Safe Zone Training

Increasing LGBTQ awareness and promoting comprehensive allyship MISSION

DFS promotes the well-being of the County's diverse community by protecting and improving the lives of children, adults and families through supportive services, education and advocacy. The LGBTQ Umbrella

LGBTQ is an acronym meant to encompass diverse sexualities and . The “Q” often refers to queer and represents an umbrella term for many other identities The umbrella is helpful because lesbian, gay, and bisexual are not the only marginalized sexualities and is not the only marginalized identity

3 Behavior: how you act These may not align the way we assume! You might expect • Young woman in your care is: • attracted to men and women (orientation) • sleeps with men and women (behavior) Identity: • identifies as a lesbian (identity) what you call your yourself sexuality • Young man in your care is: • attracted to men (orientation) • sleeps with both men and women (behavior) • identifies as straight (identity)

Orientation: who you’re attracted to

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Biological characteristics Assigned at birth of being male based on sex • Inner sense of your gender or female • Way we present to the world • Self-identification • Words we use to tell the world our Assigned at birth by a Taught through physician based on socialization and gender physical anatomy cultural norms

Can be fluid and change over time

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Captain America Wonder Woman

Marvel Cinematic DC Universe Universe

Deadpool

Marvel Universe

Theo Putnam

Chilling Adventures of Gender Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Netflix Clarify our understanding of gender identities and sexual orientations through fictional superheroes & Nomi Marks superhumans Sense8, Netflix Original Series 7 Captain America

Gender identity? ? Sex assigned at birth? Physically attracted to? Emotionally attracted to?

8 Wonder Woman

Gender identity? Gender expression? Sex assigned at birth? Physically attracted to? Emotionally attracted to? Deadpool

 Gender identity?  Gender expression?  Sex assigned at birth?  Physically attracted to?  Emotionally attracted to?

10 Nomi Marks Gender identity? Gender expression? Sex assigned at birth? Physically attracted to? Emotionally attracted to? Theo Putnam

 Gender identity?  Gender expression?  Sex assigned at birth?  Physically attracted to?  Emotionally attracted to?

12 Trans 101

Transgender • Umbrella term for people whose assigned gender does not match their gender identity • Person whose assigned gender matches gender identity Gender non-conforming • Person who does not conform to cultural expectations of their assigned gender • May or may not identify as transgender

13 Transition Cutting or growing hair Changing Hormone pronouns therapy

Transition Surgery: Changing top or names can include bottom

Binding Changing chest, clothes Using breast forms, Adapted from “Open Minds, Open Doors: Transforming tucking Domestic Violence Programs to Include LGBTQ Survivors”, The Network/La Red 15 16 17 18 Homophobia/biphobia/ • Irrational hatred, fear, discrimination and/or belief in stereotypes about LBTQ people Heterosexism • Belief that heterosexuality and heterosexual relationships should be the only acceptable norm and privilege heterosexual identity Cissexism • Belief that being cisgender should be the only acceptable norm and privileges cisgender identity Discrimination & Oppression

19 Considerations for LGBTQ Survivors

Survivor may share the same May not see or hear about support systems (friends, Internalized homophobia, Abuser blames the survivor’s domestic violence within community groups, social biphobia or transphobia, sexual or gender identity for LGBTQ community, spaces) as their abuser, increasing self-blame the abuse increasing isolation leaving the abuser means leaving community

Lack of representation of If closeted, unable to turn to Friends and family may not Using homophobia, biphobia LGBTQ relationships means friends, family, faith acknowledge the survivor is or transphobia to isolate few models for healthy community or employer for in a relationship or that the survivor relationships support relationship is abusive F(earfully) Asked Questions This activity is designed confront those questions that remain unasked for fear of sounding “basic”, prejudiced, or even offensive, and to provide an opportunity for participants to get accurate, healthy answers. Sample Questions • Can I ask someone how they identify? • Don’t all these labels make it worse, not better? • What bathroom does a transgender person use? What bathroom should I refer a transgender client to use at our office? • Can I use the word “queer” if I am not LGBTQ-identified?

21 Parenting Group Can You Help Me? Dilemma

SCENARIOS

Participants will practice working through scenarios Classroom Conflict they may experience in the workplace of supporting LGBTQ individuals 22 Helen McDonald

571.536.9379 703.324.9419

[email protected]

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