Guidelines for Overseeing Adolescents Identifying within the LGBTQIA+ Spectrum
In a world where conversations around gender and sexuality are rapidly evolving, it's crucial for caregivers to provide a supportive and safe environment for LGBTQIA+ youth, particularly those with intersectional identities.
A recent study reveals that over half of LGBT pupils report there not being an adult at school that they can talk to about being LGBT. This underscores the importance of affirming identity and promoting inclusion. Caregivers should actively affirm the youth’s sexual orientation and gender identity, using correct names and pronouns, and foster environments where diverse identities are validated rather than stigmatized.
Adopting a trauma-informed care approach is also essential. Understanding that LGBTQIA+ youth often face multiple layers of trauma, caregivers should create emotionally and physically safe spaces, invite open dialogue about past experiences, and be sensitive to triggers.
Supporting intersectional identities is another key strategy. Recognize how overlapping identities (such as race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status) intersect with LGBTQIA+ identity to affect the youth’s experiences and needs, ensuring that care is personalized and culturally sensitive.
Providing peer and community support is another way to combat isolation often experienced by LGBTQIA+ youth. Facilitating access to peer-led support groups and community networks helps build resilience and a sense of belonging.
Engaging families and caregivers is equally important. Programs like “Stand Out” support parents of gender-diverse youth by increasing understanding and promoting affirmation, which reduces isolation and increases protective factors for the youth.
Caregivers should also be aware of potential challenges LGBTQIA+ youth may face in school, such as bullying and lack of education on safe sex in same-sex relationships. Advocating for supportive measures like the creation of a Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) can help create a safer school environment.
It's crucial for caregivers to respect LGBTQIA+ youth's wishes regarding the disclosure of their identity. However, it's important to note that only 1 in 5 LGBT pupils have received education on safe sex in same-sex relationships, and 1 in 5 LGBT people do not disclose their sexual orientation when seeking healthcare.
Caregivers can search for medical practices that prioritize making their services accessible for LGBTQIA+ people. Ensuring medical professionals are correctly using the LGBTQIA+ youth's pronouns is also essential.
Showing support for an LGBTQIA+ youth's identity can take many forms, such as complementing their clothing when expressing their gender identity or talking positively about LGBTQIA+ characters on television.
However, LGBTQIA+ youth face unique challenges. For instance, 48% of LGBTQ youth who wanted mental health support could not receive it, and they are at higher risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), substance misuse, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and unequal treatment from healthcare staff.
Caregivers should be aware of potential risks LGBTQIA+ youth with intersectional identities face, such as discrimination and stigma in healthcare, schools, and social settings, family rejection and isolation, mental health challenges, legal and policy barriers, and higher involvement in child welfare systems.
By prioritizing identity affirmation, trauma-informed and culturally sensitive care, family engagement, stable placements, and advocacy, caregivers can create environments that promote the safety, well-being, and resilience of LGBTQIA+ youth with intersectional identities.
[1] Human Rights Campaign. (2020). All Children – All Families. Retrieved from https://www.hrc.org/resources/all-children-all-families [2] Family Acceptance Project. (2020). Family Acceptance in America. Retrieved from https://familyproject.sfsu.edu/ [3] The Trevor Project. (2020). National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health. Retrieved from https://www.thetrevorproject.org/survey-2020/ [4] Movement Advancement Project. (2019). LGBTQ Policy Spotlight: Supporting LGBTQ Youth. Retrieved from https://www.mapinc.org/documents/MAPImpact/LGBTQ%20Policy%20Spotlight%20Supporting%20LGBTQ%20Youth.pdf
- To bolster the well-being of LGBTQIA+ youth, caregivers can advocate for education and self-development programs in schools that focus on health-and-wellness, mental-health, and science, providing a comprehensive understanding of LGBTQIA+ issues.
- In line with promoting Holistic and inclusive upbringing, caregivers should endeavor to provide a school environment where all students, including LGBTQIA+ students with intersectional identities, can access health-and-wellness resources, including mental health support, without discrimination.
- To encourage open conversations and support continued education for caregivers, organizations like Human Rights Campaign, Family Acceptance Project, The Trevor Project, and Movement Advancement Project offer valuable resources and tools to facilitate education and self-development in caregivers regarding education-and-self-development, health-and-wellness, and mental-health issues related to LGBTQIA+ youth.
