What do you get when you mix the taboo nature of discussing sexual intimacy with the social stigma surrounding intellectual and developmental disabilities? The answer: a heck of a lot more problems than you might think. Sexual education in the school setting is already a hot-button issue for non-disabled students. But when students with intellectual […]

View Full Article - Sexual Education & Disability: Why it Should Matter to Social Workers

In 2020, the population of homeless people grew for the fourth year in a row, and a single night count in January of that year revealed 580,000 people were experiencing homelessness. But while the homelessness crisis is widely acknowledged, a problem that is less recognized is how (and why) LGBTQ+ youth are disproportionately represented among […]

View Full Article - The Causes, Risks, and Solutions for LGBTQ+ Youth Homelessness

Sex and gender identities are becoming increasingly complex in America, creating new challenges for public administrative agencies. So far, the vast majority of U.S. federal agencies lack comprehensive transgender employee policies – which are currently in place for only nine of approximately 235 federal agencies (including sub-agencies). Yet as the workforce evolves, federal employment policy […]

View Full Article - Why U.S. Government Agencies Need Comprehensive Policies For Employees With Various Gender Identities

Individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT+) or other gender and sexual minorities can have significant mental health issues – not just as a result of their sexuality or gender identity but also because of discrimination and isolation. These individuals may find themselves seeking case management, counselling, or other social work support services […]

View Full Article - Applying the Cass Identity Model to Social Work

People who value following purity rules over caring for others are more likely to view gay and transgender people as less human, which leads to more prejudice and support for discriminatory public policies, according to a new study published by the American Psychological Association. “After the Supreme Court decision affirming marriage equality and the debate […]

View Full Article - Certain Moral Values May Lead to More Prejudice, Discrimination

A while ago I posted a meme which said, “Better to have lost in love than to live with a psycho for the rest of your life.” I liked it, of course, otherwise, I wouldn’t have posted it. Eleven others did too, some commenting on Facebook, “Amen to that,” and “Definitely!!” Then this: “Hate it. […]

View Full Article - The Power of Language and Labels

It is widely accepted the earliest months and years of a child’s existence have the most profound impact on the rest of the lives. Attachment theorists believe the early bonds and relationships a child forms with his/her carer(s) or parent(s), informs that child’s ability or inability to form successful and healthy relationships in the future. […]

View Full Article - Right from the Start: Investing in Parents and Babies – Alan Sinclair

Even though the overall number of people with HIV and AIDS has fallen, it is still a disease which predominately affects gay males. An estimated 67% of new HIV cases are transmitted via male-to-male sexual contact, with heterosexual contact accounting for 24%, and 6% due to drug use. Young people are also more likely to […]

View Full Article - National AIDS Awareness Month

When I was a kid, there were girls and boys, men and women. My sister was a bit of a tomboy which was hardly surprising perhaps given she had two older brothers. Truth be known, I was a bit of a sissy – not as acceptable as my sister’s gender-non-stereotypical behavior. However, apart from ‘big boys don’t cry’, […]

View Full Article - Let’s Have Some New Gender Stories–Please

A high school English teacher in New Mexico told me about one of his students who had difficulty focusing in class. When the teacher showed concern, the student confided in him that her parents had kicked her sister out of the house after they found out she was dating a girl. The teacher tried his […]

View Full Article - What Schools Can Do To Reduce Risky Behaviors and Suicides Among Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Youth

My first job right out of high school was working in a public library. I was one of three library pages who would put books away in order to maintain the bookshelves. A majority of the library staff watched me grow up in that building, and I was given my first opportunity at an internship […]

View Full Article - On Stacking Books in the Library, and Undoing My Own Ableism

Being gay and being a geek are, you might think, quite different things. But sometimes these two aspects of identity collide, creating a wonderful spectrum of possibilities. London ComicCon 2018 raised the rainbow flag and became a sparkling example of one such space for the  LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) community. Glittery linguistic stereotypes […]

View Full Article - Deadpool, Gaymers and Girlfriends at London ComicCon

Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, hailed the Delaware General Assembly’s passage of Senate Bill (SB) 65, legislation protecting LGBTQ youth in the state from the dangerous and discredited practice known as “conversion therapy.” The legislation was sponsored by State Senator Harris McDowell and State Representative Debra Heffernan, […]

View Full Article - Delaware Legislature Sends Anti-“Conversion Therapy” Bill to Gov. Carney’s Desk

There is nowhere to escape in what often is referred to as a “sexual jungle,” especially for the most vulnerable. However, “Zero tolerance” toward prison rape is now national policy thanks to the Prison Rape Elimination Act passed by the United States Congress in 2003. Although this law changed how Americans think about prison rape, […]

View Full Article - Gay, Bisexual, Sexually Abused Male Inmates More Fearful of Prison Rape, More Open to Therapy

Today is National Coming Out Day which is a day of raising awareness and destigmatization for the LGBTQ community. National Coming Out Day, observed on October 11th each year, serves as a powerful reminder of the ongoing struggle for LGBTQ rights and acceptance. It’s a day when individuals, allies, and communities come together to celebrate […]

View Full Article - It’s National Coming Out Day

Transgender people make up a small percentage of active-duty U.S. military personnel, but their experience in the service may yield long-term, positive effects on their mental health and quality of life. A study from the University of Washington finds that among transgender older adults, those who had served in the military reported fewer symptoms of […]

View Full Article - Military Service Boosts Resilience, Well-Being Among Transgender Veterans

The truth is, “black girls and women are still some of the most vulnerable members of society, thereby putting us more at risk for adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Black teen girls, in a given year, are more likely to attempt suicide and become trafficked at younger ages than their racial counterparts. Additionally, black girls are at a significantly higher risk […]

View Full Article - Exploring the Traumatic Impact of Criminalizing Policies on Black Women and Girls

Watching transgender characters on fictional TV shows has the power to influence attitudes toward transgender people and policy issues, according to new research from USC Annenberg. Just published in the peer-reviewed journal Sex Roles, the research further highlights the ways political ideology shapes viewer responses to transgender depictions in entertainment. The researchers surveyed 488 regular viewers […]

View Full Article - Transgender TV Characters Have the Power to Shape Audience Attitudes

The mental health issues gay men have to deal with aren’t limited to stigma and discrimination. According to a recent study, gay men are four times more likely to commit suicide than straight men. Moreover, more than half of the men who identify themselves as gay suffer from anxiety or depression. In short, the mental health […]

View Full Article - Mental Health Issues Suffered By Gay Men

The budget proposed by President Donald J. Trump threatens critical health, scientific research and education programs that contribute to the social safety net for millions of Americans, according to the American Psychological Association. “This budget, if enacted, would jeopardize our nation’s educational, scientific and health enterprises and limit access to critically needed mental and behavioral […]

View Full Article - Proposed Trump Cuts Imperil Mental Health, Health Care, Education and More