This week's material gave me a lot of insight on things. I learned a lot about the human sexual
orientation. As I continued to view the material for this week three notable elements stood out to
me that helped deepen my understanding of working with individuals of same sex attraction.
One of the notable elements I learned is that it is important to be knowledgeable of the LGBTQ+
population. This is a population that has been oppressed. Recently we are seeing how
welcoming more and more people are becoming to the population. In 2015 a poll revealed 55%
of Americans support same-sex marriage (Garzon, 2021). As a counselor it is important to be
culturally competent. Counselors have to be aware of their own cultural beliefs and values and
how it may be different from other cultures. Another element I learned is that suicide and
depression are more common in LGBTQ+ individuals (Hays, 2018). I found this to be a sad fact
because it is hard for most people to come out and be who they are. Having to hide their true
self and even worse having to be treated poorly for being who they are is a lot for someone to
handle. The final element I learned is that counselors cannot discriminate or turn a client away
based on their sexual orientation according to the ACA Code of Ethics (Hays, 2018). This is
important because it ensures justice and equality of all clients.
I have no problems with working with the LGBTQ+. I am willing to work with any population. My
job as a counselor will be to help those who need it, not to cast judgment on anyone. It will be
my job as a counselor to help individuals and reach absolute mental health regardless of their
population. Working with LGBTQ+ individuals will help me gain knowledge and insight within
their population and help me become a well-rounded counselor. I want to be able to help
anyone from any population and I do not want my knowledge to be limited. Judging a person
based on their sexual orientation is not what a counselor should do. As a counselor, advocating
for those who have no voice is what is important. Why do you pass judgment on your brother?
Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God
(Romans 14:10).
References:
Hays, D. G., & Erford, B. T. (2018).Developing multicultural counseling competence: A
systemsapproach(3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. ISBN: 9780134523804
Garzon, F. (2021).The Lesbian & Gay Population.[Video].
Canvas.https://libertyuniversity.instructure.com/courses/67117/pages/watch-the-lesbian-and-
gay-population?module_item_id=7691344
Official king James Bible online. King James Bible Online. (n.d.). Retrieved November 4, 2022,
from https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/
Reply:
Hi Alyssa,
Thank you for your post! I found it interesting that homosexuality is not open where you from. I
always thought that it was such an open topic to be who you are, maybe that is due to the fact
that I live in NYC and it is very common and open here. Everyone is able to be themselves. With
that being said I found it to be sad that openly gay men ear less money than heterosexual men.
That is discriminatory. We know that counselors cannot discriminate or turn a client away based
on their sexual orientation according to the ACA Code of Ethics (Hays, 2018). However, I guess
not every other job or place has that same code they follow.
I also found it interesting where you said the LGBTQ+ community are not protected against
discrimination by federal law in the workplace. I would think that the community would be able to
have some type of protection at work. Coming from an African American household, I know very
well how hurtful discrimination in the workplace can be. From personal experience, my mother
has been at her job for over 20 years and was well deserving of a higher title. However, that title
was not given to her and instead was passed along to someone else who had only been
working at the company for 2 years and had minimal experience. Yes, that person is white.
When my mother asked why she was not given the title she deserved she was told that she
does not have the company “image”. She was unsure what that image was supposed to be but
it definitely sounded like she was discriminated against. Discrimination can cause trauma and
my hope is that the LGBTQ+ community get great advocates and fight this fight! “You judge
according to the flesh; I judge no one.” (John 8:15)
Hi Osegi,
Thank you for sharing that personal experience with us. I am sorry to hear about what your
friend had to go through. That definitely sounds like a traumatic event. Suicide and depression
are more common in LGBTQ+ individuals (Hays, 2018). I am glad to hear that he is still who he
is and is living a successful life. People should not be shunned or shamed because of who they
are or because of who they love. Love is universal and I am glad to see and hear that more
people are beginning to accept themselves even when some of society will not.
I found it interesting when you said that children are being given hormones and hormone
suppressors. I wonder if there is a certain age that children have to be to be given these
hormones or hormone suppressors. I do think it is great that there are options for children who
want to eventually transition when they get older. This will help them go through puberty of the
gender that they desire. They help delay unwanted physical changes that don't match their
gender identity. Delaying these changes is an important step in a child’s transition. It can also
give the child more time to explore their options before deciding whether or how to transition. My
hope is that the world can be a bit more accepting of everyone’s preferences and how they
identify. It is not our place to judge anyone. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall
love your neighbor as yourself.” (Galatians 5:14)
