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This Clear Language Lab webinar took place in June 2021. Check out the notes below or access the webinar recording.
Key Points
Review of History + Language
LGBTQ+ people have always existed. However, when thinking of the modern LGBTQ+ Rights Movement, it began in the 1950s.
1950s: Homophile organizations began to form
1969: Stonewall Riots - led by black and brown trans and queer people
1980s: AIDS epidemic, ACT UP forms
2003: Supreme Court rules Sodomy Laws are unconstitutional
2015: Marriage Equality passed by Supreme Court
2020: Supreme Court rules LGBTQ+ folks are protected from job discrimination
Key Terms:
Gender Identity: internally held sense of what your gender is - realizing that gender is a spectrum
Gender Expression/Presentation: the way a person dresses, wears hair, etc.; how a person externally presents themselves to the world (feminine/masculine/neither…)
Sex Assigned at Birth: biological sex - female, male, other/intersex
Romantically/Emotionally Attraction: male, female, other gender(s)
Gender Fluid / Gender Non-Conforming / Non-binary: terms for those who don’t identify with the traditional ideas of what male/female are and their gender is something other than or more complex than that
It is important to consider that every word may not mean the same to everyone. Factors like age and culture will influence meaning.
Access to Services
When providing care, consider what is being done to make sure there aren’t discriminatory practices in place. Also think about what would be done if you were informed that someone was discriminated against in your organization.
1 in 5 LGBTQ+ adults have avoided seeking medical care for fear of discrimination. (NPR)
When speaking with someone, make sure you ask people what their gender pronouns are and their preferred name. And then consistently use them.
50% of trans students reported being prevented (e.g., by school officials) from using the name or pronoun that match their gender in high school. (Movement Advancement Project & GLSEN 2017)
Barriers in Place:
Organizational, local, state, or national policies
Laws don’t always necessarily mean protection
Previous encounters with discrimination discourage use
“Allowing” LGBTQ+ participants vs. welcoming and affirming participants (i.e. having a space that people feel welcome in, etc.)
Colleagues aren’t on board with changes
Engaging in Affirming Conversations
Ask for preferred pronouns when introduced
Avoid assumptions and use gender neutral language
Practice using the correct pronouns!
You’re going to make mistakes!
If you catch a mistake, correct it
If someone else corrects you, thank them for correcting you and move on. Don’t make a big deal about it.
Trying is what’s important
Aiming for perfection holds us back
Creating Affirming Documentation
Try to be inclusive in both the language and the images used. People want to feel seen, and not just during Pride Month!
When creating forms:
Consider whether you need someone’s legal name and/or just the preferred name
Try to refrain from judgmental, unclear language
When you have to request gender, you can ask for ‘gender assigned at birth’ and/or ask for the person’s ‘gender identity’
Be sure to include a person’s preferred pronouns
When looking at the language that is used, it also will be helpful to consider some of the policies behind the language to make sure they are inclusive as well. Examples can include policies listed in handbooks (dress code, hair policies, etc.)
Suggested Ways to Get Feedback on Policies:
Follow up surveys on services
Focus groups
Use an inventory tool to self-assess
Seek out support from local LGBT+ organizations
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