LGBTQ+ People’s Perceptions of Interactions with Outgroup Members: Implications for Social Work Education and Practice

Engaging respectfully with individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, genderqueer, or gender-nonconforming (LGBTQ+) is an ethical imperative. To help social workers fulfill this obligation, this study explored the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ people regarding their interactions with people outside the LGBTQ+ community, and what LGBTQ+ people desire for future interactions. Narrative interviews were conducted with 11 LGBTQ+ social work graduate students and alumni to explore (a) their self-reported experiences engaging in one-on-one and small group interactions with outgroup members throughout their lives and (b) the meaning they gleaned from their life experiences across various domains (e.g., work, family, education) that might improve future interactions. Analysis produced six storylines that can be summarized as (1) unbalanced depictions of difference, (2) avoiding interactions, (3) managing positive treatment of an identity, (4) restricting certain perspectives, (5) focusing on differences, and (6) the importance of seeing humanity. The findings suggest several strategies for interacting with LGBTQ+ people in a more culturally sensitive way including discussing the LGBTQ+ community in a nuanced manner (as opposed to monolithically) and considering the level of attention paid to individuals’ sexual orientation and gender identity.