Defined as:
Defined as:
Step 1.
Recognizing, and personal examination of, ones
Heteronormative Assumptions, defined as
“Automatic unconscious beliefs and expectations
that reinforce heterosexuality and heterosexual
relationships as the ideal norm” (p. 15)
Reflection questions to gauge one’s
heteronormative assumptions
1. What did my family of origin teach me about sexual
orientation? Same-sex orientation?
2. What are my beliefs about how a person becomes gay,
lesbian, bisexual, transgender?
3. What are my beliefs about why I did not become gay,
lesbian, bisexual, transgender?
4. What would be my initial thoughts or feelings upon
learning that an LGB person will be working as a teacher
working closely with children?
5. When I meet someone, how often do I assume that
he/she is heterosexual? What values and beliefs inform
this assumption?
How does one become a Gay
Affirmative Counselor/Therapist?
McGeorge & Carlson (2011)
Step 2.
Exploring Heterosexual Privileges (e.g.
acknowledging the existence of heterosexual
privilege and the ways in which [counselors]
benefit from living in a heterosexist society).
Reflection questions to explore
heterosexual privileges
1. How has your involvement in heterosexual relationships
been encouraged, rewarded, acknowledged and
supported by family and friends?
2. Have you ever had to defend your heterosexuality in
order to gain acceptance among your peers or
colleagues?
3. Have you thought you might loose your job because of
your heterosexuality?
4. Have you ever feared that you would be physically
harmed based solely on your heterosexuality?
5. Do you worry that you will be denied visitation with
your husband/wife, in the hospital, if either of you get
sick?
How does one become a Gay
Affirmative Counselor/Therapist?
McGeorge & Carlson (2011)
Step 3.
Exploring One’s Heterosexual Identity, i.e.,
becoming aware of the dominant socially
sanctioned identities (e.g., White, male,
heterosexual).
Reflection questions to explore
heterosexual identity
1. What societal beliefs or norms influenced the
development of a heterosexual identity?
2. Do you understand your own heterosexual sexual
orientation as a stable factor in your identity or do you
perceive your sexual orientation as fluid and changeable,
why?
3. How does your identification as a heterosexual influence
how you make sense of how a person comes to identify
as an LGB individual?
4. How does your identity as a heterosexual influence the
way you do [counseling] with all your clients, regardless
of their sexual orientation?
Awareness, Knowledge, and Skills
Granello (2004);
• Don’t work with LGBT clients unless you are gay-affirming
• Keep the client’s context at the forefront
• Confront your internalized homophobia as a prerequisite to
becoming gay-affirming
• Send messages to clients that they are accepting of them as LGBT
persons (do you have anything in your office that says you are
“safe”?).
• Be able to assess client issues related to his/her sexuality, issues
that may be exacerbated by it, and issues that are not affected by it.
• Be aware of local, regional, and national resources available for
clients
• Object to, and work toward, eliminating negative stereotyping of
LGBT persons.
Oppression
Who:
• Determine to whom the client is planning on
coming out.
• Explore the ramifications, potential outcomes,
and pitfalls.
Where:
• Help your client decide where he or she will
disclose, whether it’s in a letter, over the phone,
or, preferably, in a quiet, private place.
Coming Out
Why:
• Before disclosing, encourage client to explore
why he/she is disclosing at this particular time.
• Prepare your client for potential questions
he/she may get asked.
When:
• Encourage your client not to disclose during an
event or holiday. It is an important occasion, let it
have the full attention it deserves.
LGBT Youth
Others’ reactions
• Rejection/Disappointment
• Isolation
• Stigmatization
• Bullying, violence, and threats of violence
At-Risk Issues for LGBT Youth
• Family conflict
• Lack of recognition, acknowledgment, or
support
• Feeling cheated and misunderstood
• Guilt, shame, anxiety, self-blame and hate, and
suicide
The Parent’s Perspective
• Acceptance
• Acknowledgment, respect, and love
• Professional support
• Expression of their gender
• Safety and protection
• “Normal” treatment by others
• Contact with peers
• School support
• Puberty-delaying hormones
Simple Affirmative Techniques
• Be Sensitive to Diversity
• Often times when we talk about the “gay community”
the inference is the “white” gay community yet within
the Chicagoland area there are 3 major gay
communities: the European-American, African-
American, and Hispanic-American gay communities.
• Ask your client to tell you how they, their family, and
their culture, view homosexuality and don’t assume you
already know.
The More You Know…
• Community Resources
• HIV/AIDS
• Gay and Gray
• Substance Abuse
• Family Issues
• Abuse
• Domestic Violence
• Reparative/Conversion Therapy