1. LGBT* Community Connection
NAMETAGS: Preferred Name Pronouns (Ex. – She/Her/Hers, They/Them/Theirs, Ze/Zir/Zirs) If you do not want your picture taken, make sure you have a pink dot! Pictures taken may be made public PRE-SURVEY Anonymous Please complete and give to volunteers

2. LGBT* community connection
Presenter:
Vivian Carney
She/Her/Hers
Social Work Major
Keynote Speaker:
Elijah Johnson
They/Them/Theirs
BGSU Social Work Graduate
Former President of VISION

3. This is a safe space What is a safe space?
Acceptance, tolerance, nonjudgmental
How do you want to make today’s space a safe space?

4. Identifying LGBT*
LGBT*, LGBT+, LGBTQ*, LGBTQ+ all mean… LGBTQQ2SIPAA… Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer Questioning Two-Spirit Intersex Pansexual Asexual Ally…
What about the term trans* then?
(“Why We Used Trans* and Why We Don’t Anymore,” n.d.)
Why?
Who Says?
Why the constant change?
Will it ever settle into one acronym?
Did I miss any questions?

5. Keynote speaker: Elijah johnson

6. Defining Community How do you define “community”?
What is one community that you feel you connect with?
Did you choose to connect with this community or was it “automatic”?
What makes you feel connected with that community?
Was there a certain event that made you feel as if you belonged to that community?

7. Developing a connection to the lgbt* community
Community Interaction (LeBeau and Jellison, 2009, p. 63)
Community Involvement (Frost and Meyer, 2012, p. 37; LeBeau and Jellison, 2009, p )
Community Connectedness (Baumeister and Leary, 1995, p. 499; Frost and Meyer, 2012, p. 36)
Coincides with coming out (Frost and Meyer, 2012, p. 38)

8. Interacting with the LGBT* Community
Introduction to the LGBT* Community How introduced? Friends, bars/clubs, LGBT* organizations or groups, LGBT* events, and the internet Introductory Experience - Mostly positive (LeBeau and Jellison, 2009, p. 63) Decision to further connect made

9. Becoming actively involved
Variations in “community” “Automatic” Involvement – Assumed involvement, not actual involvement Lack of research Recreational/Informal Involvement (Frost and Meyer, 2012, p. 37; LeBeau and Jellison, 2009, p ) Professional/Formal Involvement (Frost and Meyer, 2012, p. 37; LeBeau and Jellison, 2009, p ) Media/Internet Involvement (Cheng, 2011, p. 2) Or a mix (LeBeau and Jellison, 2009, p. 62) Are these experiences positive?

10. Understanding LGBT* Community Connectedness
As a concept…
Application of the need to belong
Positive relationship with the community – mutually beneficial
Shared mutual emotional connection constructed
(Frost and Meyer, 2012, p. 36)
By this, “Automatic” Involvement or Connection cannot exist (as it is not necessarily mutually positive or beneficial)

11. Activity: Feeling Connected
Visit either “Home” or “Extracurricular” to earn dots
Dots symbolize a positive “interaction” with the LGBT* community that may provide you with the opportunity to become “involved”
With two (2) or more dots that are yellow or orange, you have the choice to visit the LGBT* “Community Involvement”
You do not have to visit community involvement, and can go back to “Home” or “Extracurricular” at any time

12. Discussion
Reflect on the activity, how do you feel? What do you think about the scenarios?
Were there common themes that you noticed in the scenarios?
Did you start to feel the sense of community connectedness by the end of the activity?
Using the need to belong as a method of developing a mutually positive relationship with the LGBT* community
What made it challenging, if anything, to feel connected to the LGBT* community?

13. Mental health benefits of community connectedness
Group coping skill (Frost and Meyer, 2012, p. 38)
Ameliorative Role (Frost and Meyer, 2012, p. 38)
Social well-being (Kertzner, Meyer, & Frost, 2009, p. 500)
Psychological well-being (Kertzner et al., 2009, p. 505)

14. Other positive impacts of community connectedness
Social life (LeBeau and Jellison, 2009, p ) Identity development (LeBeau and Jellison, 2009, p. 64) Advocacy and activism (LeBeau and Jellison, 2009, p. 64) Resource Access (LeBeau and Jellison, 2009, p. 64)

15. internal negative impacts of community connectedness
Racism (Kertzner et al., 2009, p. 501; Cheng, 2009, p. 2; LeBeau and Jellison, 2009, p. 65) Sexism (Kertzner et al., 2009, p. 501) Ageism (Dentato, Orwat, Spira, & Walker, 2014; LeBeau and Jellison, 2009, p. 65) Classism (Frost and Meyer, 2012, p. 37; LeBeau and Jellison, 2009, p. 65) Ostracism within community (LeBeau and Jellison, 2009, p. 65; Kertzner et al., 2009, p. 501) Biphobia, transphobia, ostracism of lesser-known sexualities

16. external negative impacts of community connectedness
Many of the same problems as within the LGBT* community Exposure to prejudice and discrimination

17. Worth the connection?
Up to the Individual!

18. Bgsu lgbt* resources
LGBT* Resource Center
VISION
Gamma Rho Lambda

19. References
Baumeister, R. F., & Leary, M. R. (1995). The need to belong: Desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation. Psychological Bulletin, 117(3), doi: / Cheng, P. S. (2016, June). “I Am Yellow and Beautiful”: Reflections on Queer Asian Spirituality and Gay Male Cyberculture. Journal of Technology, Theology, and Religion, 2(3), Dentato, M. P., Orwat, J., Spira, M., & Walker, B. (2014). Examining Cohort Differences and Resilience among the Aging LGBT Community: Implications for Education and Practice among an Expansively Diverse Population. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 24(3), doi: / Frost, D. M., & Meyer, I. H. (2012). Measuring Community Connectedness among Diverse Sexual Minority Populations. Journal of Sex Research, 49(1), doi: / Kertzner, R. M., Meyer, I. H., Frost, D. M., & Stirratt, M. J. (2009). Social and psychological well- being in lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals: The effects of race, gender, age, and sexual identity. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 79(4), doi: /a LeBeau, R. T., & Jellison, W. A. (2009). Why Get Involved? Exploring Gay and Bisexual Men's Experience of the Gay Community. Journal of Homosexuality, 56(1), doi: / Why We Used Trans* and Why We Don’t Anymore. (n.d.). Retrieved March 17, 2017, from

20. HOME
Family
Holidays
Online
Classes/Work
Group Projects

21. EXTRACURRICULAR Organizations Sporting Events Friends Bars/Clubs
Church

22. Community Involvement
Pride March
LGBT* Organization
Town Hall Meeting
LGBT* Friends