Most societies explicitly tie gender to sexuality. Think about the acceptance of boys sowing their wild oats, while girls engaging in the same behavior are slut-shamed. Gender may influence sexuality or sexual experience due to a cultures socialization or enforcement of gender roles and expectations. Within the modern Western world, same-sex sexual orientation was perceived as deviant because it deviated from prescribed gender behavior of what it means to be a man (e.g., men have sex with women).
The experience of gender and sexuality becomes more complex when working with transgender and gender nonconforming clients. Individuals who are transgender or gender non-conforming may identify as heterosexual or as a sexual minority. Whether one is cis-gender (identifying with the sex assigned at birth) or transgender/gender nonconforming, gender will affect your sexual experience as you navigate gender performance with your sexual partners based societys assumptions of your sexuality.
Use the five family life-cycle stages listed in the Sexuality in Adulthood Across the Family Life Cycle chart to organize your thoughts for this assignment. For this paper:
1. Explain the difference between gender identity and sexual orientation, and why it is important professionally to understand this difference.
2. Explain cultural influences on gender and sexuality. Consider both cisgender and transgender experiences.
3. Explain specific challenges an individual who is transgender or gender non-binary may experience related to their sexuality.
4. Explain how you would advocate within your professional role for gender variant clients.
GRADING RUBIC:
1. Paper fully addresses all instruction prompts.
2. Paper demonstrates an excellent understanding of all of the concepts and key points presented in the text(s) and Learning Resources. Paper provides significant detail including multiple relevant examples, evidence from the readings and other sources, and discerning ideas. Paper demonstrates exemplary critical thought.
3. Paper is well organized, uses scholarly tone, follows APA style, uses original writing and proper paraphrasing, contains very few or no writing and/or spelling errors
RESOURCES:
American Psychological Association. (2015). Guidelines for psychological practice with transgender and gender nonconforming people. American Psychologist, 70(9), 832-864.
Davis, G., Dewey, J. M., & Murphy, E. L. (2016). Giving sex: Deconstructing intersex and trans medicalization practices. Gender & Society, 30(3), 490-514.
Richards, C., Bouman, W. P., Seal, L., Barker, M. J., Nieder, T. O., & T’Sjoen, G. (2016). Non-binary or genderqueer genders. International Review Of Psychiatry, 28(1), 95-102. https://go.openathens.net/redirector/waldenu.edu?url=https://doi.org/10.3109/09540261.2015.1106446
Rutter, P. A. (2012). Sex therapy with gay male couples using affirmative therapy. Sexual & Relationship Therapy, 27(1), 3545.
Intersex Society of North America. (2008). Frequently asked questions. Retrieved from http://www.isna.org/faq/printable
