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The 2023 Justice Project :  2SLGBTQIA+ Affirming Care 

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Our Racial and Social Justice Pledge: RECAMFT is committed to equity including addressing structural racism and systemic injustice. We endeavor to be inclusive and value individuals from all ethnicities, ages, races, sexual orientations, genders, languages, abilities, religions, citizenship statuses, and socioeconomic backgrounds into our chapter and into treatment.

We strive to advocate, educate, collaborate, and strategize for positive racial and social justice change within our membership and our community.

Here's how to get started!

RECAMFT's Goal: The Justice Project is designed to elevate the awareness, sensitivity and education of our members to create a community of healers dedicated to racial and social justice. We appreciate and welcome your feedback sent to therapy@recamft.org.

Start The Justice Project now! Here's how it works...

The Justice Project invites RECAMFT members to dedicate themselves to our Racial and Social Justice Pledge above, and then follow these steps to meet the program requirements. 

1. Complete These Core Content Requirements: These books and videos are required to be completed as part of The Justice Project (Helpful Tip: Take a few notes on each title as you go, as you'll need to share your thoughts with us when you attest).

Books

Bite-sized Media

2. Complete Two Additional "Choose Your Own" Content Requirements: Select your choice of 2 or more additional media (books, articles, videos) from our curated lists below to read/watch. Attendance at the RECAMFT Speaker Meeting on December 2, 2022 with Melle Browning, LMFT satisfies one of these two Additional Content requirements.

3. Submit our Attestation Form to let us know you have completed all of these requirements. The Attestation Form has some short-answer questions for each title you watched/read - very easy, and no wrong answers! 

4. All those who complete the program by the end of the year will be mailed a beautiful Certificate of Achievement for completing RECAMFT's  The Justice Project: 2SLGBTQIA+ Affirming Care. The certificate will be suitable for framing and display.

Not sure where to start?


Click here.

To honor the focus of our Justice Project in 2023, RECAMFT had a new logo adaptation commissioned by non-binary digital artist, Sol Meade (SolMeade@gmail.com).


When you are finished:  Complete our Attestation Form.

Have you finished all the Bite-sized media pieces, the 3 core books, and 2 additional selections of your choosing from the curated list?

Required: 

  • Watch/read all Bite-sized Media in the LGBTQQIA2-S section below
  • Read or listen to The Savvy Ally
  • Read or listen to A Clinician's Guide to Gender-Affirming Care: Working with Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Clients.
  • Read Gender Queer: A Memoir.
  • Plus read / watch any combination of 2 additional media (books, articles, media) from our list below, or attend the live event mentioned above (or watch the recording for CE credit) with one additional book/article/media selection. 
  • Our handy tracking form will make attesting a breeze! 

Ready? Click the button to be taken to our Attestation Form to receive your certificate! 


The Attestation Form will require you to answer 2 short questions about each of your titles. It may take you about 30 minutes to complete. The form cannot be saved partway through, so please be ready to complete it in its entirety when you begin. We suggest you write it up on a Word or other document beforehand, and simply cut/paste your answers onto our form.


Note: In the Bite-sized Media section, you are only required to answer the below two questions on just one media - your favorite, or the one from which you learned the most, or if preferred, you can write about the section as a whole. 


These are the questions:

  • What was the most important take-away for you from this book/movie/media selection?
  • How will the information you read/watched impact you and your clients in your therapy practice?

I AM FINISHED AND READY TO COMPLETE RECAMFT's

ATTESTATION FORM!

And I totally rock for doing this! 

(yes, you do!)


CLICK HERE


Bite-sized Media

On each of the letters 2SLGBTQIA+


Lesbian

My Two Mums (The Myths of Gay Adoption) | Lynne Elvins | TEDxBristol - 16:35 min.

Coming out of your closet | Ash Beckham | TEDxBoulder - 10:56 min.

Gay

LZ Granderson - “The Myth of the Gay Agenda” | TedEd - 17:52 min.

Bisexual, Pansexual

 5 Bisexual People Explain What "Bisexual" Means To Them  - 5:27 min.

Bi the way, we exist | Viet Vu | TEDxTerryTalks - 15:45

min.

Teen Vogue:

What is pansexuality?


Elana Rubin Explains What "Pansexual" Means. 5:12 mins


Transgender

A queer vision of love and marriage | Tiq Milan and Kim Katrin Milan - 17:08 min.

Families who had to flee anti-trans states for their family and child's safety - 21:00 min.

TED: Samy Nour Younes: A short history of trans people's long fight for equality 6:03 min

It Gets Better Project: What Being Trans Means 5:42 min

Gender Expansive, Non-Binary

Teen Vogue: Twelve things people get wrong about being non-binary.



Pronouns Matter: pronouns.org

Say: "My pronouns are --. What are your pronouns?"

Don't say: "What are your preferred pronouns?"


Teen Vogue: What is non-binary gender? 




It Gets Better Project: Non-Binary People Describe their Gender Journeys! 6:26 min

Queer

Parents Magazine: Yes, Queer Kids Can Grow Up With Faith and Church—But It Takes a Village 8:13 min


Lindsay Amer - “Why Kids Need to Learn About Gender and Sexuality” - 7:48 min.

Questioning

Toilets, bowties, gender and me | Audrey Mason-Hyde | TEDxAdelaide - 10:35 min.

NPR has a special series of short articles here on LGBTQ+ youth rights under attack.  Click the picture below for the link.


Intersex

The way we think about biological sex is wrong | Emily Quinn - 14:06 min.

"What It's Like to be Intersex" 3:25 min

Asexual (ace), Aromantic (aro), Demisexual

5 Asexual People Explain What "Asexual" Means To Them - 4:56 min.

Very Well Mind: What it means to be Aromantic


MBG Relationships: 8 Signs You Might Be Aromantic and What That Means



4 Demisexual People Explain What It Means To Them - 4:29 min.

Two-Spirit (2-S)

What Does "Two-Spirit" Mean? | InQueery | them. 6:16 min.

Gender identity: ‘How colonialism killed my culture’s gender fluidity’  (Diné, India, Aboriginal). 6:30 min.

Teen Vogue: "Gender Variance Around the World Over Time". 


The Guardian: Muxes – Mexico's third gender. 12:40 min.

The Indigenous Doctor Helping Trans Youth. 12:13 min.

Why we need gender fluidity | Nicholas Metcalf, MSW | TEDxUMN 14:56 min.


Here are some great book titles approved to complete your Justice Project readings.

We know that we have many 2SLGBTQIA+ members, and that Sonoma County demographics include 20% 2SLGBTQIA+ people. We feel that even members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community will benefit from thinking and learning about how to be a good ally to those people in the community with whom they are less familiar. For example, a lesbian counselor might benefit from learning how to be a better ally to transgender or non-binary people. Bisexual readers may learn invaluable knowledge about trans people, intersex readers may learn invaluable knowledge about consensually non-monogamous people, gay readers may learn about MSMs.

The Savvy Ally book coverSince more people are finding they identify somewhere in the queer spectrum, we felt it was important our members have a common language and education via books we all read. Therefore, we chose The Savvy Ally by Jeannie Gainsburg.  Some parts may seem simplistic, or common sense, but we ask you to read the whole book before casting judgment. It will only take 5 hours and 55 minutes out of your life to listen to it, which you can do for free with your library card on Hoopla.  We think everyone will get something good out of this book!   

In the same way it is helpful for white bodied people to educate themselves and learn how to deconstruct their inherited whiteness with the help of white bodied teachers who have done much personal work and can help newcomers across the bridge, The Savvy Ally is an excellent book for readers who don’t belong to ANY letter of the 2SLGBTQIA+ umbrella; the author is not 2SLGBTQIA+ and models many healthy ways of changing thoughts, behaviors, and words to make the world safer for all. It is also a very informative read for clinicians who don’t fall under ALL the letters.



We also chose The Clinician's Guide to Gender-Affirming Care: Working with Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Clients. The authors are Sand C. Chang, PhD, Anneliese A. Singh PhD, LPC, and Lore M. Dickey PhD. Transgender clients have historically had very difficult relationships with therapists because we were often in the power-over position of the gatekeeper of a client's ability to get a surgery that would help them feel congruent. This has led to mistrust of the medical establishment, including psychotherapists, on the part of these clients. Right away this book (which is beautifully read aloud in the Audible version) has excellent thought-provoking questions for both clinicians and clients. 


Recently, the New York Times named Sonoma County non-binary author Maia Kobabe's new book, Gender Queer: A Memoir, as "the most banned book in the country" and Maia wrote a Washington Post op-ed asking that books which help queer kids not be banned, but made available in libraries as a lifeline to kids who might not have access to this information. 

Find it at Copperfield's books here


Each of these titles has a link to the book (title), a link to the author (name), and a video or other link (picture of the book).   

This is the approved book list for The Justice Project. 

The Collective has an interesting article about nationwide queer owned bookstores.  https://thecollectivebook.studio/collectivejournal/2021/6/22/practice-pride-shop-at-these-queer-owned-bookstores


Here are some queer owned bookstores:

Lesbian, Gay, Queer

The Savvy Ally book cover

The Savvy Ally

by Jeannie Gainsburg

A humorous guide for learning how to be an LGBTQ+ ally. Designed for teachers, counselors, parents, etc. 

Loud & Proud book coverLoud & Proud

by Tea Uglow

40 great speeches by famous names including Audre Lorde, Harvey Milk, Sir Ian McKellen, George Takei, Pres Obama, etc.

Gay Like Me book cover

Gay Like Me: A Father writes to his son

by Richie Jackson

When the author's son comes out at 15, he writes a love letter to him as a gay parent. 

It Gets Better book cover

It Gets Better

by Dan Savage & Terry Miller

NY Times Bestseller, this book has touching stories from LGBTQ+ people about their journeys to adulthood. 

Sister Outsider book cover

Sister Outsider

by Audre Lorde

A collection of 15 essays and speeches which take on all the  -isms. A classic seminal work by Lorde.     

A Two-Spirit Journey: The Autobiography of a Lesbian Ojibwa-Cree Elder

by Ma-Nee Chacaby

Part of "Critical Studies in Native American History" series. 

A Queer History of the US book coverA Queer History of the US

by Michael Bronski

Winner of the 2012 Stonewall Book Award. Author charts LGBT history from 1492 to the 1990s.    

Fearing the Black Body book coverFearing the Black Body

by Sabrina Strings

Multiple sociology awards. Author argues fat phobia stems from racist, classist and anti-feminist viewpoints.

The Pink Triangle book coverThe Pink Triangle

by Richard Plant

The author was a gay German refugee from WWII. He describes in detail the suffering of those wearing pink triangles.   

Asexual (ACE)

ACE book coverACE What Asexuality Reveals about Desire, Society and the Meaning of Sex

by Angela Chen

ACE a person with little to no sexual arousal or desire...  

RECAMFT Leaf Logo Rainbow Rings


To honor the focus of our Justice Project in 2023, RECAMFT had a new logo adaptation commissioned by non-binary digital artist, Sol Meade (SolMeade@gmail.com). 


Polyamory

Handbook coverHandbook of Consensual Nonmonogamy

by M. Vaughan & T. Burnes

Research-based training on how to work w/ the consensual non-monogamy (CNM) community. 

More than Two book coverMore than Two

by Franklin Veaux et al.

A guide to having healthy poly-amorous relationships. The authors discuss hurts, embarrassments inc. success. 

The Ethical Slut book cover

The Ethical Slut

by J. Hardy & D. Easton

This book has served as a key book on non-monogamy for 20 years. The latest version has been nuanced for millennials.  

Polysecure book cover

Polysecure

by Jessica Fern

Author examines attachment theory in polyamorous relationships (consensual non-monogamy).    

Transgender, Gender Expansive, Non-Binary

Clinicians Guide by S. ChangA Clinician’s Guide to Gender-Affirming Care

by Sand Chang et al.

Navigate this complex field with up-to-date terms. Paints a historical view. 

Transgender History book cover

Transgender History

by Susan Stryker

The author explores history of transgender people from the mid 19th century to modern day examining popular culture.   

Gender Queer book coverGender Queer

by Maia Kobabe

NY Times says Sonoma cty local author's book is the "most banned book in the country". See Wash. Post oped here.. 

She's Not There book coverShe's Not There: A Life in Two Genders

by JF Boylan

First best selling novel by a trans author about her transgender experience. 

Becoming EveBecoming Eve: My Journey from Ultra-Orthodox Rabbi to Transgender Woman

by Abby Chava Stein

Raised in a Hasidic Jewish community, adult transition. 

Fairest book cover by Meredith TalusanFairest

by Meredith Talusan

Oprah acclaimed memoir of the author's journey with albinism, transition, migrating from the Philippines, graduating Harvard.

Vagina Obscura book coverVagina Obscura

by Rachel Gross

NYTimes Editor's Choice award. 2023 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence. A surprising look at female anatomy.   

Detransition, BabyDetransition, Baby

by Torrey Peters

Best Book of the Year: NYTimes, NPR, Time and more. "One of the most celebrated novels of the year", Time Magazine.   

Exploring My Identity(ies) by Van Ethan Levy, LMFT & LPCC (they/elle)  This interactive book is created to assist you in learning more about yourself, and unlearning the harmful messages you have received and continue to receive. This book will help you deconstruct gender, understand terms like: transphobia, internalized transphobia, microaggression, privilege, macroaggression, cisgender, trans, non binary, masculinity, femininity, and so much more. This book is designed for all people, no matter what identities a person holds. 

2SLGBTQIA+ intersectionality

Queer Jihad book coverQueer Jihad

by Afdhere Jama

Born in Somalia, now a film maker in SF, Jama examines LGBTQ and the struggles of the intersection with Muslim faith.

You Exist Too Much

by Zaina Arafat

A Palestian-American lesbian girl struggles between worlds as she grows. Oprah named one of the best books of the year.   

Bestiary book coverBestiary

by K-Ming Chang

A novel of 3 generations migration from Taiwan, queer lineage. Oprah-Best book of year, NYT Editors Choice. 

The Last One

by Fatima Daas

Author is a young Muslim lesbian growing up in a tough neighborhood in Paris. Multiple awards.   

Asegi Stories

Asegi Stories: Cherokee Queer & 2-Spirit Memory

by Qwo-Li Driskill

Lambda Award Finalist. "Asegi" is Cherokee for "strange" and translates close to "queer".   

All Boys Aren't Blue book coverAll Boys Aren't Blue: A Memoir - Manifesto

by George Johnson

NYTimes Bestseller, multiple awards. Memoir of growing up as a Black queer youth. 

Queer (In)Justice book coverQueer (In)Justice

by Joey Mogul, et al.

Authors examine queer criminal archetypes and demonstrate policing of sex and gender further engrains inequalities.   

Black on Both Sides book coverBlack on Both Sides

by C. Riley Snorton

Multiple awards. Author explores the intersection of blackness and transness both historically and in today's society.


Here are some approved movies to complete your Justice Project.

You can pick one movie to count towards your requirements. 

"Do Something: Trans & Non Binary Identities" (2021) by Van Ethan Levy, LMFT & LPCC (they/elle) trailer

This moving documentary gives a snapshot of the lives of 8 non binary and/or trans folx, as they share what pains them and what lifts them.

[To access the film, the filmmakers ask that you donate to their Go Fund Me: https://GoFund.Me/397dd283. Then, email DoSomethingDocumentary@gmail.com and they will send you a link.]

"Moonlight" (2016) is available through a variety of sources for a small fee. Those include

You can also watch "Moonlight" for free with your Sonoma County Library card through Kanopy. 


The title of each movie below is linked to JustWatch.com which will give you all the options (Library Kanopy, HBO, Amazon, etc.)

for viewing your choice. Click the photo to see the Wikipedia summary of the film.

Happy TogetherHappy Together (1997)

Won Best Director 1997 Cannes Film Festival. Two Hong Kong men emigrate to Buenos Aires, when Hong Kong returning to Chinese rule puts LGBT lives in danger.

Pariah

Pariah (2011)

Premiering at the Sundance Film Festival, multiple awards. Film is a coming of age of a 17 year old lesbian in Brooklyn, NY. 

Wildhood

Wildhood (2022)

Two brothers flee their abusive father, in search of a mother they were told was dead, but recently learned might be alive. They are helped by native people including a Two-Spirit Mi'kmaq.  


VivaViva (2015)

A Cuban father-son story of a teen who wants to perform drag, and his father, who is newly released from prison. Great music featuring Havana's "transformistas". 

Before Night Falls

Before Night Falls (2000)

An autobiographical look at the life of gay Cuban poet Reinaldo Arenas. Highlights the discrimination, and cruel homophobia of Cuba under Castro, and America, under Reagan.

CarolCarol (2015)

Film debuted at the Cannes Film Festival. Numerous awards. BBC "...one of the greatest films of the 21st century." Story of the relationship between a young photographer and an older woman. 

Tangerine

Tangerine (2015)

Director Sean Baker filmed the entire movie on iPhones, and found some of the cast on site at a donut shop in Santa Monica. Features two trans sex workers; one learns her pimp has cheated on her. 


The Watermelon WomanThe Watermelon Woman (1997)

This was the first feature film directed by a black lesbian. Story of a 25 yo black filmmaker who is obsessed with 1930s "mammy" actors who are nameless. 


Fire Island

Fire Island (2022)

Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is the inspiration for this story of a group of gay friends who embark on vacation to Fire Island. Explores both classism and romance.

Paris is BurningParis is Burning (1991)

Many awards, snubbed by the Oscars. Chosen for preservation in the US  Nat'l Film Registry by Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".


TwoSpiritsTwo Spirits (2009)

Documentary covers the short life of Fred Martinez, a Navaho youth, who identified as a two-spirit or "nadleeh".  Long rich history of two spirits, including marriage equality for centuries. 

Disclosure (film)Disclosure (2020) Documentary that investigates the ways that Hollywood's fabled stories have deeply influenced how Americans feel about transgender people, and how transgender people have been taught to feel about themselves.

Everybody (Film)Every Body (2023) Documentary that focuses on three intersex individuals who overcame shame, secrecy and unauthorized surgery throughout their childhoods to enjoy successful adulthoods, choosing to ignore medical advice to conceal their bodies and coming out as who they truly are.

Mama Bears (2023) Follows a group of fundamentalist Christian mothers who decide to be fierce allies for their LGBTQ children and start the campaign for “Free Mom Hugs”



I AM FINISHED AND READY TO COMPLETE RECAMFT's

ATTESTATION FORM!

And I totally rock for doing this! 

(yes, you do!)


CLICK HERE



Not sure where to start? Here are our suggestions. 

1. Listen to The Savvy Ally on your commute, or while exercising.  It's 5 hrs 55 minutes on Audible or Libby (free with your Sonoma Cty Library card). If you listen 30 minutes a day, you'll be done in about 6 days. 

2. Listen to A Clinician's Guide to Gender-Affirming Care: Working with Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Clients.  It's 11 hrs 28 minutes, and also available on Kindle, or Audible. If you listen for 30 minutes a day, you'll be done in about 3 weeks.

3. Watch or read one Bite-sized Media over your lunch hour until you finish. A few are very short (5-10 min.) and most are less than 20 min.  You can easily finish these in 3 weeks just doing 1-2 per day. 

4. Read Gender Queer: A Memoir (approximately 2 hrs).

5. Choose two more books/media from above to watch/listen/read, or attend the live event option mentioned above with one additional media/book. 

6. Now you're ready to attest! 

Here's a handy tracking form to keep track of everything, and make attestation easy! 



Definitions of terms and handy resources




An Emblem of Unity from Microsoft

This flag combines 40 different flags from LGBTQIA+ communities around the world, including: Abrosexual, Aceflux, Agender, Ambiamorous, Androgynous, Aroace, Aroflux, Aromantic, Asexual, Bigender, Bisexual, Demifluid, Demigender, Demigirl, Demiromantic, Demisexual, Gay/MLM/Vinician, Genderfluid, Genderflux, Genderqueer, Gender questioning, Graysexual, Intersex, Lesbian, Maverique, Neutrois, Nonbinary, Omnisexual, Pangender, Pansexual, Polyamorous, Polysexual, Transgender, Trigender, Two Spirit, Progress Pride, Queer, Unlabeled.  More here...



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