First thoughts (Exercise)

• You will need: pen and paper
• Estimated time: 25 minutes

Look at each of the words below and write down the first two or three adjectives, which come to your mind. Positive or negative, you should be as spontaneous as you can – just write down your first thoughts.

• Disabled
• Elderly
• Doctors
• Women
• Balkan people
• Trans girl
• Teachers
• Cis man
• Parents
• Taxi drivers
• Gays
• Police officers
• Teenagers
• Covid-19
• The Pope
• Managers
• Manhood
• Same-sex couple
• Child

After you are done, it is time for personal reflection.

Are there any surprises in your answer? Which words were the most difficult for you to categorise? Think of a time in your life when you were discriminated against or treated unfairly because of who you are. To keep your comfort, choose a situation that might be not too emotional for you and happened some time ago. Do not bring in the most traumatic ones, but those with which you can already deal safely. Take a paper and a pen and reflect on the following question:

• What did you feel?
• How did you cope?
• What did you learn?

After the paired discussion, bring participants back to the circle, and start a discussion. They can reflect on their discussion without sharing the stories they told, or if they are comfortable they can share their stories too.

You can keep reflecting on your experiences and bias in the form of self-assessment by using the next handout later in this module: “Some questions we could ask ourselves when working with LGBTQI+ people.”