I have a strong bias to be an advocate for sexual/gender minorities in the LGBTQ community, especially those with intersectional identities. This is shown in my professional values and my involvement and advocacy with the transgender community. As part of the LGBTQ community and a person of color myself, I understand some of the systemic barriers that affect the transgender community, such as difficulty finding competent providers, lack of insurance coverage, and high poverty rates. Even though I am part of the overall community, I have seen how the LGBQ community often excludes transgender individuals in their issues. This further excludes them as they may not feel heard or supported by other gender and/or sexual minorities adding to disparities in health, education, employment, and overall support. Although I am not part of the transgender community, I have seen and heard of unique disparities that are experienced in this community and how all these factors ultimately affect their overall health. I believe that there’s is a great amount of work to be done regarding disparities in the transgender community and with other disenfranchised groups. There is a great amount of progress that needs to be done and working together at all levels with other professionals and communities are needed to make a change. To solve this issue, our transphobic culture needs to be tackled to allow individuals in the transgender community to have more equal opportunities. If we address unemployment, decreased access education, and the discrimination experienced in these institutions, we may be able to have more representation of this community. It is especially salient for me to educate others in my community as much as I can without continuing stereotypes or generalizations as I am not part of the trans community. It is vital for us to inform others about issues, but we cannot fully speak for them as this may add to disparities in various settings. Professional / …show more content…
This community faces unique barriers in all settings, from harassment in the street to their workplace. They often struggle to find appropriate and welcoming services when needed. I know the importance of providing a welcoming environment to all individuals and respecting their dignity and worth. It is vital to support this community at all levels and interactions. At a professional level, I a member of the LGBTQ+ committee at my organization and we have been advocating for gender neutral bathrooms and terminology on intake forms for the past year. When someone from this community enters our facilities and sees that they cannot identify with a bathroom or their identity is not an option on the paperwork, this creates an oppressive environment from the beginning, further preventing them from reaching their wellness goals. Regarding financial access, I always assure myself to inform them of our sliding scale and where to get insurance coverage in our county. As a clinician, it is also important to understand the intersectionality of this community and issues faced to not perpetuate marginalization. At the macro level, I have lobbied for bills that affect the trans community in support for the birth certificate modernization act. Though this experience, I have heard the difficulties that this community faces daily and how under current law, healthcare providers are the ones that must decide their treatment, rather than collaborating and providing gender affirming care. As social workers, we must place value in the individual’s decision in treatment and must practice this in our