This book examines the microaggressions that LGBTQ people face on a daily basis, highlights their impact on mental health, and discusses ways mental health providers can help clients process and address microaggressions. In contrast to outright assaults and hate crimes, microaggressions are typically more covert or innocuous in nature—sometimes intentional or unintentional—communicating hostile, insulting, or negative messages about people of oppressed groups. Since the first edition of this book (That's So Gay!: Microaggressions and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community) was published, there has been a cultural shift towards the acceptance of LGBTQ people in some parts of the United States. Yet many state governments have also passed laws that attack and discriminate against LGBTQ people, while institutional and interpersonal discrimination continues to occur in the lives of LGBTQ people throughout the country. This book includes a comprehensive overview of empirical work on microaggressions against LGBTQ people. Mental health practitioners can use the book to understand how microaggressions negatively affect their clients’ lives, enabling them to build stronger therapeutic relationships and develop appropriate treatment plans. Educators can use this book to instruct their students, trainees, and colleagues about heterosexism, genderism, and microaggressions. It is a helpful resource for insight into workplace dynamics, and it can also be useful for lay readers of all backgrounds.
