Episode 82: Gender Identity and Well-being: Toss the Rulebook

In the midst of LGBTQ Pride Month, Shane Whalley, a genderqueer social worker, educator and facilitator in Austin, Texas, joined us to talk about the intersection of mental well-being and gender identity, as shown through the lens of hir own lived experience. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and allied (LGBTQIA) people have seen great progress in recent decades, but the recent change in the political and social climate of the U.S., combined with ongoing stigma and discrimination, is threatening this community's civil rights and mental health. A recent report by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law ranks Texas in the bottom quarter of states in terms of social support for LGBTQIA people. Whalley is determined to change this. Listen to today's episode to hear Whalley's story, get educated about pronouns, and learn how to be an effective ally.