make sure I am listening to the transgender community’s voices to make sure I am learning how to best meet their needs.
The image above is meant to demonstrate what it means to be an ally and a servant leader. I think, too often, allies forget what that title means. It is easy to say you are an ally; it is harder to actually be one. Being an ally means taking action and working to make change. Declaring oneself an advocate does not, in it-self, do much for the community. Instead, allies need to figure out ways they can act out their commitment as allies. I am making my title of ally a verb by taking action to help the transgender community through volunteering and educating myself.
References
Austin, A., & Goodman, R. (2018). Perceptions of transition-related health and mental health services among transgender adults. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services, 30(1), 17-32.
Gillig, T. K., Rosenthal, E. L., Murphy, S. T., & Folb, K. L. (2018). More than a media moment: The influence of televised storylines on viewer’s attitudes toward transgender people and policies. Sex Roles, 78, 515-527.
GLAAD. (2019). GLAAD Transgender Media Program. Retrieved from https://www.glaad.org/
Ratts, M. J., Singh, A. A., Nassar-McMillan, S., Butler, S. K., & McCullough, J. R. (2015). Multicultural and social justice counseling competencies: Guidelines for the counseling profession. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 44(1), 28-48.
Strengths-Based Needs
Image source: https://lasvegasweekly.com/intersection/2017/mar/30/transgender-community-highlighted-day-of-visibilit/
Bockting, Miner, Swinburne Romine, Hamilton, and Coleman (2013) reviewed literature regarding transgender individuals’ experiences with discrimination. Within a Minnesota sample, 66% of individuals experienced discrimination because of their gender identity or presentation. In line with previous research, Bockting et al. (2013) found that transgender individuals reported higher rates of anxiety, depression, somatization, and overall psychological distress. These increased rates were associated with the stigma that transgender individuals endure. However, the researchers found several protective factors that were negatively associated with psychological distress. These included family support, peer support, and identity pride. Peer support was specifically important, moderating the relationship of enacted stigma and psychological distress. These results emphasized the importance of community and connection with similar peers as factors of resilience. I interviewed several transgender individuals who also emphasized the importance of community and interacting with people who understand their experiences.
Community plays a key role in fostering resilience in the face of discrimination. Therefore, society and allies should be working to support the transgender community to help further strengthen this area of resilience. Part of this support includes listening to transgender people about their experiences, needs, and areas of strength. When I interviewed members of the community, some advice they had for advocates and allies was to just shut up and listen. If you are not part of the transgender community, you will never understand their experiences and all the hardships they face. Therefore, advocating and supporting the transgender community means giving them the voice they deserve. The transgender community exhibits strength in the face of so much discrimination. To best support the community, allies should make sure they are listening to the context of transgender people’s needs and how to best advocate for them. It is important to recognize that the needs of transgender individuals may differ based on the given context such as employment, housing, and higher-education. The picture above is meant to depict the strength, support, and pride demonstrated by the transgender community. The picture also emphasizes the importance of paying attention to transgender people’s voices and standing alongside and advocating for what they need.
Reference
Bockting, W. O., Miner, M. H., Swinburne Romine, R. E., Hamilton, A., & Coleman, E. (2013). Stigma, mental health, and resilience in an online sample of the US transgender population. American Journal of Public Health, 103(5), 943-951.
Systemic Challenges
Members of the transgender community face systemic and systematic oppression throughout their daily lives in many different forms. Kattari, Whitfield, Walls, Langenderfer-Magruder, and Ramos (2016) discussed the high prevalence of employment and housing discrimination experienced by transgender individuals. Housing discrimination can include denial of housing as well as eviction and the threat of homelessness. This discrimination occurs in multiple contexts: rental and homeownership markets, higher education housing, and homeless shelters. Kattari et al. described how transgender individuals report experiencing many forms of discrimination in employment. This can include, but is not limited to, underemployment, not being hired, being fired, being passed over for a promotion, feeling the need to hide gender or transition, or postponing transition to avoid discrimination in the workplace. Unfortunately, transgender individuals experience oppression in other parts of their lives as well. Chang and Chung (2015) outlined many sources of the oppression that the transgender community experiences. These experiences range from overt hostility, such as violence and hate crimes, to more subtle forms of prejudice expressed through microinsults and microinvalidations. Discrimination is a pervasive part of transgender individuals’ daily lives. It manifests in situations such as medical and mental health care, in school, in public bathrooms, and in government-identification forms.
I chose to represent these systemic challenges by creating this version of the raised fist. The fist is filled in with the colors of one of the Transgender Pride Flags. Inside the fist are words that represent the systemic challenges and oppression that transgender individuals face: stigma, poverty, employment, transphobia, violence, and more. Since the transgender community experiences countless forms of discrimination, I did not think I could choose just one to emphasize. Additionally, I thought this depiction helped represent the heterogeneity of experience; no transgender individual’s experience is the same. This speaks to the point that, as counselors, it is incredibly important that we do not assume someone’s experience because of their identity. Therefore, I created this graphic to demonstrate all that transgender people must deal with in their daily lives. Notice that some words are large and easy to read but some are small and more obscured. I think this help represents that some of the oppression is overt but there are also many covert yet incredibly harmful forms of oppression the community faces. Furthermore, the raised fist stands for the resilience exhibited by transgender individuals. People need to recognize all of the strengths and resilience that are demonstrated by transgender people on a daily basis. Counselors also must consider all this information when working with a transgender individual. The counselor needs to be knowledgeable about the oppression experienced by the transgender community, but they also need to ensure that they are listening to the story of the individual in front of them and not assuming anything about that person’s experience. Additionally, counselors need to emphasize the strengths and resilience demonstrated by the individual.
References
Chang, T. K., & Chung, Y. B. (2015). Transgender microaggressions: Complexity of the heterogeneity of transgender identities. Journal of LGBT Issues in Counseling, 9(3), 217-234.
Kattari, S. K., Whitfield, D. L., Walls, N. E., Langenderfer-Magruder, L., & Ramos, D. (2016).Policing gender through housing and employment discrimination: Comparison of discrimination experiences of transgender and cisgender LGBQ individuals. Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research, 7(3), 427-447.
Annotated Bibliography
Note to reader: The terminology used in the summaries below are based on the articles’ wording. Therefore, they may not reflect the current proper terminology.
Austin, A., & Craig, C. L. (2015). Transgender affirmative cognitive behavioral therapy: Clinical considerations and applications. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 46 (1), 21-29.
Austin and Craig (2015) used this position paper to argue for the implementation of a trans-affirmative cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) approach to counseling in order to address the unique needs of the transgender community. First, the article addressed literature that discussed the current lack of appropriate counseling interventions for members of the transgender community. This included issues such as the pathologization of transgender individuals, and the placement of counselors into persistent oppressive roles of power. Next, Austin and Craig cited literature that encouraged the use of trans-affirmative practices to help alter transgender client’s negative experiences with counseling. They described the prevalence of transphobic discrimination, the importance of the Minority Stress Model, and the mental health disparities experienced by transgender people. The article used literature to show the strengths of the transgender community, including their remarkable resilience. Finally, Austin and Craig used previous literature to demonstrate how an adapted version of CBT could help members of the transgender community. They specifically highlighted the importance of psychoeducation, challenging of negative self-beliefs, reducing hopelessness, and encouraging social connectedness. Therefore, Austin and Craig concluded that CBT, adapted for the transgender community, offered a promising trans-affirmative model of counseling. However, the researchers emphasized that future clinical trials needed to occur in order to confirm the effectiveness of the proposed counseling method. I believe this article is important given the current ineffectiveness and harmful counseling with transgender clients. Overall, the researchers used a large variety of recent literature. Although I view this article as an important step in developing an effective counseling method, I want to see supporting data. The researchers’ recognition of the importance of vigorous research reassured me that the article was written with good intentions.
Mizock, L., & Lundquist, C. (2016). Missteps in psychotherapy with transgender clients: Promoting gender sensitivity in counseling and psychological practice. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 3 (2), 148-155.
This study aimed to discern psychotherapists’ missteps in counseling transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) clients. The first section of the article included literature on transgender individuals’ negative experiences with medical and mental health care. This literature incorporated many recent articles. The study included 45 participants (21 identified as (both or either) trans women or male-to-female, 17 identified as (both or either) trans men or female-to-male, seven identified as genderqueer or gender fluid). Researchers gathered data using semi-structured interviews (example of questions: “Do you have any recommendations for mental health services and research related to the topics we’ve addressed today?” and “Have you faced any experiences of prejudice, discrimination, and stereotypes related to being transgender?” p. 149). The researchers discovered eight specific missteps of psychotherapists: education burdening, gender inflation, gender narrowing, gender avoidance, gender generalizing, gender repairing, gender pathologizing, and gate-keeping. They concluded by emphasizing therapists’ need for proper training to work with transgender individuals. The researchers specifically referred to The Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Transgender and Gender Non-conforming People (APA, 2015). They addressed the importance of advocacy and therapists’ self-awareness. I think this study is relevant to improving counseling for individuals of the transgender community. By addressing current missteps, therapists can improve transgender clients’ experiences with mental health treatment, thus increasing the chance they will continue to pursue treatment in the future when in need of help. The researchers seemed responsible and well-intentioned; during the study they examined their possible implicit biases and assumptions. They also used a grounded theory approach and implemented a multitude of factors to increase the trustworthiness of the study.
Klein, A., & Golub, S. A. (2016). Family rejection as a predictor of suicide attempts and substance misuse among transgender and gender nonconforming adults. LGBT Health, 3 (3), 193-199.
This analysis intended to examine the relation between family rejection and the prevalence of transgender individuals’ suicide attempts and substance misuse. The introduction of the article included literature on stigma experienced by transgender people and discussed the lack of research on family-based stigma. The cited literature seemed up to date, and the researchers emphasized the lack of applicable literature. The sample included 5612 respondents to the National Transgender Discrimination Survey. The survey initially included 6456 respondents, but this analysis excluded 844 respondents (737 because “their current primary gender identity was the same as their natal sex” and 107 because of missing data, pg. 194). “‘Transgender’ was defined to include individuals who have transitioned or are transitioning from one gender to another, whether medically, socially, and/or legally, as well as individuals who cross-dress, identify as genderqueer or androgynous, or whose gender nonconformity is part of their identity” (pg. 194). The survey included measures on lifetime history of suicide attempts, substance abuse, and family rejection (example of items: “my relationship with spouse or partner ended” and “my parents or family chose not to speak with me or spend time with me,” pg. 194). Results showed that 42.3% of respondents indicated they had attempted suicide and 26.3% indicated they misused alcohol or drugs to cope with transgender discrimination. The researchers found a relation between degree of family rejection and prevalence of suicide attempts: low or no family rejection (33% attempted suicide), moderate rejection (50%), and high rejection (61%). They concluded that higher levels of family rejection were related to higher prevalence of suicide attempts and substance misuse. The researchers stressed the importance of future research focused on these risks and the possible positive impact of increasing family acceptance. I think this is a very important analysis because it highlighted major problems affecting the transgender community and the factors that can influence them. The researchers used a large sample and found essential information on suicide attempts and drug misuse. I am wary of several aspects of the article. For instance, the researchers included a mistake in their abstract about the number of respondents they included in their analysis. Additionally, the respondents comprised of a mostly white, educated, and employed population. I think this article functions as a powerful call for future research despite these limitations.
Amodeo, A. L., Picariello, S., Valerio, P., & Scandurra, C. S. (2018). Empowering transgender youths: Promoting resilience through a group training program. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Mental Health, 22 (1), 3-19.
This study examined the influence of an empowerment group training program on resilience in transgender individuals. The introduction of the article contained recent literature on the high levels of oppression and negative socio-political conditions experienced by transgender people. Amodeo et al. (2018) also included literature related to how people use resilience to reduce the effects of stress. The authors used recently published literature. Participants included eight Italian participants (Seven identified as “male-to-female transgender people” and one identified as “genderqueer person” pg. 8). Researchers used a three-day training program. The first day focused on identity and heterosexism, the second focused on socio-political issues and minority stress, and the third focused on resilience and empowerment. Researchers collected data on the first day, third day, and at a three-month follow up. The measures included two semi-structured focus groups (an example of a pre-structured question: “Think back to ABC of the program and how this has prompted you to think/feel/see differently,” pg. 9) and a 14-item resilience scale (one statement included “I usually manage one way or another,” responses ranged from “strongly disagree” to “strongly agree,” pg. 9). The results identified three common themes: identity affirmation, self-recognition and acceptance, and group as support. The researchers found a significant difference in resilience between the first day of training and the three-month follow-up. In their discussion, the researchers emphasized that transgender people develop resilience in the interface between individual and social dimensions. They also discussed the importance of group support, and how clinical activity should work to incorporate group training experiences. Group support allows for mirroring (“implies a reflection in and through people who are similar to us and share with us the same identity categories,” pg. 14), providing members with the chance to share their distress and discover common coping methods. Overall, this study calls for greater national and international allocation of funds to address sexual and gender minorities’ well-being. I think this study is important in emphasizing the effectiveness in increasing empowerment through resilience focused-practices. Some limitations included the limited number of meetings, lack of control group, and lack of diversity in the participants. However, this study functions as a call for more research by offering promising initial findings. Future research should focus on a greater number of people and should include more diversity. Furthermore, research should address how such resilience programs can aid in combating the mental health issues that many transgender individuals deal with. I view this as a relevant initial study.
Stanton, M.C., Ali, S., & Chaudhuri, S. (2017). Individual, social, and community-level predictors of wellbeing in a US sample of transgender and gender non-conforming individuals. Cultural Health & Sexuality, 19 (1), 32-49.
The study focused on increasing understanding of transgender people’s strength and resilience by examining predictors of their wellbeing. The literature in the first section acknowledged the discrimination and harassment that transgender people face and discussed the many negative consequences that result from these experiences. The article then addressed how most current literature focused on the deficits and risks rather than the important elements of strength and resilience. The researchers used an extensive amount of literature that seemed mostly up-to-date. For their study, they defined transgender and gender non-conforming as “including individuals whose gender identity or expression [differed] from their sex designated at birth” (pg. 33). Their sample included 402 respondents from the US Social Justice Sexuality Survey. The researchers used all respondents that did not identify as cisgender in order to obtain the broadest range of individuals. The researchers measured wellbeing using responses to four statements (example of statement: how often in the past week they had felt just as good as other people, responses ranged from “never” to “most of the time” pg. 37). They then examined the influence of the following factors: good health, gender-affirming healthcare, family support, community connectedness, and community participation. The results showed that community connectedness, health, family support, and healthcare significantly predicted well-being. Additionally, 63% of the respondents reported high levels of well-being. The researchers noted that this large percentage emphasized the resilience of transgender and gender non-conforming people, considering the high levels of discrimination and harassment they experience. This study highlighted important areas that influence well-being. Future research needs to focus further on these elements rather than solely considering deficits. The researchers discussed a possible limitation of the study; the results may not reflect variations in experience since the study incorporated anyone who identified as non-cisgender. Additionally, the researchers used a broad measure of well-being and suggested that future studies should use a more sophisticated analysis of wellbeing. This study seems important and relevant to me because it addresses strengths of the transgender community which counselors could build upon. The researchers focused on a current dearth in the literature by examining strengths and resilience rather than deficits. Their sample of respondents were also diverse. Additional research should focus on interventions that could improve well-being.