WEBINAR SERIES: LGBTQ 101
MONDAY June 26 & Wednesday June 28, 2-4PM, on Zoom
Learn how best to meet the needs of LGBTQ people who come to your organization for help, and how to make them feel welcomed. Participants will gain a basic understanding of the queer and trans experience, what it’s like for LGBTQ people to seek assistance from social service organizations, and how to overcome their unique barriers to housing. Participants will also learn what anti-LGBTQ discrimination looks like in housing access and other systems, what the law says about it, and how they can advocate for progress.
The first session will outline terms and definitions, and provide basic cultural competency information necessary for working with LGBTQ clients. It will also cover the lived experience of queer and trans people, the layers of trauma they carry with them. We will also provide an overview of the current standing of LGBTQ housing rights and discrimination. This includes current protections under the law, challenges to those protections, and best practices for service providers to combat discrimination. Participants will leave with a clear picture of where LGBTQ anti-discrimination efforts currently stand, and where further advocacy is needed.
The second session will build on the information from Day 1, and turn it into action steps. We will discuss best practices within homeless and social services, in order to affirm our LGBTQ clients. We’ll also take a look at non-discrimination policies, how to navigate them, and where they can be strengthened. Then we’ll break into small groups to practice trouble-shooting scenarios that often come up when trying to meet the needs of LGBTQ clients.