One element from the material that deepened my understanding of working with individuals for gender and/or sexual orientation was the mention of the Society for Sexual, Affectional, Intersex, and Gender Expansive Identities, otherwise known as SAIGE. The society has published a list of competencies for LGBQQIA as well as a list of competencies for transgender. One of the competencies that struck me was A.8. of the LGBQQIA competencies which states that the typical developmental tasks of LGBQQ older adults are often complicated by social isolation and invisibility. I think the fact that LGBQQIA is more accepted in society makes it quick to forget that many older individuals have hidden this part of themselves out of fear of unacceptance, which can take a toll on their mental health. (Competencies, n.d.)

Another element from the materials I gleaned from A Different Stripe by Renee Sullivan. I found this article most interesting as it was the second article in the past couple of weeks that I have read regarding a situation of detransitioning. Unlike this article written by a person experiencing the confusion and stress of their identity, the other article which had been shared on Facebook was written by a mother. It discussed the stress, worry, and confusion that was felt throughout their family and home during her daughter's high school years as she wished to transition to a male. They supported her emotionally but requested that she make no permanent alterations to her body until she was of legal age to do so. Soon after high school she detransitioned and went on to live a straight life, marrying a man.

I think it's important to make sure the client feels supported; however, it is equally as important to allow them to navigate their feelings and emotions in a way that does not push them toward any finite decisions. I think that, especially, in teen years the hormones of puberty play a huge role in gender identity. (Steensma et al., 2013) states that "the period of adolescence, with its changing social environment and the onset of physical puberty, seems to be crucial for the development of a non-normative gender identity."

Lastly, the concept of not discriminating against things we don't necessarily endorse. The Bible states in Leviticus 18:22Links to an external site.,"Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination." (King James Version, 1769/2023) As a Christian I may not endorse same-sex attraction, however, as a counselor, I must be competent to work with these individuals in a productive and unjudging way.

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