LGBTQA+ 101

Gender and Sexuality Center Author

07/29/2024 Added

38 Plays

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A great introduction for anyone wanting to know more about the LGBTQA+ community and to show an active commitment to diversity and inclusion! Explores terminology, inclusive language, pronouns, campus climate, the Center, and the distinctions between sexual orientation, gender identity/expression.

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[00:00:01.920]Welcome to the LGBTQA+ 101 presentation.
[00:00:06.750]My name is Paige Hesby and I'm an intern
[00:00:08.940]for the Gender and Sexuality Center
[00:00:10.620]at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
[00:00:13.320]First and foremost, I wanna thank you
[00:00:15.150]for the time you've taken out of your day to be here
[00:00:17.160]and watch this presentation.
[00:00:22.200]Let's briefly review some objectives for this presentation.
[00:00:25.470]It is our hope that throughout this presentation
[00:00:27.810]you will learn more about:
[00:00:29.310]One, gender and sexuality related terminology.
[00:00:33.090]Two, diverse sexual orientations and gender identities.
[00:00:37.680]Three, gender neutral pronouns
[00:00:39.750]and how to ask others about their pronouns.
[00:00:42.780]Four, discrimination, marginalization,
[00:00:46.530]and other issues faced by the LGBTQA+ community.
[00:00:50.730]And five, ways that you can be an ally
[00:00:53.070]to the LGBTQA+ people in your life and to the community.
[00:01:00.870]Now, for starters, let's unpack some terminology.
[00:01:07.290]This image is called The Gender Unicorn.
[00:01:10.260]This is a great visual to identify the differences
[00:01:12.900]between gender identity, gender expression,
[00:01:15.810]and sex assigned at birth.
[00:01:17.730]It also refers to sexual orientation
[00:01:20.160]and romantic attraction.
[00:01:23.910]So starting at the top,
[00:01:25.200]gender identity is one's internal sense of being a man,
[00:01:28.560]woman, neither or both.
[00:01:30.870]There is a little rainbow in the thought bubble,
[00:01:33.000]the bubble above the unicorn's head.
[00:01:35.190]The reason being is
[00:01:36.300]because our gender identity is about
[00:01:38.130]how we think about and view our own gender,
[00:01:41.160]and everyone else's view of our gender
[00:01:43.080]does not affect our gender identity.
[00:01:46.350]And you can see under gender identity,
[00:01:48.060]there are several continua.
[00:01:49.740]So there is a starting point, but there is no ending point.
[00:01:53.310]So the three continua are female, woman, girl,
[00:01:57.150]male, man, boy, and then the other genders or non-binary.
[00:02:03.570]And by listing three different spectra,
[00:02:05.790]people can place themselves anywhere on one spectrum
[00:02:08.520]without having to detract from another spectrum.
[00:02:11.910]So identifying as quote unquote,
[00:02:14.137]"more of a woman" doesn't mean
[00:02:15.960]that someone has to identify as quote unquote,
[00:02:18.337]"less of a man" and so on.
[00:02:21.180]So someone might put themselves high on being a woman,
[00:02:23.760]maybe low on being a man
[00:02:25.830]and maybe put themselves halfway for other genders.
[00:02:29.400]It is a great way to be able to think about our gender
[00:02:31.740]in a way that is not binary.
[00:02:33.930]For transgender people, their sex assigned at birth
[00:02:36.660]and their own internal sense of gender identity
[00:02:38.970]are not the same.
[00:02:42.510]The second thing on here is gender expression,
[00:02:45.780]and so you can see there's a green dot,
[00:02:47.970]and then around the unicorn there are also green dots.
[00:02:51.030]So gender expression is how we show our gender
[00:02:53.820]and how we express it to the world.
[00:02:56.670]Some of the most common ways
[00:02:58.080]to think about gender expression are our clothing
[00:03:00.450]and the way we style our hair,
[00:03:02.220]but there's also a number of ways
[00:03:03.750]that we can express gender,
[00:03:05.370]such as through our tone of voice
[00:03:06.780]or our mannerisms or behaviors.
[00:03:09.840]You can see that the three spectra are feminine, masculine,
[00:03:13.530]and then other or androgynous.
[00:03:15.750]And again, someone can place themselves anywhere
[00:03:18.270]on any of these spectra.
[00:03:20.070]So if someone identifies as a woman,
[00:03:22.290]they don't necessarily have to be super high
[00:03:24.330]in feminine gender expression.
[00:03:26.760]Someone can identify as a woman,
[00:03:28.770]but their gender expression
[00:03:29.940]may appear traditionally masculine or androgynous.
[00:03:34.770]That's why these concepts are visually separated
[00:03:37.410]because gender identity and gender expression are different.
[00:03:42.780]Gender expression and how it is labeled
[00:03:44.880]can also vary greatly from person to person and by culture.
[00:03:49.200]What is considered a feminine expression
[00:03:51.180]in one culture or language might be considered masculine
[00:03:54.480]or gender neutral in another.
[00:03:59.790]Next, there is sex assigned at birth.
[00:04:02.550]You can see that it is a DNA helix
[00:04:04.770]and that DNA helix corresponds to the helix
[00:04:07.770]on the lower half of the unicorn's body.
[00:04:10.740]This is also the only section that is not on a continuum.
[00:04:13.980]There's female, male and then intersex.
[00:04:16.950]And essentially this is a label referring to the sex
[00:04:19.560]that is assigned at birth,
[00:04:21.000]hence the phrase "sex assigned at birth."
[00:04:23.850]So the doctor will say, it's a boy or it's a girl,
[00:04:26.880]or this baby's intersex,
[00:04:28.980]and that's what will go on someone's birth certificate.
[00:04:32.490]Intersex is a term that refers to people
[00:04:34.590]who are born with a combination of sex characteristics.
[00:04:38.070]This could be a combination of sex chromosomes
[00:04:40.560]such as someone having X, XY chromosomes,
[00:04:43.860]or this could present as combined anatomy
[00:04:45.960]such as a person having both ovarian
[00:04:48.180]and testicular tissue in their body.
[00:04:51.120]Sometimes surgery is performed shortly after the birth
[00:04:53.790]of an intersex child to change the appearance
[00:04:56.400]of external genitalia to fit more traditionally
[00:04:59.310]with that of a female or male child.
[00:05:01.980]And then their birth certificate may read
[00:05:03.720]as male or female rather than intersex.
[00:05:08.220]However, these surgeries have the potential, later in life,
[00:05:11.100]to cause health issues and significant emotional
[00:05:13.710]and psychological distress.
[00:05:15.750]And again, sex assigned at birth
[00:05:17.760]does not determine someone's gender identity
[00:05:20.160]and does not determine someone's gender expression.
[00:05:25.020]And then physical attraction and emotional attraction
[00:05:27.750]have the little hearts next to them.
[00:05:29.910]And on the unicorn, these two little hearts
[00:05:32.100]have slight overlap as physical and emotional attraction
[00:05:35.340]are often talked about together
[00:05:36.750]with the phrase "sexual orientation."
[00:05:39.930]Physical attraction generally refers
[00:05:42.000]to a sexual attraction to someone.
[00:05:44.160]It's more of the instantaneous aesthetical piece
[00:05:46.800]to attraction, whereas emotional attraction
[00:05:50.250]is more of that romantic bond to someone.
[00:05:52.950]We talk about them together because for a lot of people,
[00:05:55.530]they're going to overlap at least somewhat,
[00:05:57.990]but not necessarily for everyone.
[00:06:00.600]For example, if someone identifies as asexual,
[00:06:03.720]they might put themselves down near the bottom
[00:06:06.000]of all three physical attraction spectra
[00:06:08.610]because they experience low
[00:06:10.230]or no physical attraction to others,
[00:06:13.050]but they may still indicate high emotional attraction
[00:06:16.410]to some genders despite this.
[00:06:20.070]And if someone identifies as aromantic,
[00:06:22.769]they might put themselves near the bottom
[00:06:24.480]of all three emotional attraction spectra
[00:06:26.790]because they experience low or no attraction,
[00:06:29.880]romantic attraction, but that doesn't necessarily mean
[00:06:33.030]that they don't experience physical
[00:06:34.710]or sexual attraction to some genders.
[00:06:42.900]Here are the definitions of some of the concepts
[00:06:45.180]we've covered on the previous slide.
[00:06:47.280]So again, gender identity refers
[00:06:49.740]to someone's innate sense of their gender.
[00:06:52.410]Gender expression refers to how someone chooses
[00:06:55.260]to express their gender externally.
[00:06:58.410]Sexual orientation refers to an individual's inherent sense
[00:07:02.040]of emotional, romantic,
[00:07:03.510]or physical attraction to other people.
[00:07:06.480]And sex assigned at birth refers to the sex
[00:07:08.700]that a doctor assigns to a child at their birth
[00:07:11.340]based on their external genitalia.
[00:07:14.160]Terms that describes specific identities
[00:07:16.290]will be explained on the next slide.
[00:07:23.400]The LGBTQA+ acronym is what we typically see and use
[00:07:27.870]to identify the community, especially at UNL.
[00:07:32.139]So the L stands for lesbian in the LGBTQA+ acronym.
[00:07:37.110]And lesbian refers to a woman
[00:07:39.060]who is attracted to other women.
[00:07:41.700]G stands for gay
[00:07:42.990]and that typically means a man
[00:07:44.490]who is attracted to other men.
[00:07:46.650]But sometimes you'll see gay being used as sort
[00:07:48.930]of an umbrella term to encompass the entire community.
[00:07:52.800]Some people would rather just say gay
[00:07:54.600]than say their specific identity.
[00:07:57.480]Next, we have bisexual.
[00:07:59.460]This word is sometimes considered similar
[00:08:01.530]to the word pansexual depending on
[00:08:03.720]how a specific person identifies,
[00:08:05.910]but both bisexual and pansexual often refer
[00:08:09.180]to attraction to two or more genders.
[00:08:13.500]The T in LGBTQA+ is transgender,
[00:08:17.130]and that is a person whose gender
[00:08:18.690]does not traditionally correspond
[00:08:20.490]with the sex they were assigned at birth.
[00:08:24.510]Transgender is an umbrella term as some people who identify
[00:08:27.810]with gender diverse identities
[00:08:29.580]such as genderqueer or non-binary
[00:08:32.280]may also identify as transgender,
[00:08:34.950]but that varies from person to person.
[00:08:37.920]The Q stands for,
[00:08:39.540]which is another umbrella term similar to gay,
[00:08:42.420]except that queer may be used
[00:08:44.190]to refer to sexual orientation or gender identity.
[00:08:48.870]The Q also stands for questioning.
[00:08:50.730]For those who are uncertain about their gender
[00:08:52.890]and/or sexual identity
[00:08:54.750]or don't know if they identify in the community at all.
[00:08:59.310]The A stands for asexual and/or aromantic.
[00:09:03.030]Asexual and aromantic refers to a lack of
[00:09:06.360]or infrequent sexual or romantic attraction.
[00:09:11.700]And the plus signifies other diverse sexual orientations
[00:09:15.390]and gender identities not covered in the acronym.
[00:09:18.870]Examples of identities included under the plus include
[00:09:22.948]genderqueer, non-binary, and agender.
[00:09:26.850]These gender specific terms
[00:09:28.440]will be further explained in the next slide.
[00:09:36.540]Our next overview of terms
[00:09:37.860]are those more related to gender identity.
[00:09:41.220]The first two phrases are AFAB and AMAB.
[00:09:44.880]These stand for assigned female at birth
[00:09:47.100]and assigned male at birth respectively.
[00:09:50.520]These terms refer to the sex
[00:09:52.200]an individual is assigned at birth.
[00:09:54.330]These phrases are often used
[00:09:55.800]by trans and gender diverse folks
[00:09:57.720]to discuss their sex assigned at birth
[00:10:00.090]without equating this sex with their gender identity.
[00:10:04.200]The next set of terms are "Demi girl" and "Demi boy."
[00:10:07.860]Anyone, regardless of sex assigned at birth
[00:10:10.380]can identify as a demi girl or demi boy.
[00:10:14.310]This label refers to someone who somewhat
[00:10:16.800]but not fully identifies as being a girl or a woman
[00:10:20.130]or a boy or man.
[00:10:22.950]Genderfluid refers to someone who identifies
[00:10:25.530]with different genders at different times
[00:10:27.510]depending on how they feel.
[00:10:30.090]And agender refers to individuals who have a neutral
[00:10:33.270]or lack of gender identity.
[00:10:36.000]Non-binary and genderqueer are labels that are often used
[00:10:39.270]by individuals who do not identify as cisgender
[00:10:42.360]or as binary trans folks like identifying
[00:10:45.180]as a trans woman or a trans man.
[00:10:48.930]These terms then encompass gender fluidity,
[00:10:51.660]a lack of identification with gender
[00:10:53.790]and/ or identifying as a combination of genders.
[00:11:01.560]Some other important terms to know
[00:11:03.300]are "cisgender" and "heterosexual,"
[00:11:05.460]which are less frequently used
[00:11:06.930]because these are the terms used to describe the gender
[00:11:09.870]and sexual identities that are most common in our society
[00:11:12.900]and have not been historically marginalized.
[00:11:15.870]Identifying a cisgender and heterosexual
[00:11:18.360]has long been considered the quote unquote, "baseline"
[00:11:21.240]or norm in our society.
[00:11:23.430]So specific terms to refer to these identities
[00:11:25.920]has historically been considered unnecessary.
[00:11:29.040]But these are specific types of gender
[00:11:30.900]and sexual identities,
[00:11:32.160]even though they refer to the majority,
[00:11:34.020]so they should also be defined here.
[00:11:36.600]So cisgender refers to a person
[00:11:38.760]whose gender identity corresponds
[00:11:40.920]with the sex they were assigned at birth.
[00:11:43.320]So if I was born and the doctor
[00:11:45.090]marked my birth certificate as female
[00:11:47.130]and I also identify as a girl,
[00:11:49.050]then that means I'm cisgender.
[00:11:51.450]Heterosexual refers to a person primarily attracted
[00:11:54.570]to members of a different gender than their own.
[00:11:57.390]You also hear this referred to as "straight".
[00:12:04.260]Next, as we talk about pronouns, we'll start
[00:12:06.720]by going over the most common gender neutral pronouns.
[00:12:10.320]They/them pronouns are grammatically correct
[00:12:12.570]and can be written and spoken.
[00:12:14.850]The singular gender neutral use
[00:12:17.010]of the pronoun "they" is not new.
[00:12:19.830]English speakers have long used the pronoun "they"
[00:12:22.620]in the singular to refer to individuals
[00:12:24.840]with an unknown gender.
[00:12:26.670]For example, if a friend was talking to you
[00:12:28.950]about her professor leading the class out of the building
[00:12:31.620]during a fire drill, you might ask a follow up question
[00:12:34.770]such as, "Where did they take you?"
[00:12:37.290]In this example, you are using a singular "they" pronoun
[00:12:40.440]to refer to your friend's professor
[00:12:42.360]whose gender you don't know.
[00:12:44.340]Therefore, using they them pronouns
[00:12:46.470]to refer to A singular non-binary
[00:12:48.630]or gender individual is grammatical.
[00:12:52.980]We also have neo pronouns,
[00:12:54.570]which are new pronouns being introduced into our language.
[00:12:57.780]An example of these pronouns are "ze," "zim," "zir".
[00:13:01.560]Pronouns are not preferred, they're expected.
[00:13:04.830]Because some pronouns such as "he" and "she"
[00:13:07.590]have been ingrained into society,
[00:13:09.570]the best way to get comfortable
[00:13:11.160]with gender neutral pronouns is to practice.
[00:13:13.680]For example, practice referring to all people
[00:13:16.440]whose gender you don't know with they/them pronouns.
[00:13:19.470]If a colleague tells you a story about a student named Zach,
[00:13:22.950]try referring to Zach with they/them pronouns
[00:13:25.680]as the name Zach does not automatically mean
[00:13:28.590]that this person identifies as an man
[00:13:30.990]or uses he and him pronouns.
[00:13:34.590]Over time, practicing and rehearsing
[00:13:36.570]will help in overcoming the automatic response.
[00:13:39.690]If someone corrects you on their pronouns, take a moment,
[00:13:42.720]accept your mistake, briefly apologize, and then move on.
[00:13:47.070]All you have to say is, "Oh, I'm sorry.
[00:13:49.320]Thank you for correcting me."
[00:13:56.400]When meeting someone new, introduce yourself with your name
[00:13:59.310]and pronouns and ask others for theirs as well.
[00:14:02.370]For example, I would say, "Hi, my name is Paige.
[00:14:05.130]I use they/them pronouns.
[00:14:06.630]I wanna make sure I'm addressing you correctly.
[00:14:09.750]How would you like to be addressed?"
[00:14:12.090]For digital introductions,
[00:14:13.350]you can share pronouns in your email signatures,
[00:14:15.930]Zoom profiles, and other online profiles.
[00:14:19.290]When in a group, invite everyone
[00:14:20.970]to share their pronouns and name when giving introductions.
[00:14:24.780]Sometimes the name listed on documentation
[00:14:27.330]such as course rosters or government identification
[00:14:30.270]is incorrect or outdated.
[00:14:32.160]So another way to communicate inclusivity
[00:14:34.470]and promote accuracy is to ask others
[00:14:37.050]to tell you their name.
[00:14:38.760]This will make it easier to refer
[00:14:40.380]to everyone correctly the first time
[00:14:42.390]and ease the burden on someone whose pronouns
[00:14:44.670]or name are often mistaken.
[00:14:47.040]It also makes it easier for everyone
[00:14:48.660]to join in on the discussion by lowering about how to refer
[00:14:52.350]to someone and lowering anxiety about being misgendered.
[00:14:56.220]Make it a norm.
[00:14:57.600]By introducing yourself with your pronouns,
[00:14:59.700]you are also introducing inclusivity into the space.
[00:15:08.070]Now let's discuss a variety of issues
[00:15:10.170]that affect the LGBTQA+ community,
[00:15:13.170]including experiences of discrimination and marginalization.
[00:15:17.550]We will also discuss
[00:15:18.660]how these discriminatory experiences
[00:15:20.790]often occur more frequently for LGBTQA+ people of color
[00:15:25.950]as the effects and experiences of discrimination
[00:15:28.770]often multiply for individuals
[00:15:30.720]who hold more than one minoritized identity.
[00:15:34.620]We'll also point out that transgender individuals
[00:15:37.110]often experience various types of discrimination
[00:15:39.780]at a greater frequency than cisgender LGBTQ+ individuals.
[00:15:44.730]Speaking to the trend that our society has bettered
[00:15:47.340]in its acceptance towards diverse sexual orientations,
[00:15:50.970]but still struggles to accept
[00:15:52.410]and invite diverse gender identities.
[00:16:00.000]First, let's discuss the housing discrimination
[00:16:02.940]and the disproportionately high rates
[00:16:04.650]of homelessness experienced by LGBTQA+ people.
[00:16:09.030]The rate of homelessness
[00:16:10.110]among LGBTQA+ youth is 2.2 times higher than it is
[00:16:14.850]for cisgender and heterosexual youth.
[00:16:17.610]In some places of the country, the LGBTQA+ youth make up
[00:16:21.330]as much as 40% of the homeless youth population.
[00:16:25.800]Typically, LGBTQA+ youth experience homelessness
[00:16:29.760]due to anticipated or experienced rejection
[00:16:32.520]from their families.
[00:16:34.110]They may also feel fearful of experiencing homophobia
[00:16:37.200]and/or transphobia in local shelters.
[00:16:40.440]These rates of homelessness are higher
[00:16:42.390]for Black and multiracial LGBTQ+A youth
[00:16:46.020]and their experiences of rejection
[00:16:47.850]based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity
[00:16:51.300]may be exacerbated by experiences of racism.
[00:16:56.160]Additionally, in 18 states, there are no laws
[00:16:58.980]explicitly prohibiting housing discrimination
[00:17:01.500]based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
[00:17:05.670]This discrimination can show up in various ways
[00:17:08.460]such as refusing to show a listing to an LGBTQ+ applicant
[00:17:12.450]or denying a rental application
[00:17:14.220]because the applicants are in the same gender relationship.
[00:17:22.170]Another concern faced by the LGBTQA+ community
[00:17:25.500]is employment discrimination.
[00:17:27.840]In a national 2021 survey of 935 LGBT adults,
[00:17:33.420]29.8% of respondents reported experiencing
[00:17:36.900]employment discrimination at some point in their lives
[00:17:40.050]such as being fired or not hired
[00:17:42.210]because of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity.
[00:17:46.530]A higher percentage of LGBT respondents of color
[00:17:49.740]reported experiencing employment discrimination
[00:17:52.050]at some point, speaking again to the effects
[00:17:54.990]of compounded anti LGBTQA+ stigma and racism.
[00:18:00.270]Additionally, nearly half of all transgender respondents
[00:18:03.690]reported experiencing employment discrimination
[00:18:06.270]at some point, meaning that transgender employees
[00:18:09.420]likely experience more frequent discrimination
[00:18:11.880]in the workplace compared to their cisgender LGBQ+ peers.
[00:18:17.970]In the same survey, 37.7% of LGBTQA+ employees
[00:18:23.040]reported experiencing some sort of verbal, physical,
[00:18:26.130]or sexual harassment in the workplace
[00:18:27.990]at least once in their lives.
[00:18:30.510]Transgender employees again reported higher rates
[00:18:33.240]of verbal and sexual harassment,
[00:18:34.890]and LGBTQA+ employees of color reported higher rates
[00:18:38.580]of verbal harassment.
[00:18:44.850]Another issue faced by many LGBTQA+ people,
[00:18:48.150]particularly transgender and gender diverse people,
[00:18:51.540]is their ability to feel safe
[00:18:53.040]and comfortable in public restrooms.
[00:18:55.800]A national 2015 survey
[00:18:57.960]of 27,715 transgender adults
[00:19:02.310]asked respondents about their experiences
[00:19:04.500]with public restrooms in the past year.
[00:19:07.350]In the past year, 12% reported being verbally harassed
[00:19:10.830]in a restroom, 59% reported avoiding public restrooms,
[00:19:16.110]32% reported limiting their food and liquid intake
[00:19:19.740]to avoid using public restrooms,
[00:19:22.560]and 8% reported UTI and or kidney related issues
[00:19:26.670]due to their avoidance of public restrooms.
[00:19:30.150]These numbers are concerning
[00:19:31.500]as 12 states have banned transgender people
[00:19:34.200]from using the restroom consistent
[00:19:35.910]with their gender identity in public schools
[00:19:38.340]and/or government buildings.
[00:19:40.710]This means that in these states, a trans woman who may,
[00:19:43.770]may be forced to use the men's restroom in public,
[00:19:46.830]she may anticipate harassment in this restroom.
[00:19:49.590]If she anticipates this harassment,
[00:19:51.180]she may avoid the restroom altogether,
[00:19:53.010]which can cause health issues.
[00:19:59.940]Another issue faced particularly by the transgender
[00:20:02.790]and gender diverse community is how difficult it can be
[00:20:06.030]for someone to change their name and/or gender marker
[00:20:09.060]on government identification and documentation.
[00:20:13.230]Nine states still require that name changes be published
[00:20:16.560]in the local newspaper for weeks,
[00:20:18.780]which may force a transgender person
[00:20:20.700]to out themselves to people in their community
[00:20:22.920]that they feel are unsafe.
[00:20:25.770]In 12 states, changing the gender marker
[00:20:28.170]on one's birth certificate requires
[00:20:30.390]that one provides proof of quote unquote,
[00:20:32.497]"sex reassignment surgery,"
[00:20:34.740]and changing one's gender marker on their birth certificate
[00:20:37.470]is banned entirely in five states.
[00:20:40.980]In nine states, changing the gender marker
[00:20:43.170]on one's driver's license requires
[00:20:45.270]that one provides proof of surgery
[00:20:47.340]or proof of their amended birth certificate,
[00:20:49.590]which again may require proof of surgery,
[00:20:52.650]and changing one's gender marker on their driver's license
[00:20:55.530]is entirely banned in three states.
[00:20:58.800]These restrictions place financial barriers
[00:21:01.050]on trans individuals and not being able to change their name
[00:21:04.230]or gender marker on formal documentation
[00:21:06.720]can out transgender people to strangers and officials
[00:21:09.990]that may discriminate against them.
[00:21:16.290]Another particularly current concern for the community
[00:21:19.620]is the legislation affecting transgender youth.
[00:21:22.920]In half of all American states, there are bans
[00:21:25.590]and/or serious restrictions placed on transgender use access
[00:21:29.610]to gender affirming care such as gender affirming surgeries
[00:21:33.690]and hormone replacement therapy or HRT.
[00:21:37.740]In six states, it is a felony for healthcare professionals
[00:21:40.920]to provide some of this gender affirming care
[00:21:43.230]to transgender youth.
[00:21:45.540]This is significant as it has been shown
[00:21:47.490]that access to gender affirming surgeries
[00:21:49.530]and hormones are frequently associated
[00:21:51.690]with reduced rates of depression and suicidal thinking
[00:21:54.690]in transgender youth.
[00:21:57.780]In 24 states, transgender students are banned
[00:22:01.080]from playing sports according to their gender identity.
[00:22:04.230]This means that transgender students are given the option
[00:22:06.960]to either not play a sport they're interested in
[00:22:09.810]or play on the team of a gender they do not identify with,
[00:22:12.840]forcing them into locker rooms
[00:22:14.430]where they may fear harassment.
[00:22:21.270]Finally, a major overarching issue
[00:22:23.670]affecting the entire LGBTQA+ community
[00:22:26.850]is the disproportionately high rates
[00:22:29.010]of reported mental health concerns
[00:22:30.780]as compared to cisgender and heterosexual people.
[00:22:34.830]International 2024 survey
[00:22:37.050]with more than 18,000 LGBTQA+ young people aged 13 to 24,
[00:22:43.290]53% reported experiencing recent symptoms of depression.
[00:22:48.540]Worse yet, 39% reported that in the past year
[00:22:52.080]they had seriously considered attempting suicide
[00:22:55.080]and 12% actually did attempt suicide.
[00:22:59.550]The rates of considering and attempting suicide were higher
[00:23:02.730]for most LGBTQA+ young people of color
[00:23:06.090]and higher for transgender young people
[00:23:08.430]when compared to cisgender young people.
[00:23:11.700]And 90% of respondents reported
[00:23:14.190]that their mental health was negatively affected
[00:23:16.470]by recent politics
[00:23:17.850]such as the legislation we previously covered.
[00:23:26.160]So you may have been asking yourself
[00:23:27.810]over the past few slides, okay, but what about in Nebraska?
[00:23:31.770]What is the legislation
[00:23:33.030]affecting LGBTQA+ people like here at home?
[00:23:36.750]For starters, Nebraska is one of the nine states requiring
[00:23:40.260]that name changes are published in the local newspaper.
[00:23:43.830]We are also one of the 12 states requiring proof of
[00:23:46.650]quote unquote, "sex reassignment surgery"
[00:23:48.840]before allowing people to change the gender marker
[00:23:51.360]on their birth certificate.
[00:23:53.460]Additionally, Nebraska laws about
[00:23:55.230]what constitutes a hate crime cover sexual orientation,
[00:23:58.620]but not gender identity.
[00:24:01.260]Nebraska also does not provide explicit protection
[00:24:04.140]against LGBTQA+ discrimination and adoption processes.
[00:24:09.120]Nebraska is also one of the 25 states
[00:24:11.430]that has passed legislation
[00:24:13.020]banning gender affirming surgeries for minors
[00:24:15.660]and heavily restricting minors access
[00:24:18.000]to gender affirming hormone replacement therapy.
[00:24:21.270]This means we still have quite a lot of work
[00:24:23.310]to do here at home.
[00:24:25.080]So, let's discuss ways that we can be an ally
[00:24:29.850]to the LGBTQA+ community.
[00:24:36.420]The first way is to use inclusive non-gendered language.
[00:24:40.860]For example, instead of using the terms
[00:24:42.847]"boyfriend," "girlfriend," "husband or wife,"
[00:24:45.510]use the words "partner or spouse."
[00:24:48.120]Instead of addressing a group of people
[00:24:50.010]as "ladies and gentlemen" or "boys and girls,"
[00:24:52.620]say "people of all genders" or just "everyone."
[00:24:56.370]Instead of saying phrases in which "man" is used as a verb,
[00:24:59.940]like "man the booth," say, "staff the booth."
[00:25:03.600]Instead of saying, "Hey guys,"
[00:25:05.280]say, "Hey everyone," or "Hey y'all."
[00:25:08.370]Instead of saying things like "mankind" or "man"
[00:25:11.220]to refer to all of humanity,
[00:25:13.320]say "humankind or people."
[00:25:16.500]Additionally, instead of using the phrase "his/her"
[00:25:19.410]in speech or writing to refer to a hypothetical person,
[00:25:23.070]use a gender neutral option like the singular "their".
[00:25:26.430]So instead of saying something like,
[00:25:28.237]"Each student should bring his or her own pencil,"
[00:25:31.140]say, "Each student should bring their own pencil."
[00:25:35.130]You can also drop gendered honorifics
[00:25:37.260]like "sir" and "ma'am," or ask people
[00:25:39.660]how they would like you to refer to them using honorifics.
[00:25:43.560]Small changes to make your language more inclusive
[00:25:45.840]can go a long way in showing someone
[00:25:47.970]how much you support them and care.
[00:25:55.230]Way number two in being a supportive ally is
[00:25:58.080]to stop the use of and challenge the use of outdated terms.
[00:26:02.520]For example, instead of saying transsexual
[00:26:05.010]or transgender-ed, say transgender or trans people.
[00:26:09.750]Instead of saying homosexual male or homosexual female,
[00:26:13.740]say gay or lesbian.
[00:26:16.140]Instead of calling people gays
[00:26:17.940]or referring to the LGBTQA+ community as the gays,
[00:26:22.740]say, "Gay people."
[00:26:24.810]Additionally, don't use the terms "preferred or preference"
[00:26:27.840]as this insinuates that being LGBTQA+ is a choice.
[00:26:31.920]Instead of saying sexual preference,
[00:26:34.050]say, "sexual orientation."
[00:26:36.270]And instead of asking or saying preferred pronouns,
[00:26:39.540]use the phrase chosen pronouns or just ask,
[00:26:42.517]"What are your pronouns?"
[00:26:44.880]And if you're wondering about the word "queer,"
[00:26:46.860]this term has historically been used as a slur,
[00:26:49.470]but in recent years,
[00:26:50.700]members of the LGBTQA+ community have reclaimed it
[00:26:54.450]and use it as a more general umbrella term.
[00:26:57.210]However, some people in the community
[00:26:58.890]still view it as a slur.
[00:27:00.510]For best practices, don't call someone queer
[00:27:02.850]unless that's how they tell you they identify.
[00:27:05.700]Talk to the LGBTQA+ people in your life
[00:27:08.430]to learn about how they view the term "queer"
[00:27:10.890]and err on the side of caution.
[00:27:17.730]The third way to be an ally is to challenge harmful myths
[00:27:20.820]and stereotypes about LGBTQA+ people.
[00:27:24.600]Let's identify and correct some of these myths.
[00:27:27.510]First, LGBTQA+ people do not choose
[00:27:30.780]their sexual orientation or gender identity.
[00:27:34.620]Transgender people are not confused or mentally ill.
[00:27:39.270]LGBTQA+ people have existed for all of human history,
[00:27:43.530]not just recently.
[00:27:44.730]And young people should be allowed
[00:27:46.200]to explore their sexual and gender identities.
[00:27:49.740]Nobody needs to be the man or the woman in the relationship.
[00:27:54.180]Asexual people are not people
[00:27:56.100]who just haven't found the right person yet
[00:27:58.770]and saying, this is invalidating.
[00:28:01.410]Trans women are not men in dresses.
[00:28:03.960]Trans women are women
[00:28:05.430]and they should be allowed bathroom access.
[00:28:08.490]Being LGBTQA+ is not just a white people thing.
[00:28:12.300]LGBTQA+ people have existed in all cultures and nations
[00:28:16.530]for all of human history.
[00:28:18.390]Although cultures do differ
[00:28:20.250]and their beliefs around LGBTQA+ people.
[00:28:24.330]To imply or state that LGBQ men
[00:28:27.900]and trans people are more likely to abuse children,
[00:28:30.900]puts them in danger and is factually incorrect.
[00:28:35.010]LGBQ men and trans people should be allowed careers
[00:28:39.420]in which they work with children.
[00:28:41.520]Religion is not a valid reason
[00:28:43.380]to discriminate against anyone,
[00:28:45.030]and you can be LGBTQA+ and religious.
[00:28:49.410]Trans people do not have
[00:28:50.430]to medically transition to be accepted,
[00:28:52.740]and it's not their fault if they're not able to
[00:28:55.290]or do not want to medically transition.
[00:28:58.710]Chromosomes and sex assigned at birth
[00:29:00.990]do not define your gender.
[00:29:03.480]You cannot tell if someone is LGBTQA+
[00:29:06.450]and there's no right way to look.
[00:29:13.650]In addition to these three ways
[00:29:15.330]to act as an ally to the community,
[00:29:17.370]we also discuss active and passive ways to be supportive
[00:29:20.700]of the LGBTQA+ community.
[00:29:23.880]The first is to speak up and educate others
[00:29:26.400]whenever you're hearing, seeing
[00:29:28.260]or experiencing something that's anti LGBTQA plus.
[00:29:32.880]An example of this might be educating and correcting someone
[00:29:36.180]who is perpetuating some of the myths we just discussed.
[00:29:39.900]The second is to advocate for the community.
[00:29:42.480]For example, you can write letters and make phone calls
[00:29:45.150]to legislators and advocate for inclusion
[00:29:47.670]in your workplaces, social circles, classrooms, et cetera.
[00:29:52.470]The third way to actively support the community is
[00:29:55.230]by receiving education from others,
[00:29:57.630]like attending workshops and presentations like this one.
[00:30:04.830]There are also passive ways
[00:30:06.210]to be supportive of the community.
[00:30:08.280]These include self-educating by consuming media
[00:30:11.760]and research related to LGBTQA+ issues,
[00:30:15.570]listening with empathy when LGBTQA+ people talk to you
[00:30:19.320]about their experiences, making donations
[00:30:22.620]to organizations that support LGBTQA+ wellbeing.
[00:30:27.210]Again, using inclusive language,
[00:30:30.210]displaying visible signs of inclusion such as pride flags,
[00:30:33.540]signs or stickers.
[00:30:35.490]And reporting LGBTQA+ bias and discrimination,
[00:30:38.850]when you see it.
[00:30:44.640]In summary, the messages we want you to take away
[00:30:47.250]from today are:
[00:30:48.180]First, please continue to educate yourself and others
[00:30:51.510]about LGBTQA plus terminology, issues
[00:30:54.870]and experiences of marginalization.
[00:30:57.720]And we encourage you to integrate being an ally
[00:31:00.210]into your daily life by using inclusive language,
[00:31:03.240]challenging stereotypes and advocating for LGBTQA+ equity.
[00:31:14.280]We're handing out LGBTQA+ inclusive cards
[00:31:17.610]for folks who have watched this presentation.
[00:31:20.190]In order to get one of these cards,
[00:31:21.780]please send in a question related to this presentation
[00:31:24.840]to unlgsc@unl.edu
[00:31:29.520]and schedule an appointment
[00:31:30.630]to pick up your badge and pack it.
[00:31:34.410]Here too is displayed our contact information,
[00:31:37.830]including our website, our email, our Facebook,
[00:31:42.270]our Instagram, our physical office location,
[00:31:45.600]and our office phone number.
[00:31:48.090]This QR code also allows you
[00:31:50.070]to leave feedback on this presentation.
[00:31:56.190]Here are the references cited in this presentation
[00:31:58.440]if you would like to look at these sources in more detail.
[00:32:01.170]Thank you for tuning in, and we hope to see you
[00:32:03.180]at one of our future events or presentations.
[00:32:06.480]Thank you.

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LGBTQA+ 101

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