The LGBTQI+ Narratives Map (Exercise)

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

Task description

In this activity you will map the many influences you’ve had on your knowledge, attitudes and skills around sexuality and gender. Sexuality and gender are present in our lives in many ways and in many situations, although a lot of the times we don’t notice it, especially if our identities are priviledged in some way or comform to the heteronormative ideal. Exploring where and what we’ve learnt about sexuality and gender, how we’ve come to the knowledge we hold today is a powerful exercise and a great foundation to professional development.

For this exploration you will use the LGBTQI+ Narrative Map. By the end of the exercise this map will contain a lot of your ideas, influences around gender and sexuality.

The LGBTQI+ Narratives Map has two dimensions:

• One is a timeline on which different life stages are marked
• The other is a list of different social environments and contexts based on Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory.

According to Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory we live and navigate  in multiple social systems that are different in their sizes, distances from us, direct or indirect availability.

Ecological systems theory. (2021). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ecological_systems_theory&oldid=1038677351

Instruction

By looking at the Map, try to come up with different messages, memories, things that happened to you or you’ve heard during their life about sexuality and gender. Here are a few guiding questions to facilitate your thinking.

• Think about the first time you became aware of your gender: when was it? Where and how did you express it? How did you know you were a “boy” or a “girl”?
• Do you have a memory of first being in love or first feeling attraction towards someone? What expectations were communicated toward you regarding love and relationships?
• Do you know when you first became aware of your sexuality? When and how did you get information on romantic and sexual orientation?
• Was it allowed to talk about sexuality in your family? With your peers at school?
• Did you have sex education in kindergarten, elementary and secondary school?
• Where did you learn about sexuality, orientation, sexual health, gender identity?
• What do you think about the quality of education on sexual orientation and gender identity during your undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate education?
• Were sexuality and special aspects of work with LGBTQI+ persons included in the curriculum of your professional education and to which extent? Do you feel competent enough to work with LGBTQI+ clients?
• Did you ever watch a movie or a TV series that brings up LGBTQI+ themes? Do you know an actor or an actress who identifies as LGBTQI+ (abroad and in your country)? Can you name movies or TV serials that have LGBTQI+ persons as main characters or portray LGBTQI+ topics? What would you say about stereotypes on different LGBTQI+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, etc.) identities in movies?
• Is your society liberal toward diversities or homophobic and heterosexist? Do you feel safe in your society? Have your clients ever experienced violence due to their LGBTQI+ identity?