Enjeux LGBTQ

Objectives
This study explored the perspectives of mental health practitioners serving LGBTQ+ forced migrants, LGBTQ+ individuals, and forced migrants not identifying as LGBTQ+ to understand the clinical frameworks guiding their practice and how they approached clients whose identities were similar to or different than their own.
Methods
Twenty-eight mental health practitioners from three Canadian cities participated in qualitative interviews. The sample comprised practitioners serving LGBTQ+ forced migrants (n=11); forced migrants not identifying as LGBTQ+ (n=9); and non-migrant LGBTQ+ clients (n=8). Thirteen providers identified as white; 3 as Middle-Eastern/North African, 3 as Latinx, 1 as West African, 1 as Indigenous, 1 as West Asian, and 1 as Other. Data were analyzed using constructivist grounded theory.
Results
Practitioners across all three 3 sample groups used similar approaches, whether or not they worked with clients whose sexual orientations, gender identities, racial/ethnic backgrounds, or migration status were different than their own. Practitioners described using an
eclectic approach, incorporating cultural competence, cultural humility, and LGBTQ+- affirmative and anti-oppressive practices in their work. Practitioners also noted that lack of training for ancillary providers could lead to discrimination that negatively impacts clients, making establishing a therapeutic relationship challenging.
Conclusions
Findings suggest that the concepts of cultural humility, cultural competence, and affirmative practice may not be mutually exclusive. The similarities in practice approaches across provider samples point to the salience of integrating these clinical practice concepts and frameworks when working with LGBTQ+ forced migrants, LGBTQ+ individuals with diverse cultural backgrounds, and forced migrants who do not identity as LGBTQ+.

Bien qu’il y ait un intérêt grandissant dans la recherche en sciences sociales sur la réalité des personnes migrantes marginalisées, telle que celles appartenant à la population LGBTQ+, on dispose de très peu d’études dans la littérature québécoise sur les meilleures stratégies d’implication des personnes concernées dans la construction des savoirs. Cet article vise à contribuer à la diffusion de la connaissance empirique et autoréflexive sur l’inclusion des personnes LGBTQ+ migrantes dans les espaces de délibération et de co-construction des savoirs. Pour ce faire, plusieurs pistes sont proposées pour dépasser les limites systémiques ainsi que résoudre les défis méthodologiques et éthiques liés à l’inclusion des personnes LGBTQ+ migrantes au sein des espaces de réflexion et de construction des connaissances autour des enjeux qui les concernent directement. D’un point de vue empirique, notre démarche s’appuie sur l’autoreflexivité de différents acteurs et actrices concernés (membres soutenus, membres du conseil d’administration, membres de l’équipe de soutien et employés) dans une recherche communautaire menée en collaboration avec l’organisme communautaire AGIR (Action LGBTQ avec les immigrant.e.s et les réfugié.e.s).

The contemporary global context of migration suggests a continued increase in migration due to people forced out of their countries of origin as a result of interconnected factors such as war, dictatorship, persecution, development, resource extraction, environmental disaster and human trafficking. These social, economic and political conditions shape the ways in which heteronormative1
and cisnormative violence compel lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer and intersex (LGBTQI) people from the Global South to migrate to the Global North.
Indeed, over 70 of the 93 nation-states continue to criminalize sexual and
gender transgressions, with most of these situated in the Global South, such as Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and Nigeria. However, critical scholarship highlights, in site- and context-specific ways, the historical role of colonialism, imperialism and European empire-building in the criminalization, control and erasure of diverse Indigenous sexual and gender expressions and practices in these regions.
A growing body of scholarship engages in historical, policy and textual analysis while drawing from critical race, feminist (e.g. transnational and post-colonial feminist, women of color feminist, transfeminist, etc.), queer (e.g. queer of color, queer diasporic) and trans theories
This chapter presents key findings from a scoping review that synthesized the knowledge produced between 2007 to 2017 about LGBTQI migrants, with a
focus of those who migrated from the Global South to the Global North. The term “migrant” is used to include those who arrive in a host country with permanent status (e.g. refugees, LGBTQI Migrants and Social Work. Economic class, family class, etc.) or with precarious status (visitors, temporary workers, international students, refugee claimants, undocumented people, etc.). A total of 241 publications were included in the initial scoping review, with 56 from Canada, 74 from the US, 50 from elsewhere in the Global North and 61 from the Global South. A synthesis that focuses primarily on the Canadian-specific literature (Lee et al., in press), has been discussed elsewhere. Thus, this chapter focuses primarily on scholarship from the Global North, particularly from the US
and Europe. However, we draw from the entirety of the literature reviewed in order to more fully explore the implications for social work policy and practice with LGBTQI migrants. This highlights possible strategies for engaging in policy advocacy and community mobilizing as well as developing trauma-informed and anti-oppressive service delivery and specialized services for LGBTQI migrants.
There is an emergent and growing social work-specific literature about LGBTQI migrant realities informing how social work educators and practitioners in the Global North may better work with this population. Yet, there remains a lack of scholarship that examines the role of the social work profession in LGBTQI support and advocacy. This chapter therefore concludes with some critical reflections on the generative possibilities of the social work profession placing

C’est avec une petite larme au coin de l’oeil que METISS (Migration et Ethnicité dans les Interventions en Santé et en Services sociaux) vous fait ses adieux. Eh oui! Après 28 ans de recherche et de partenariat, l’équipe ferme boutique.

Pour clore cette époque en beauté, nous vous présentons avec beaucoup de fierté une toute dernière publication, les toutes dernières « Entre-vues », qui retracent trois décennies de recherche, d’innovation et de collaboration autour de la thématique de la diversité dans les services sociaux et de santé. Des fondements sur lesquels on peut s’appuyer pour nous propulser vers l’avenir, mais un document à consulter avec un brin de nostalgie tout de même.

This article aims to share key findings from a scoping review of the literature about LGBTQI migrants from a global context. The scoping review methodology allows for rapid assessment of a broad range of literature while also highlighting key knowledge and policy strengths and gaps. Although this review focuses on the Canadian-specific literature, it also compares the Canadian context with the broader global context. Upon presenting a synthesis of the knowledge produced about LGBTQI migrants, implications on Canadian refugee and newcomer settlement policies are critically assessed. This review presents how the Canadian literature has shifted over the past decade from a focus on legal scholarship to broader knowledge from multiple disciplines about the social, political, economic and transnational contexts for LGBTQI migrations to Canada. Although there have been key improvements to Canadian refugee policy, there remains a lack of federal and provincial policies and settlement programs designed to attend to the particular needs of LGBTQI migrants. The relevance of the Canadian knowledge and policies in relation to knowledge emerging from the Global South and elsewhere in the Global North will also enrich the discussion about present and future research and policy directions in this area.

Research has shown that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) children are likely to experience chronic victimization and that these experiences
correlate with numerous mental health problems. However, there is little understanding of the abuse experiences of LGBT children living in countries where rights for sexual and gender minorities are limited or nonexistent. In this chapter, we explore the child abuse experiences that contribute to LGBT individuals’ decision
to flee their countries of origin in search of protection. In addition, we examine the impact of these abuse experiences on their pre-migration mental health. We conducted 26 interviews with individuals who obtained refugee or asylee status in the United States or Canada on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
Participants originated from countries in Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, Eastern Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. We identified the following themes: abuse by parents and caregivers, abuse by peers and school personnel, having nowhere to turn, and dealing with psychological distress. Findings demonstrate that
participants experienced severe verbal, physical, and sexual abuse throughout childhood and adolescence and that this abuse occurred at home, in school, and in the community. Furthermore, there were no resources or sources of protection available to them. Participants linked their abuse to subjective experiences of depression, anxiety, and traumatic stress, as well as suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. We provide implications for clinical practice as well as international policies that protect the well-being of children

This chapter brings to the forefront various challenges of engaging in both critical and participatory forms of knowledge building, in particular with queer and trans migrants with precarious status. Two scholars trace their previous experiences of engaging in participatory and critical research as well as their shift toward reflexive ways of knowing. This shift elicits the ways in which Critical Participatory Action Research (CPAR) may be used to build reflexive knowledge with and about queer and trans migrant communities, and in particular, LGBTQ refugees and MSM Latino migrants.

Background: The literature on trans youth has been dominated by etiological studies interested in trans experience as a medical phenomenon. An emerging body of literature has begun to document that trans youth are a diverse, vulnerable, yet resilient population, and to investigate the role of various sites of support such as the family, peer groups, institutions, and community spaces in contributing to or impeding trans youth’s well-being.

Method: This article presents the results of Stage One of interviews (n = 24) conducted for a Community-Based Participatory Action Research (CBPAR) qualitative research project based in Quebec. It studies the factors that enhance trans youth’s well-being as well as the factors of oppression that negatively affect it. This paper offers a brief overview of the anti-oppressive methodology used for this project, emphasizing how CBPAR was combined with Grounded Theory (GT) methods to encourage the direct involvement of communities and the translation of knowledge into action.

Results: We present preliminary categories emerging through the ongoing axial coding process. These categories address trans youth’s experiences in and perceptions of various “sites”: 1) healthcare services both for gender-related and general care, 2) other institutional spaces, 3) the family and other social circles, and 4) community spaces.

Conclusion: While much of this study’s results support existing evidence on trans youth’s experiences, they also provide a more nuanced portrayal of the complex ways in which recognition, as well as non-, mis-, or mal-recognition, influence trans youth’s well-being at different sites. We also argue that recognition itself must be considered through the lens of intersectionality.

Researchers are beginning to document the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) forced migrants in settlement. However, studies exploring the perceptions of service providers working with this vulnerable population are limited. These may shed light on the challenges of meeting the needs of LGBT forced migrants, especially mental health issues and problems.

This qualitative study elicited the views of 22 Canadian service providers, including advocates, lawyers and mental health practitioners, who serve LGBT forced migrants. Grounded theory analysis revealed the following four themes: facilitating safety, buffering rejection; tracking avoidance patterns; interpreting mental health; and negotiating identity paradigms.

Participants’ accounts suggest that LGBT forced migrants may be best served by providers who understand the exigencies of establishing trust and safety for their clients; recognise their clients’ nuanced social support needs; facilitate the refugee claims process; grasp the complexity of their clients’ mental health challenges; and interrogate their own cultural biases regarding sexual orientations and gender identities.

Scoping review methodology was used to rapidly assess a broad range of literature while at the same time identify key knowledge strengths and gaps. A total of 241 publications included in this scoping review, with 56 from Canada, 74 from the US, 50 from elsewhere in the Global North and 61 from the Global South. LGBTQI people living in the Global South: Homophobic and transphobic violence faced by LGBTQI people living in the Global South is always situated within particular geo-political and regional contexts that are shaped by neo-liberalism, gender inequalities, colonial legacies, nationalisms, armed conflict, police violence, corruption, religious extremism, etc. LGBTQI migrants living in Canada: Most focused on LGBTQI refugees. Since 2014 there has been a shift in focus from refugee to precarious status, newcomers and immigrants and exploring how LGBTQI migrants navigated community belonging and structural barriers. LGBTQI migrants living in the US: Exploration of well-being especially with respect to HIV risk and prevention. For LGBTQI migrants, chosen families broke social isolation and fostered belonging. LGBTQI migrants also encounter multiple identity-based discriminations that blocked access to housing and health and social services, along with a fear, especially for those undocumented, of being profiled and detained by immigration officials. LGBTQI migrants living elsewhere in the Global North: Two areas of focus include SOGIE-based refugee claims and multiple discriminations by LGBTQI migrants, such as family / community rejection and barriers to access housing, employment, health and social services. Detention centres have a detrimental impact on the mental health of LGBTQI refugees, and increases their exposure to homophobic and transphobic violence. Key research methodologies and theories used: Qualitative research methods used include semi-structured interviews, focus groups, mixed methods and refugee case decisions. Some applied intervention, community-based and/or participatory research methodologies. Theories applied include ecological systems theory, minority stress model, multicultural feminist framework, the social determinants of health and especially intersectionality. Knowledge strengths and gaps: Researcher use of critical and participatory research methodologies as well as intersectionality theory are knowledge strengths. The IRB has implemented SOGIE-based guidelines for decision makers. There remains little knowledge about the realities of LGBTQI immigrants and migrants with precarious status. Need to develop anti-racist, anti-heterosexist and anti-cissexist service delivery and specialized services for LGBTQI migrants. Service providers should engage in trauma-informed and anti-oppressive practice that attends to the intersectional realities of LGBTQI migrants. Policy makers involved in developing Canada’s international role in LGBTQI human rights, should consider the complexities of LGBTQI realities in the Global South.

Comment ça se passe quand on est lesbienne, gai, bisexuel, transsexuel, queer (LGBTQ), mais aussi immigrant, réfugié, demandeur d’asile? Quelles sont les conséquences de cette double appartenance sur le parcours migratoire? Sur l’affirmation identitaire? Les services offerts à cette population prennent-ils en compte leur réalité?

Cette publication présente les résultats d’une recherche réalisée par Habib El-Hage, sociologue, et Edward Ou Jin Lee, candidat au doctorat en travail social, à l’Université McGill. Des personnes LGBTQ issues de l’immigration ont été rencontrées, ainsi que des intervenants sociaux et des gestionnaires d’organismes qui offrent des services à cette population.