The first training about sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) range of problems for specialists of crisis counseling lines was held in Queer Home Kyiv in frames of Gay Alliance Ukraine and La Strada Ukraine cooperation.
During the training Yan Gubsky, transgender man and Lavender Threat initiative group activist, told about notion of gender and turned special attention to the peculiarities of phone counseling with the consideration of the caller’s gender identity. Yan told about the typology of sexual orientation and gender identity and pointed out that it’s necessary to mind that these notions were not interconnected and interdependent while counseling.
The counselors asked questions the callers turn to them with and told that SOGI information was important for all crisis counseling lines. For example, the callers often ask about sexual orientation on the children’s line because our country doesn’t have sexual education as such and kids often can ask question that embarrass adults only calling to phone counselor. Adult callers in their turn also often don’t know why some gender changes may happen to them, whether it is normal, and how it can be explained to others because of low level of gender knowledge.
SOGI problems training was the first of cooperation trainings aimed at upgrading crisis counseling lines’ work. The following trainings for the hot lines counselors will be held in spring with La Strada Ukraine trainers.
Currently NGO La Strada Ukraine procures work of two National hot lines in the matter of gender, children rights protection and domestic violence resistance (0-800-500-33-5) and human trafficking (0-800-500-22-5). Gay Alliance Ukraine supports LGBT counseling phone line (0-800-50-50-99).
Автор: Gay Alliance Ukraine
