May 13, 2015
11:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Ryan Drab
Education and Training Specialist
Timothy Elliott, LICSW
Coodinator of LGBT Youth Mental Health Programs
1. Participants will leave the training with a working knowledge
of trauma and a basic understanding of LGBTQ identities and
terms.
2. Participants who attend the workshop will gain an
understanding of unique intersection between the lives of
LGBTQ people and trauma.
3. Participants who complete the training will be able to
identify two resources or strategies that they can use in their
work with LGBTQ people.
“Trauma is a subjective experience of
extreme stress that overwhelms an
individual’s ability to cope.”
(Giller, 1999)
The experience is characterized by one or more of the following
qualities:
• Unpredictable
• Overwhelming
• Threatening
• Meaningless
“Trauma, like beauty, is in the eyes of the
beholder.”
(Benckendorf, 2012)
Stress vs. Trauma
– Everyone experiences stress daily
– Not everyone is a survivor of trauma
Extreme Stress + Overwhelmed Coping Skills
= TRAUMA
Dan Siegel, MD
• Alphabet soup
– LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning)
• There are a large variety of words and definitions –constantly
being adding to and expanding
• Not just an acronym – for each letter there are people for
whom the word is an important identify
Respect individual’s language choice.
Note: These definitions are a meant to give simple framework to this workshop.
It is not an exhaustive or comprehensive list of identities or concepts within
the community
• Sexual Orientation vs Gender Identity
– Gender Identity – A person’s sense of being masculine, feminine, or other
gender.
– Sexual Orientation – The desire for intimate emotional and/or sexual
relationships with people of the same gender/sex, another gender/sex, or
multiple genders/sexes.
• Biological Sex
– biological sex is how we are defined as female, male, or intersex. It
describes our internal and external bodies — including our sexual and
reproductive anatomy, our genetic makeup, and our hormones
• Lesbian – Term used to describe female-identified people
attracted romantically, erotically, and/or emotionally to other
female-identified people.
• Gay – Term used in some cultural settings to represent males
who are attracted to males in a romantic, erotic and/or
emotional sense. Also sometimes used as umbrella term for
LGB individuals.
• Bisexual – A person emotionally, physically, and/or sexually
attracted to males/men and females/women.
• Transgender – A person who lives as a member of a gender
other than that expected based on anatomical sex.
• Questioning – The process of exploring one’s own sexual
orientation, investigating influences that may come from their
family, religious upbringing, and internal motivations
• In the closet – Refers to a homosexual, bisexual, transperson
or intersex person who will not or cannot disclose their sex,
sexuality, sexual orientation or gender identity to their
friends, family, co-workers, or society.
• LGBTQ Youth who experience high rates of rejection from their
families based on their sexual orientation or gender identify are:
– 8.4 times more likely to report attempted suicide
– 5.9 times more likely to report high levels of depression
– 3.4 times more likely to use illegal drugs
(Ryan, 2009)
• 33% of LGBTQ students missed one day of school in the past month
because they felt unsafe, compared with 5% of all students
(Kim, 2009)
• LGBTQ Youth are nearly twice as likely not to finish high school or
pursue college compared with their peers
(Quintana, 2010)
(Human Rights Campaign, 2012)
• Physical Abuse
– Targeted based on LGBTQ identity
– Rigid societal gender norms
• Emotional Abuse
– Family Rejection
– Social Isolation
• Verbal Abuse
– Targeted based on LGBTQ identity
– Specific language targeting sexuality or gender identity
• Sexual Abuse
– Targeted based on LGBTQ identity
– Situational Risk
• Intimate partner violence
• Bullying in Schools
• Stigma and rejection from family members
• Societal stigma, bias and rejection
• Homelessness
• Impact of health disparities
• Compounding traumatic events
•Knowledge of LGBTQ issues
•Modeling appreciation for ALL youth
•Maintaining confidentiality
•Connecting with supportive and caring adult
•Having access to resources
•Developing a supportive community
18
• Assess Your Personal Beliefs
• Educate Yourself
• Be visible (Safe Space Sticker, Rainbow Flag)
• Respond to anti-LGBT Behavior
• Support Gay/Straight Alliances
• Provide Resources and Referrals
• RESPECT the Individual
Human Rights Campaign (HRC)
www.hrc.org/youth
Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN)
www.glsen.org
Gay-Straight Alliance Network (GSA Network)
www.gsanetwork.org
It Get’s Better Project
www.itgetsbetter.org
Lambda Legal
www.lambdalegal.org
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN)
www.nctsn.org
Quist (LGBTQ History)
www.quistapp.com
Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG)
www.pflag.org
The Trevor Project
www.thetrevorproject.org
Casa Ruby
www.casaruby.org
Children’s National Medical Center:
Gender and Sexuality Development Program
www.childrensnational.org/departments/gender-and-sexualitydevelopment-program
The DC Center
www.thedccenter.org
DC Trans Coalition
www.dctranscoalition.org
SMYAL (Supporting and Mentoring Youth Advocates and Leaders)
www.smyal.org
The Wanda Alston Foundation
www.wandaalstonfoundation.org
Whitman-Walker Health
www.whitman-walker.org
Equality Maryland
www.equalitymaryland.org
The GLBT Community Center of Baltimore & Central Maryland
www.glccb.org
Rainbow Youth Alliance
www.rainbowyouthallianceMD.org
Rockville Open House
www.rockvilleopenhouse.org
Sufficient As I aM (SAIM)
www.saim.us
Arlington LGBTQ Youth (ALY) - Support Group
Email: aly.pflagdc@gmail.com
Fairfax LGBTQ Youth (FLY) - Support Group
Contact: Carol Lewis
Email: wf.pflag@gmail.com
Fairfax Trans* Families - Support Group
Contact: Libby McKnight
Email: mcknyt@gmail.com
Loudoun Out Loud (L.O.L.) - Support Group
Contact: Lori Stevens
Email: loudounoutloud@gmail.com
Belge, Kathy and Bieschke, Marke. (2011). Queer: The Ultimate LGBT Guide for
Teens. San Francisco, CA: Zest Books.
Ehrensaft, Diane. (2011). Gender Born, Gender Made: Raising Healthy GenderNonconforming Children. New York, NY: The Experiment Publishing.
Erickson-Schroth, L. (2014). Trans Body, Trans Self: A Resources for the
Transgender Community. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Griffin, Pat and Ouellett, Matthew. (2002, March). “Going Beyond Gay-Straight
Alliances to Make Schools Safe for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender
Students.” The Policy Journal of The Institute for Gay and Lesbian Strategic
Studies, 6(1).
Killermann, Sam. (2013). The Social Justice Advocate’s Handbook: A Guide to
Gender. Austin, TX: Impetus Books.
Kim, R. (2009) A report on the status of gay, lesbian, bisexual and
transgender people in education: Stepping out of the closet, into the
light. Washington, D.C.: National Education Association.
Quintana, N. S., Rosenthal, J. and Krehely, J. (2010) On the streets: The
federal response to gay and transgender homeless youth.
Washington, D.C.: Center for American Progress.
Ryan, C., Huebner, D., Diaz, R. M. and Sanches, J. (2009) Family
rejection as a predictor of negative health outcomes in white and
latino lesbian, gay, and bisexual young adults. “Pediatrics,” Vol. 123.
Savage, Dan and Miller, Terry. (2011). It Gets Better: Coming Out,
Overcoming Bullying, and Creating a Life Worth Living. New York,
NY: Plume.
Ryan Drab
Education and Training Specialist
202.803.6473
rdrab@whitman-walker.org
Timothy Elliott, LICSW
Psychotherapist
Coordinator of LGBT Youth Mental Health Programs
202.803.6848
telliott@whitman-walker.org