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 Centre for Addictionand Mental Health |
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ARQ2: Question B3 - Openness about sexual orientation/gender identity
How open are you about your sexual orientation/gender identity? At work? At school? At home? With new acquaintances?
Relevance/intentThis item helps determine a client’s public identification as LGBTTTIQ and will also help determine the client’s level of internalized oppression (i.e., internalized homophobia, internalized biphobia, internalized transphobia). When people grow up in a culture with widespread heterosexism and rigid attitudes about gender, it is hard to avoid internalizing these attitudes to some extent. One of the most important treatment/counselling issues for LGBTTTIQ clients is to resolve internalized oppression and shame related to sexual orientation or gender identity. Other dimensions of internalized oppression include:
Therapists/counsellors should be careful to distinguish between internalized oppression and a legitimate fear of societal oppression (e.g., fearing being fired from a job or having one’s immigration status compromised due to societal homophobia). Therapists/counsellors must be careful to avoid colluding with clients’ internalized oppression. Wherever possible, therapists/counsellors should help clients gain awareness by gently challenging expression of internalized oppression. For example, a client may say, “Lesbian relationships don’t last. Lesbians are so messed up.” A therapist/counsellor can challenge this by asking, “Is that true for all lesbians?” and by pointing out exceptions, “I know of many lesbians who are in positive relationships.” Therapists/counsellors may have a role to play in encouraging clients to challenge societal oppression by becoming involved in individual or group activism. Becoming involved in community groups and actively confronting homo/bi/transphobia can be helpful for some clients. Additional probesDo you want others to be aware of your sexual orientation/gender identity? Are you worried about others finding out about your sexual orientation/gender identity? How do you feel about being an out ________? Are others aware that you have a same-sex/trans partner? Do others know about your gender transition? Client perceptions“Coming to terms with my sexuality was an issue and it caused me to drink. As soon as I started drinking in high school, it was problem drinking from the very first time. And I think it was all because I was pretty miserable as a teenager with my secret.” “I’m still trying to deal with my own inner homophobia. If I were in a relationship, still, at this point in my life, I would not be comfortable to walk down the street holding hands with another guy. I would actually push somebody away from me for doing that. And that’s just the way I feel inside.” “I work in a business where everybody is married, with children and a dog and a white picket fence. And a lot of times they ask me why I’m not married, and I struggle with that. I always say, ‘Because I haven’t found the right person,’ but, meanwhile, I’ll be in a relationship with a woman.” Therapist/counsellor perceptions“In some settings, it can be dangerous, not only emotionally and intellectually, but also physically, for someone to have their queer identity in the open.” “Some trans clients choose not to be out. The term they use now is ‘stealth.’ They choose not to be out or they are only out at certain places. And that can cause tremendous anxiety and stress because you’re always looking over your shoulder. ‘Who knows? Who is going to find out? Who is going to tell? Am I going to lose my job?’ All of that extra hyper-vigilance.”
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Last updated: Mar 14, 2007 9:51 AM Published: Sep 05, 2008 7:54 PM ID#P19836 |