Especially professionals working in social services, health care and education encounter individuals in sexual and gender minorities on a daily basis. When it comes to new clients, employees, students and patients it’s safe to assume diversity, that is, to to use language and model conscious support that dismantle heteronormative and cisnormative assumptions.
Individuals in sexual and gender minorities often need special support, especially with how society treats them. Professional need to be aware when social structures are discriminatory and place individuals in minorities in vulnerable positions. In the worst case, experiences of discrimination subject sexual and gender minorities to abuse, and avoiding social services can make them even more vulnerable.
It is always the duty of the professional to address discrimination and solve the situation in a way that protects the victim of discrimination. Professionals need to remember that it is never the duty of the client to give them basic information but they should actively update their knowledge. You can find more information on this website, by contacting us and by getting to know our LGBTQIA+ vocabulary.