Webinar: Improving Equity: Working with Rural LGBT Individuals

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, or Transgender (LGBT) individuals continue to face greater health threats and disparities than their heterosexual peers. Importantly, LGBT people are members of every community, and include people of all races and ethnicities, all ages, all faiths and socioeconomic statuses, and from all parts of the country. Although much has changed socially and politically regarding the social and legal status of LGBT persons, issues of marginalization, stigmatization, and homophobia continue to plague the LGBT community. LGBT individuals in rural environments continue to face greater psychosocial and health disparities compared to their urban LGBT counterparts. This is in addition to the challenges of access to economic, educational, and healthcare opportunities we often find in rural areas.

Social workers have an essential role to play across the lifespan of LGBT individuals. Social workers often find themselves as one of the first persons an individual will identify to, as well as the one ensuring an individual's identity is respected in later life.

This webinar will provide an overview of the experience of LGBT individuals in rural environments throughout the lifespan. Throughout the webinar participants can expect to gain knowledge about issues facing rural LGBT persons, existing community strengths,  as well as resources and tools to interact with rural LGBT clients and communities.