Queer Professionals – Experts for Gender and Sexual Diversity or Others?

Abstract

Gender identity and sexual orientation are fundamental components of human existence. Therefore, addressing sexual and gender diversity can be seen as a core social work task. However, it is one that continues to pose significant challenges to practitioners due to their own entanglement in social norms and taboos and their own gender identity and sexual orientation (Baer & Höblich 2021).

The article presents findings from an empirical study, in which 16 biographical interviews with queer professionals in various fields of child and youth welfare were conducted and analyzed using qualitative content analysis to examine how queer practitioners address sexual and gender diversity in their practice, if and how they position themselves as queer within client-provider-relationships, teams and their organization.

Findings reveal that queer professionals play a crucial role in sexual and gender minority communities and how this affects their professional work. They face both opportunities and limitations when forming working connections with clients, acting as role models, and delivering appropriate services to LGBTIQ* clients based on their personal and professional know-how. Queer Professionals also criticise being positioned as 'diverse' by clients and colleagues.