3. CHILDREN’S HOME’S
VALUES AND BELIEFS
Integrity
Knowledge
Collaboration
Quality
Commitment
Diversity
As per the Children’s Home Handbook, “What we
think as an individual is our business; how we act
concerns everyone.”
5. STATISTICS
LGBTQ Youth are twice as likely as their peers to have
been physically assaulted, kicked, or shoved at school.
4 in 10 (42%) of LGBTQ youth say the community they
live in is not accepting of LGBTQ people.
100% of surveyed LGBTQ youth in New York City group
homes reported verbal harassment by peers, facility
staff, and other providers based on sexual orientation or
gender identity.
Suicide Risks
30.1% of transgender youth reported attempting suicide.
30-40% of LGB youth have reported attempting suicide.
These statistics are taken from the Human Rights
Campaign Website: http://www.hrc.org
8. ASSUMPTIONS/MYTHS
Gay people are pedophiles (attracted to children of the same
sex).
All gay people are promiscuous.
All gay people have HIV.
Lesbians are attracted to all women; gay men are attracted to
all men.
Bisexuals will have sex with anybody/everybody.
Sexual orientation can be changed by having sex with
someone of the opposite sex.
Homosexuality is contagious.
Reparative/Conversion Therapy can work to change
someone’s sexual orientation.
All trans people are gay.
Sexual orientation is a choice.
Others?
9. TRANSGENDER
Transgender is an umbrella term that describes one
whose gender identity or presentation does not
match their sex at birth.
Common terms:
Trans man: someone who was born with female parts
but presents as a male
Trans woman: someone who was born with male parts
but presents as a female
Androgynous: someone whose gender presentation is
somewhere in-between male and female
Agender/Genderqueer: someone whose gender
identity is not male or female; someone who doesn’t
identify with traditional gender norms
10.
11. QUESTIONS ABOUT TRANS PEOPLE
Does transgender mean gay?
No. Someone’s gender identity has nothing to do with their
sexuality. A trans person may fall anywhere on the sexuality
continuum.
How do I refer to a trans person?
Generally, you should refer to someone the same way
they refer to him/herself. In other words, if someone
says, “I’m a girl, and my name is Tina,” call that person
Tina and use she/her pronouns.
It’s okay to ask someone how they’d like to be referred
to, as long as you’re respectful.
Everyone messes up sometimes. If you use the wrong
name or pronoun, just apologize and try not to do it
again.
12.
13. OTHER CHALLENGES FACED BY
TRANSGENDER YOUTH
Lack of access to appropriate restroom/locker room
facilities.
Make sure there is a space (whether a traditional facility
that corresponds with a person’s gender identity or a
neutral space where a person feels protected) for trans
youth to use restrooms, change clothes, etc.
Lack of confidentiality.
Trans youth may have unsupportive families or caregivers,
and may even face violence if their identity or expression is
disclosed.
Lack of role models; lack of accurate information.
Make sure transgender youth have access to resources
that address their unique struggles.
14. HOW CAN YOU BE SUPPORTIVE?
Listen without judgment.
Use appropriate language.
Use pronouns that the client prefers.
If you’re uncomfortable talking to the client about
these things, find someone who is.
Remain positive with the client.
Remain consistent in your relationship with the
client. Don’t treat them differently after they disclose
their sexuality or gender identity to you.
Allow clients to be who they are (i.e., sexual
orientation, gender identity, style of dress).
Other ways?
15. RESOURCES
=II Folder on the agency wide shared drive has a list of
resources you can access
Trans Youth Family Allies
• http://www.imatyfa.org/resources/youth-resources/online/
Center on Halstead
http://www.centeronhalsted.org
Human Rights Campaign Website
www.hrc.org
GLSEN Website
www.glsen.org
Stop Bullying Campaign
www.stopbullying.gov
No H8 Campaign
www.noh8campaign.com
Any others?
16. =II GROUP
MEETINGS ARE EVERY 2ND WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH
AT 9AM AT KNOXVILLE NORTH LCR
Cindy Hoffman
Amanda Breeden
Melanie Heindl
Hannah Chapman
Jason Nein
Natalie Salawage
Tory Kleinhans
Beranda Breca
Charlotte Uteg
Notes de l'éditeur
Lesbian:a female who experiences attraction to other females
Gay: a male who experiences attraction to other males
Bisexual: a person who experiences attraction to more than one gender/sex
Transgender: a person whose biological sex doesn’t match their internal gender
Questioning: a person who is unsure of/exploring their sexuality and/or gender identity
Queer: a term that is sometimes used to describe people outside the traditional sexuality and/or gender divisions
NOTE: the term “queer” is offensive to some, so use caution
Drag Queen: A man (often LGBT, but not necessarily) who dresses as a woman for entertainment.
Drag King: A woman (often LGBT, but not necessarily) who dresses as a man for entertainment.
Cross-dresser: A person (often heterosexual, but not necessarily) who dresses outside their gender for personal reasons, not to entertain.
Transvestite: Not typically used anymore due to implied sexual or fetishistic connotations; the correct term is "cross-dresser."
Transsexual: Not typically used anymore due to negative associations with the word; the correct term is "transgender."
Allies: non-LGBTQ people who are supportive and accepting of LGBTQ people
You are entitled to your own beliefs and values; however, while at work you must adhere to Children’s Home’s core values and beliefs.
We are not in any way trying to change your values and beliefs no matter what they are. We are asking you to be respectful of everyone regardless of their differences.
Even if you have not worked with a client or co-worker that identifies as LGBTQ, you may in the future and you need to be competent in how to work with that client or co-worker so as not to offend them. Closing yourself off to working with the LGBTQ population can cause you lose to valuable opportunities for personal and professional growth or helping someone in need.
Share a story about a LGBTQ person that has been affected by bullying or discrimination. Ask the group if they have any stories they’d like to share with the group. The story doesn’t have to be about you, it can be about someone you know or a client you have worked with.
People’s attraction to others can change as they get older.
Heteroflexibility is a form of a sexual orientation or situational sexual behavior characterized by minimal homosexual activity despite a primarily heterosexual sexual orientation that is considered to distinguish it from bisexuality. From Wikipedia
HIV-Gay, bisexual and other men having sex with men (MSM) are most severely affected by HIV/AIDS. This is caused from men having unprotected sex with other men.
Reparative/Conversion Therapy- “Sexual orientation conversion therapy refers to counseling and psychotherapy to attempt to eliminate individuals’ sexual desires for members of their own sex. Ex-gay ministry refers to the religious groups that use religion to attempt to eliminate those desires. Typically, sexual orientation conversion therapy is promoted by providers who have close ties to religious institutions and organizations. Some religion-based organizations such as Focus on the Family have invested significant resources in the promotion of sexual orientation conversion therapy and ex-gay ministries to educators and young people in conferences, in advertising, and in the media.” http://www.apa.org
Terms like transvestite, tranny, he-she, she-male, etc. are insulting and hurtful. They are considered slurs and are not acceptable to use at any time.
For you, gender might be simple. For some people, it’s not. Though it can feel overwhelming to learn about these things, try to imagine how it feels for someone who is struggling to understand their own identity.
Here is a simplified version of basic gender principles to help you remember the differences.
Sex=body parts. Identity=how you feel inside. Attraction=who you love. Expression=how you show these things.
Intentionally misgendering someone (ex. calling a trans woman a man, or using the wrong name on purpose) is abuse. Everyone makes mistakes, but repeatedly refusing to use someone’s preferred pronouns or name is harmful to that person.
Never ask someone about their genital/sex assignment surgery status, especially a child. That’s personal information and should have nothing to do with the way you interact with them.
Can you pick out the trans person or people in this collage?
All of them are famous trans people.
Pictures (Left to Right):
Top Row- Chaz Bono, son of Cher and Sonny Bono; Lea T, Brazilian supermodel; Balian Buschbaum, former Olympic pole vaulter from Germany; Jenna Talackova, Canadian contestant in the Miss Universe pagaent
Bottom Row- Kim Coco Iwamoto, Hawaiian politician; Laverne Cox, actress; Janet Mock, former editor of People.com; Katastrophe (stage name of rapper Rocco Kayitos), hip hop artist and producer
Will I know if someone is trans?
Not always. Some people will disclose their gender identity to you, but some won’t. It’s important to remember that only the individual in question has the right to disclose their identity; you don’t.
Have transgender people always existed?
Yes! Trans people have been documented in most Western and non-Western cultures from ancient times to the present.
Don’t necessarily segregate a trans youth from bathrooms or locker rooms. Talk to them to find out if they’re comfortable using the shared facility, and provide an alternative space if they’re not.
