Write a brief note on questioning persons

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Questioning one's sexual orientation and/or gender can happen at any time in life. Often, some amount of question is normal in adolescents, when identity is forming. One can begin questioning for many reasons; usually it stems from some unexpected reaction to someone else, a fantasy, and/or as a response to new information. Often the questioning may arouse a sense of anxiety because it might mean something different about an individual that she or he did not know about herself or himself. Questioning presents a wonderful opportunity for personal growth; the experience is far less threatening when one is open to what is learned. Another anxiety associated with questioning is the possibility of taking on a stigmatized position in society. An ongoing theme in this chapter is the negative effects of stigma in the lives of LGBT people, and it is normal to want to avoid this stigma. Acceptance by others, especially close family and friends, is a major concern. Often people who are questioning their sexual orientation and/or gender identity may come into contact with a social worker, or this may arise from a social worker's work with a client. Social workers can assist questioning clients by not deciding for the client what their sexual orientation or gender identity is, even if it seems very obvious to the worker. Helping the client to explore feelings without labeling the feelings as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and/or transgender is very important. Only when a client chooses to use the label should it be used. Normalizing this experience as much as possible helps to reduce isolation for the client. Giving the client as much information as possible can also help to further the process as some clients lack information about or have misperceptions about sexual orientation and gender identity. There are online resources for questioning persons; often they take the form of a questionnaire. Social workers should be cautious about suggesting these questionnaires before the client is ready to accept the results. A good deal of support demonstrated through empathy and acceptance can be extremely beneficial for these clients.?