Abstract
Violence, threats of violence, and fear of violence, in its many forms—self-directed, interpersonal, and collective, is an everyday reality of life for LGBTQ+ people. For LGBTQ+ victim/survivors of interpersonal violence, a focus on individual-level mental health intervention ignores the sociopolitical context that contributes to perpetuating such violence. This chapter aims to help mental health practitioners incorporate a critical response, focused on macro-level intervention, into their practice to challenge and change the oppressive, discriminatory, and disempowering systems, structures, and attitudes that contribute to violence in the lives of LGBQT+ people. The chapter explains how to engage in social justice cause advocacy as an activist/ally activist using a six-part critical response strategy: get educated, get empowered, get connected, be a connector and initiator for change, get political, and take action.
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Notes
- 1.
Language is constantly evolving and changing. Terminology acceptable in the past may no longer be acceptable language in the present. Terminology acceptable to an individual or group may not be acceptable to another individual or group. Unless a different term is used by a source cited, the term outgroup member or outgroup ally will be used to refer to people who identify as straight, heterosexual, and/or cisgender.
- 2.
The “be the change” quote has been attributed to Mohandas Gandhi. However, there does not appear to be definitive evidence supporting this assertion. Refer to the Quote Investigator website for more information about the origins: https://quoteinvestigator.com/2017/10/23/be-change/
- 3.
Definition is a complication of ideas taken from many sources.
- 4.
The general guidance is no more than 5 percent of an organization’s time and efforts can be spent in direct lobbying. Refer to Seasongood v. Commissioner, 227 F.2d 907, 912 (6th Cir. 1955)
- 5.
The expenditure test limits how much money can be spend in direct lobbying based on the size of the organization. Refer to the IRS for information about the expenditure test: https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/measuring-lobbying-activity-expenditure-test
- 6.
For more information about plain language go to: https://www.plainlanguage.gov/
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Fitzsimons, N.M., Anklan, M. (2021). Macro-level Advocacy for Mental Health Professionals: Promoting Social Justice for LGBTQ+ Survivors of Interpersonal Violence. In: Lund, E.M., Burgess, C., Johnson, A.J. (eds) Violence Against LGBTQ+ Persons. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-52612-2_7
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