Social Work in Canada An Introduction Third Edition

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SOCIAL WORK IN CANADA

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An Introduction
Third Edition
Chapter 14: Social Work and Sexual and Gender Diversity
Chapter 14: Social Work In Canada

Social Work & Sexual & Gender Diversity Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
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Social Work & Sexual & Gender Diversity
 Historical Context
 The Rise of Community Activism
 Theoretical Perspectives
 Social Work Counselling
 Counselling Issues
 Implications for LGBTTQ-Positive Practice

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Historical Context
There are two major developments that have

shaped our thinking about gender and sexuality:
 Sexology – the field of study that invented the identities of
heterosexual and homosexual
 Community activism – a movement that subsequently

evolved to signify a shared history of oppression and
marginalization

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Historical Context
Richard von Krafft-Ebing (1840–1902)

 Pioneer in creating categories of normal and abnormal
 Heterosexual begins to represent normality
Karl Heinrich Ulrichs (1825–1895)

 Fought to decriminalize sodomy
 Homosexuality is inborn and natural

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Historical Context
Magnus Hirschfeld (1868–1935)

 Founded the Scientific Humanitarian Committee
 Fought against paragraph 175 of the German criminal
code that made male homosexuality a crime
 First person to systematically describe and work with
transsexuals
 Challenged notion of sexual polarity in favour of sexual
pluralism

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Historical Context
Alfred Kinsey (1894–1956)

 Kinsey Report, 1948, Sexual Behavior in the Human
Male, surveyed a variety of people about their sexual
habits
 Showed that people’s sexual behaviours combined so-
called perverse behaviours with those considered
normal
 Type of research was groundbreaking in that it
suggested everyday sexual behaviour often
transgressed laws, public opinion, and social norms

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The Rise of Community Activism
The Stonewall Rebellion

On June 27 and 28, 1969, a series of riots erupted in
response to a police raid on a New York City gay bar,
the Stonewall Inn.
It represented a significant collective uprising by the gay

and lesbian community against state oppression.

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Bill C-150
The legal terms used to describe gay sex were
decriminalized if committed in private between two
consenting adults over the age of 21. (1969)
“There is no place for the State in the bedrooms of the

nation.”
Justice Minister Pierre Trudeau

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Queer Activism
Efforts and actions towards social change by LGBTTQ
communities; more confrontational than gay and lesbian
rights movements.

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Theoretical Perspectives
Biological Determinism
Theory that an individual’s personality, behaviour, and
attitude is determined by genes, minimizing the role of
the environment.

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Social Constructionism
Theory that sexualities are constructed by our social
and cultural context and experience.

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Queer Theory
Maintains that sexual behaviours, identities, and
categories are social constructs.

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Social Work Counselling
There are two extremes in social work counselling with

lesbians, bisexuals, transgendered or transsexual persons,
and gay men:
1. Social workers exaggerate the difficulties of living in a heterosexist
society
2. Workers assume that sexual orientation and gender identity make
no difference to a person’s experience

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Social Work Counselling
Coming Out of the Closet

Refers to the act of publicly revealing your sexual identity.
Those who keep their LGBTTQ identity secret are referred
to as living “inside the closet.”
Therefore, when one reveals one’s identity, it is said that

he or she is “coming out of the closet.”

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Counselling Issues
For social workers who are gay, lesbian, bisexual,

transgendered, or transsexual there are issues to
consider:
 Can be a role model
 Might experience challenges dealing with people who are hostile
to LGBTTQ communities
 Pressure may be added if not working in a queer-positive practice
 Be careful of your own stereotypes and beliefs

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Counselling Issues
There are some counselling issues that may arise that

are specific to members of transgendered and
transsexual communities.

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Counseling Issues
The following are useful points to consider:

 People do not always see themselves as fitting within a gender
norm
 Be supportive of how people understand their gender
 There are no “cures” for transsexualism
 Gender transitioning, hormonal therapy, or sex reassignment
surgery are some of the options
 Gender transitions can cause anxiety and uncertainty

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Counselling Issues
Social Work with Persons who are Homophobic

Generally, individual feelings of homophobia are rooted
in three different areas:
 Religion
 Insecurity in gender roles
 Negative past experience with someone who identified as
lesbian, gay, or bisexual

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Implications for LGBTTQ-Positive Practice
 Don’t make assumptions

 Remain supportive and open-minded
 People cannot change their sexual orientation, and it is
unethical to work with someone to do so
 Members of the LGBTTQ community may prefer to
work with a counsellor who is also a member of the
community

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Websites
 Equality for Gays and Lesbians Everywhere (EGALE)

www.egale.ca
 Gender Education and Advocacy

www.gender.org
 PFLAG
www.pflag.ca
 International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission

www.iglhrc.org

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Questions for Discussion
In what ways do you see a recognition of

gender diversity in your social work program?

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What are some tangible ways that you could

support people belonging to LGBTTQ groups in
your school? Field placement? Community?

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What specific challenges does homophobia

pose for two-spirited persons?

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Why do you think Nunavut, Canada’s newest

territory, is the first to extend human rights
protection to transgendered persons?

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Why are some LGBTTQ youth at risk for forced

participation in the sex trade? What are some
implications of globalization for the sex trade?


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SOCIAL WORK IN CANADA

Chapter 14: Social Work and Sexual and Gender Diversity

Chapter 14: Social Work In Canada

Chapter 14: Social Work In Canada

There are two major developments that have

 Community activism – a movement that subsequently

Chapter 14: Social Work In Canada

Richard von Krafft-Ebing (1840–1902)

Karl Heinrich Ulrichs (1825–1895)

Chapter 14: Social Work In Canada

Magnus Hirschfeld (1868–1935)

Chapter 14: Social Work In Canada

Alfred Kinsey (1894–1956)

Chapter 14: Social Work In Canada

The Stonewall Rebellion

It represented a significant collective uprising by the gay

Chapter 14: Social Work In Canada

“There is no place for the State in the bedrooms of the

Chapter 14: Social Work In Canada

Chapter 14: Social Work In Canada

Chapter 14: Social Work In Canada

Chapter 14: Social Work In Canada

Chapter 14: Social Work In Canada

There are two extremes in social work counselling with

Chapter 14: Social Work In Canada

Coming Out of the Closet

Therefore, when one reveals one’s identity, it is said that

Chapter 14: Social Work In Canada

For social workers who are gay, lesbian, bisexual,

Chapter 14: Social Work In Canada

There are some counselling issues that may arise that

Chapter 14: Social Work In Canada

The following are useful points to consider:

Chapter 14: Social Work In Canada

Social Work with Persons who are Homophobic

Chapter 14: Social Work In Canada

 Don’t make assumptions

Chapter 14: Social Work In Canada

 Equality for Gays and Lesbians Everywhere (EGALE)

 Gender Education and Advocacy

 International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission

Chapter 14: Social Work In Canada

In what ways do you see a recognition of

Chapter 14: Social Work In Canada

What are some tangible ways that you could

Chapter 14: Social Work In Canada

What specific challenges does homophobia

Chapter 14: Social Work In Canada

Why do you think Nunavut, Canada’s newest

Chapter 14: Social Work In Canada

Why are some LGBTTQ youth at risk for forced

Chapter 14: Social Work In Canada

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