Date Presented 03/28/20
This historical qualitative research about the development and early advocacy of the Network for LGBTQIA+ Concerns in OT (formerly Network for LGB Concerns in OT) resulted in themes of confronting the profession, coming out, and changing practice. Researchers analyzed data from primary archival documents, oral histories, and one focus group of Network members. Implications for future research and the OT profession (education and practice) will be discussed.
Primary Author and Speaker: Peggy Martin
Additional Authors and Speakers: Wanda Mahoney, Christine Peters
PURPOSE: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals experience health disparities (Baptiste-Roberts et al., 2017; USDHHS, 2019) and healthcare professionals and clients who identify as LGBT historically and currently experience stigma and discrimination within the heteronormative healthcare system (Falzarano & Pizzi, 2015; Jackson, 1999).
This historical research helps current practitioners and students understand the healthcare environment that led to the formation and early advocacy of the Network for Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Concerns in Occupational Therapy, as it was initially named. “The Network,” as it was called from its inception as a mechanism to protect members, formed in 1992 to address the unmet needs of occupational therapy practitioners and clients. The organization, currently named Network for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, Plus (LGBTQIA+) Concerns in Occupational Therapy, continues to adapt its definition to reflect larger social history and issues (e.g., Beagan et al., 2012; Grigorovich, 2015).
DESIGN: This qualitative historical design focuses on the late 1970s through mid-1990s. Historical research describes the interrelationship between historical accounts and their interpretation to better understand past events and their causes (McDowell, 2002).
METHOD: Primary sources include documents and memorabilia, created near the time of the Network’s formation, from 3 archives and 9 oral history interviews with individuals involved with the Network in the 1990s. Researchers also conducted a focus group with 26 Network members. Secondary sources including articles, theses, and books contributed to this study. Transcribed interviews and documents were analyzed and interpreted within the social context of the late 1980s through early 1990s. Researchers coded data independently and in small groups, determined meaning units, and discussed data to determine themes. Data analysis involved triangulation across multiple sources and researchers.
RESULTS: The Network began as a gathering following a conference presentation on sexual orientation and OT, and while seeking official recognition from AOTA, the Network advocated for change in the profession. Themes about the experience of lesbian and gay OT practitioners in the early Network include coming out, confronting the profession, and changing practice. OT practitioners struggled with coming out as a way to address tensions between being their authentic selves and a healthcare system that denied the relevance of their sexual orientation. The Network confronted the profession by advocating for additions to AOTA’s nondiscrimination policy and challenging an AOTA conference location in a state with explicitly discriminatory laws. The Network worked to change practice by promoting research about OT with LGBT clients and advocating for inclusive workplaces.
CONCLUSIONS: AOTA recently added language to Vision 2025 to emphasize that occupational therapy is an “inclusive profession” (AOTA, 2019). This study demonstrates that the Network’s founders and early supporters envisioned OT as an inclusive profession in 1992.
IMPACT STATEMENT: By understanding how and why the Network formed and the voices of occupational therapy practitioners who historically identified as gay or lesbian, current practitioners will be better positioned to provide culturally sensitive care, understand the importance of advocacy, and strive for an inclusive profession.
References
Baptiste-Roberts, K., Oranuba, E. Werts, N., & Edwards, L.V. (2017). Addressing healthcare disparities among sexual minorities. Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinics of North America, 44, 71-80. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ogc.2016.H.003
Falzarano, M., & Pizzi, M. (2015). Experiences of lesbian and gay occupational therapists in the healthcare system. Journal of Allied Health, 44(2), 65-72.
Grigorovich, A. (2015). Negotiating sexuality in home care settings: Older lesbians and bisexual women’s experiences. Culture, Health & Sexuality, 17(8), 947–961. https://doi.org/10.1080/13691058.2015.1011237
United States Department of Health and Human Services [USDHHS]. (2019). Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender health. Healthy People 2020. Retrieved from https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/lesbian-gay-bisexual-and-transgender-health
