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What is Sexual Orientation?

Kryss Shane, MS, MSW, LSW, LMSW

August 31, 2020

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Question

What is sexual orientation?

Answer

Sexual orientation refers to who you feel sexually and romantically attracted to. Sometimes people think it is what you feel between your legs. Your gender identity is the gender that you feel you are in your brain and has nothing to do with your genitalia. So that is what you feel between your ears.

Another way to think about this, sexual orientation is who you want to go to bed with. Gender identity is who you want to go to bed as, and gender expression is what you choose to wear to bed. It's really common that people kind of mix these up in their brain, that happens often because we have this collective group of LGBT+. We do that because each one of those groups individually would be so small, that it would be really hard to have any sort of voice to speak up and to gain any sort of legal rights or protections, so the group has collectively come together, but those are very different categories of people within these groups. In addition to it being different categories, their life experiences, and the things that they may struggle with can also be very different. 

 

This Ask the Expert is an edited excerpt from the webinar, A Social Worker's Introduction to Gender Minorities, presented by Kryss Shane, MS, MSW, LSW, LMSW. 


kryss shane

Kryss Shane, MS, MSW, LSW, LMSW

Named by The New York Times and many national and international platforms as America's go-to Leading LGBT+ Expert, Kryss Shane, MS, MSW, LSW, LMSW (she/her) has 25+ years of experience guiding the world's top leaders in business, education, and community via individual, small group, and full-staff trainings. She is known for making each organization's specific Diversity and Inclusion needs become more manageable, approachable, and actionable. This includes physical spaces, hiring practices, policies/procedures, and more. Kryss has two Master’s
degrees, two licenses to practice mental healthcare, and she is currently working toward her PhD while shaping the minds of learners as a Lecturer at Columbia University and an Adjunct Professor at Brandman University. She is also the author of "The Educator's Guide to LGBT+ Inclusion," the first book of its kind to guide educators, administrators, and school staff to become able and empowered to make their schools more LGBT++ inclusive.

Learn more about Kryss Shane at her website: https://www.thisiskryss.com

 


Related Courses

Inclusion Within the School System: Social Workers Call to Action
Presented by Kryss Shane, PhD, MS, MSW, LSW, LMSW
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Presenter

Kryss Shane, PhD, MS, MSW, LSW, LMSW
Course: #1313Level: Advanced1 Hour
  'I appreciate the range of topics related to inclusivity for children in school today'   Read Reviews
This webinar is an interactive discussion with LGBTQ+ subject matter expert, Dr. Kryss Shane. This webinar explores how social workers in school settings can create safe places, dismantle policies and procedures that do not promote inclusivity, and develop a sustainable plan to manage gender based bullying. In addition, this webinar will explore assessment tools and social workers' roles in facilitating and sustaining an inclusive school environment.

Clients and Their Gender Identities: Working with Transgender Clients Part I
Presented by Kryss Shane, MS, MSW, LSW, LMSW
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Kryss Shane, MS, MSW, LSW, LMSW
Course: #1072Level: Introductory1 Hour
  'Her attitude and how she made clear references to terms in layman'   Read Reviews
Every social worker will encounter clients who identify as transgender or as another gender minority. This introductory course offers foundational knowledge and terminology related to this population. In addition, this course explores the role of the social worker in supporting transgender clients through the identity process and working respectfully and effectively with this population.

A Social Worker’s Introduction to Gender Minority Youth and Disordered Eating
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Kryss Shane, MS, MSW, LSW, LMSW
Course: #1086Level: Introductory1 Hour
  'Thanks for touching on a topic that is relevant and important!'   Read Reviews
Every social worker will encounter clients who identify as transgender or as another gender minority. This introductory course offers terminology and foundational knowledge specific to the LGBT+ youth population and a short introduction connecting these identities to disordered eating.

A Social Worker’s Introduction to LGBT+ Identities
Presented by Kryss Shane, MS, MSW, LSW, LMSW
Video

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Kryss Shane, MS, MSW, LSW, LMSW
Course: #83Level: Introductory1.5 Hours
  'I found this course to be extremely helpful and the present knowledgeable'   Read Reviews
Every social worker will encounter clients who identify as LGBT+. This introductory course offers terminology and foundational knowledge of the population.

A Social Worker’s Introduction to Gender Minorities
Presented by Kryss Shane, MS, MSW, LSW, LMSW
Video

Presenter

Kryss Shane, MS, MSW, LSW, LMSW
Course: #94Level: Introductory1.5 Hours
  'The speaker is an authority on the subject'   Read Reviews
Every social worker will encounter clients who identify as transgender or as another gender minority. This introductory course offers terminology and foundational knowledge of the population.

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