COUC 504 Discussion Thread--Sexual Orientation

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Liberty University *

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504

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Arts Humanities

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Apr 3, 2024

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docx

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Uploaded by jakahtabrown

The first notable element that helped deepen my understanding of working with people who experience same-sex attraction was when Dr. Mark Yarhouse said that he allowed his client to create her own storyline in the “Sexual Identity in Professional Counseling Practice” video. The client was confused about her same-sex sexuality and was stuck between her faith and the gay community. Given what she learned in church about homosexuality being an abomination, she felt shame. I’m quite sure the shame came from being judged and rejected by the church people and family. On the other hand, she had the gay community’s support and they were telling her to embrace who she was. Trying to settle the dispute between religion and sexual identity can be a process that takes a long time (Acosta, 2020). So many people don’t know who they are, because they spend so much time trying to please others. The fact that he didn’t just give options of what she could do and allowed her to develop her own identity was awesome. In the video, “The Lesbian and Gay Population,” Dr. Fernando Garzon presented my next notable element. He talked about how the lesbian and gay populations have been subjected to many hate crimes and how the Christian people and churches caused them. Christian churches preach that God is love, love thy neighbor, we are all God’s children, come as you are, etc., but are the main ones causing harm and hate. Just because one may not agree with the lifestyle of those in the LGBTQ community, does not mean that harm should come to them or they should be treated poorly. No matter what choices someone chooses in life, we should always show kindness and compassion for one another. Ephesians 4:32 tells us to be kind, compassionate, and forgiving just as Christ has done for us. The last notable element is the importance of counselors knowing the history of oppression and liberation of the LGBTQ community. This gives counselors an understanding of the issues and challenges LGBTQ clients may have. It also gives counselors background knowledge to know how to address certain situations. The Stonewall Rebellion was just the beginning of gay liberation. Members of the LGBTQ community are still fighting for their rights and privileges, especially in the judicial system (Arceneaux, 2022). So, the fight for liberation didn’t end with the Stonewall Rebellion, but it continues today. As a future counselor, these three elements make me want to be able to facilitate and guide my clients in ways that give them the independence to choose their belongingness. I want to create an environment where all people feel accepted and not rejected. These elements also make me want to research and educate myself more on the history and oppression of the LGBTQ community so that I am aware of their background and can take a stand and fight for their rights.
Acosta, K. L. (2020). Religion in the lives of LGBTQ-parent families. LGBTQ-Parent Families , 215–227. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-35610-1_13 Arceneaux, C. L. (2022). The Struggle for Inclusion: Patriarchy Confronts Women and the LGBTQ+ Community. Emerging Globalities and Civilizational Perspectives , 119–161. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-07904-7_4 New Living Translation Bible App, Ephesians 4:32
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