Answers to Things You Were Afraid to Ask When Serving LGBT Communities

If you’re a social worker working with LGBT communities, you may have questions that you don’t want to bring up whether you don’t want to seem ignorant or whether you don’t want to offend your clients. But it’s important to find answers so that you can have a better understanding of how to help. Here are some questions and answers that will give you a good foundation:

What does gender identity mean?

Gender identity is an individual’s general sense of being male or female, transgender or bigender.

Where Did the Acronym LGBT Come From?

LGBT stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and stands for a collective reference to anyone who fits into that community. It’s a term that’s been in use since the 1990s, though a shortened version, LGB, was in use in the 80s. Most community centers that are focused on sexual identity use the term LGBT today. The term was developed as a non-derogatory term for those who are not heterosexual. The closest term to LGBT was “third gender,” which never fully gained acceptance in the United States.

Is Everyone on Board with the Term, LGBT?

The answer to this question is a resounding no. In fact, much has been made in recent years of the misguided attempt to lump all non-heterosexuals into one category. For example, some argue that the definitions, challenges and needs of transgender and transsexual individuals are very different from those of lesbian, gay and bisexual people. And even beyond that, lesbians, gays and bisexuals felt they have distinctive needs and issues as well. As a social worker, it is crucial to avoid lumping each of these parties into one category which requires all of the same issues addressed.

How are Youth Relating to LGBT Today?

We are actually in a relatively new era of openly gay and transgender lifestyles and partnerships. More and more children are being raised by gay parents. More and more children go to the internet to find answers to questions they have about their situations. This is both a blessing and a curse. It’s important for social workers to understand how a child understands his or her family situation and to aid in filtering negative feedback they get from online venues as well as their own peers.

Does the LGBT Community Face Added Health Risks?

Men who have sex with men are at an increased risk of contracting HIV as well as other sexually transmitted diseases such as gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis. The need for partner testing is crucial, though no more crucial than for heterosexual partners. It’s important to help inform your gay clients without making them feel they are a special category of at-risk adults.

Lesbians haven’t had the challenging history with HIV that gay men have, but in some ways, their confidence in being impervious to sexual disease could be hurting them. Women can get an STD from giving or receiving oral sex. Likewise, many doctors warn against the possibility of gay and lesbian communities to be more susceptible to depression and anxiety. As a social worker in this community, you can help them deal with social alienation, discrimination, rejection, and even abuse and violence.

A social worker’s role in helping underserved and socially alienated groups is a role that has been around for many years. The LGBT community will benefit if those who are helping them understand their specific needs and challenges.

Part-time blogger Robert Neff is a social worker who specializes in sexual alternative lifestyles. If you’re considering a career in social work check out the degrees offered at Case Western University.

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