Annual conference
Feature
Listening and having the confidence to ask questions will make you a better LBGTQIA + ally
In a powerful session on the path towards LGBTQIA + belonging in the occupational therapy profession , delegates heard that to become a better ally , you need to listen more , educate yourself and practise self-reflection , avoid assumptions and have the confidence to ask questions .
Sue Kenney , a lecturer at Coventry University and the acting chair of the RCOT LGBTQIA + Steering Group , told delegates that to be in the position of someone who identifies as LGBTQIA + and to always be the one who is questioning the status quo is ‘ hard work and quite exhausting ’.
One of the ways that people can become a true ally , she went on , is to also question the status quo and ‘ take up some of the slack ’ of that work on behalf of the LGBTQIA + community . She stressed that that there ’ s ‘ power ’ in people coming together to ask the questions .
She also urged people to ‘ beware of the single story ’; in other words , don ’ t always assume that one person is going to be able to speak on behalf of everybody .
Rachel Daniels , specialist occupational therapist at Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership Trust and a founding member of the wider affinity group LGBTQIA + OTUK , added that one thing she is continuing to learn is that it ’ s difficult to get people in power to listen to one or two people .
‘ But actually , if you go as a collective ,’ she said , ‘ and almost make it that you can ’ t be ignored , because there are so many of you , well that ’ s why we are here today .’
Linking that back to occupational therapy itself , Hannah Spencer , an NHS occupational therapist and a founding member of LGBTQIA + OTUK , added : ‘ All these things we ’ re encouraging people to do towards LGBTQIA + inclusion and belonging [ and ] the support in our environment to be our authentic selves , and not to have to fight to edit ourselves in order to fit in , they are environmental adaptations . That ’ s occupational therapy ’ s game .’
The session offered a space for acknowledgement and celebration of the LGBTQIA + community within our profession and the speakers stressed that , in the UK , acknowledgment of and visible commitment to understanding the LGBTQIA + community in occupational therapy has been historically poor .
Acknowledging the need for overdue change and looking back with pride at the progress made over the past year , the speakers charted the development of the LGBTQIA + OTUK affinity group , before focusing on how members have negotiated some ‘ challenging conversations ’ and have begun work alongside RCOT to establish a means for increasing LGBTQIA + visibility , inclusion and belonging in our profession and professional body .
AFFINOT is a website to curate links and resources to support the occupational therapy affinity groups recently formed in the UK ( 2020 / 2021 ): ABLEOTUK ; BAMEOTUK ; and LGBTQIA + OTUK . Visit https :// affinot . co . uk / about-affinot /
Sue Kenney
.. beware of the single story , in other words , don ’ t always assume that one person is going to be able to speak on behalf of everybody .”
LGBTQIA + and allyship
To become a better ally you need to listen more , educate yourself and practise selfreflection , avoid assumptions and have the confidence to ask questions . To be in the position of someone who identifies as LGBTQIA +, and to always be the one who is questioning the status quo is exhausting . One of the ways that you can be an ally is to also question the status quo . There is power in people coming together to ask the questions .
July 2022 OTnews 17