Charlene J. Vetter, Ph.D.
Senior Counselor
SUNY Buffalo State
CCNY Annual Conference 2013
Terminology/Basic Vocabulary
 Sexual Orientation
emotional, romantic, sexual attraction to another person
 Gender Identity
one’s personal sense of their gender
 Transgender
umbrella term that includes transsexuals, cross-dressers, gender nonconforming
 Transsexual
gender and sex do not line up-often (not always!) seek medical tx to bring
body/gender into alignment-avoid term unless an individual self-identifies
as transsexual
School Climate for LGBTQ Students
 Research suggests educational outcomes are negatively
impacted by student perceptions/experiences
 2010 Campus Pride State of Higher Education For
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender People
Rankin, Weber, Blumenfeld, Frazer
 GLSEN National School Climate Survey (2011)
School Climate for LGBTQ Students
 Campus Pride Survey (2010) 23% of GLBQ students
reported experiencing harassment compared to 12% of
heterosexual-identified students(n=5,149)
 GLBQ students were 7x more likely to report that
harassment was based on sexual identity
 Approximately 70% of transsexual students reported
experiencing harassment
School Climate for LGBTQ Students
 GLSEN National School Climate Survey (2011)
 82% of LGBT students were verbally harassed at
school because of their sexual orientation;64% were
harassed because of gender expression
 The average GPA for LGBT students who experienced
frequent harassment was lower than LGBT students
experiencing less frequent harassment
The Story of Inside Out
 Idea for group inspired by clients who expressed need to
connect with other LGBTQ students (e.g., questioning, out
to self but not others)
 Campus pride alliance 2-3 large events per year-not a
facilitated discussion group
 Inside Out was implemented to create a safe place for
students to discuss sexual orientation/gender identity
 The main goal is to assist in identifying external/internal
roadblocks to self-discovery and open self-expression
The Story of Inside Out
 Started in Spring 2009 semester
 Weekly meetings
 38 Students
 Open group
 Currently one facilitator (two in the past)
Important Considerations in Facilitating LGBTQ
Group
 Examine personal beliefs/biases stereotypes PRIOR to
committing to be facilitator
 Understand that negative messages about LGBTQ are
ubiquitous in our culture (family, media, religious
institutions) and these often become internalized
 Heterosexism-the notion that being heterosexual is
expected/preferred (institutional/cultural)
Counselor Competencies
Association for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Issues in
Counseling
 “know that the normative developmental tasks of
LGBT adolescents frequently may be complicated or
compromised by identity confusion; anxiety and
depression; suicidal ideation and behavior; academic
failure; substance abuse; physical, sexual, and verbal
abuse; homelessness; prostitution; and STD/HIV
infection.”
Counselor Competencies
Association for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Issues in
Counseling
 “consider that, due to the coming out process, LGBT
individuals often may experience a lag between their
chronological ages and the developmental stages
delineated by current theories.”
 “recognize that identity formation and stigma
management are ongoing developmental tasks that
span the lives of LGBT persons.”
Screening of Group Members
 Students at any stage of coming out, questioning and
exploring their sexual orientation, and/or gender
identity.
 Not appropriate for students who are seeking help to
change emerging identity
 Not for straight allies
 Typically referred to group by primary counselor
Themes that have Emerged….
 How will others react if I discover that being LGBT is
part of my identity?
 What will my life look like (The “American Dream”)
 I know if I am ever to be in a same-sex relationship,
certain family members/friends would
disapprove/reject me
Themes that have emerged….
 Is there a “right” way to be gay?
 Students have described negative reactions if they
dress/act outside their chosen label (e.g, butch,
femme)
 Students reported hearing negative
reactions/stereotypes related to bisexuality (e.g..
confused, can’t make up their minds, more likely to
cheat)
Themes that have emerged
 Coming out as a lifelong process
 Weigh the risks/benefits of disclosure with each new
person (“will I see the person again or not?”)
 Different levels of “outness” between partners can be a
source of stress in the relationship
Tips for facilitating an LGBTQ Group
 Marketing! Discussion group vs. therapy group…be
explicit about purpose/goals of group and that it is
NOT therapy
 Facilitators are encouraged to be open about their own
sexual orientation/gender identity
 If LGBTQ is not part of facilitator's identity, share
experiences that influenced becoming an ally
Tips for facilitating an LGBTQ Group
 When discussing group rules at the outside emphasize
importance of respecting how group members choose to
describe/express themselves with regard to sexual
orientation or gender identity
 All members must agree not to criticize or challenge any
label (e.g. bisexual) or the choice not to identity with a
given label
 Basic understanding of terminology is important but
always ask what a given label means to the individual (don’t
assume that you know!)
Tips for facilitating an LGBTQ Group
 If facilitator does not feel comfortable with their level
of knowledge/experience with any given topic, consult
a colleague or outside contact (e.g. community LGBT
center)
 Examine/consider personal beliefs/biases/stereotypes
PRIOR to committing to facilitate
 Semi-structured approach to group-allow group
members opportunity to set agenda/choose topics
Suggested Topics in Initial Phase
 Where do negative messages/stereotypes come from?
What messages did students get during childhood/early
adolescence about LGBT?
 What are the pros/cons of living/expressing openly vs.
staying closeted
 What do you need to feel safe/comfortable working with a
professional (e.g., physician, counselor)
 Kinsey’s research and scale-continuum of human sexuality
Challenges
 Getting the word out/getting referrals
 Open vs. closed group
 Scheduling/Attendance-getting students to commit to
coming weekly
 Confidentiality concerns-especially if group member is
simultaneously involved in campus pride alliance
 Open to center clients vs. open to all students
Resources
 Association for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Issues in
Counseling-http://algbtic.org/resources/competencies
 Campus Pride-www.campuspride.org
 Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network-www.glsen.org
 Human Rights Campaign-www.hrc.org
 Stonewall Center University of Massachusetts-
http://www.umass.edu/stonewall/
 National Center for Transgender Equality-http://transequality.org