I recently wrote a Twitter post to highlight the importance of mental health professionals speaking respectfully about sexuality and gender identity – I was surprised by the response (largely positive!) and so I thought I would share some websites and resources that I have found useful.
This is not intended to be a comprehensive list – just some useful jumping-off points. I recommend you seek out real voices and lived experiences: there are some wonderfully created podcasts, blogs, videos and comics out there.
These are mostly non-academic sources. Pink Therapy provides has a wonderful academic reading list which you can access below:
Likewise there are some great links and further reading in the BACP guide on Good Practice across the Counselling Professions (an absolutely fantastic guide by Dr Meg-John Barker): https://www.bacp.co.uk/media/5877/bacp-gender-sexual-relationship-diversity-gpacp001-april19.pdf
LGBTQ+
Stonewall UK: https://www.stonewall.org.uk/
UK Black Pride Voices: https://www.ukblackpride.org.uk/voices
Gender, Sex and Relationship Diversity (GSRD)
Pink Therapy https://www.pinktherapy.com/en-gb/knowledge.aspx (They also have an excellent YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq0YMIOL4KO-kbrQ4RhE4Cg, as well as offering great training)
Meg-John and Justin https://megjohnandjustin.com/ (Wonderful podcasts and blogs to access for free, and some very reasonably priced accessibly written resources)
Things not to Say (BBC): https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/category/things-not-to-say (Humorous but informative video shorts about various identities and experiences)
Trans & Nonbinary
Trans Student Educational Resources (US Based): https://transstudent.org/
Gender Identity Research & Education Society: https://www.gires.org.uk/
Gendered Intelligence: http://genderedintelligence.co.uk/ (offer training for therapists, and also have an extensive list of resources)
Nonbinary Wiki: https://nonbinary.wiki/wiki/Nonbinary
The Gender Kit https://genderkit.org.uk/
Some Trans terminology: https://transgenderni.org.uk/glossary/
Pronouns
My Pronouns https://www.mypronouns.org/
Robot Hugs https://www.robot-hugs.com/comic/pronoun-etiquette / (A great cartoon about pronoun use)
Why Pronouns Matter (a great article by a therapist about pronouns – sorry you have to be a BACP member to get this one): https://www.bacp.co.uk/bacp-journals/therapy-today/2021/march-2021/articles/why-pronouns-matter/
Intersex
Intersex in the UK http://oiiuk.org/
Asexuality
Asexual Visibility and Education Network https://asexuality.org/
Ace & Aro definitions: http://www.oulgbtq.org/acearo-spectrum-definitions.html
Bisexuality
The Bisexual Index: http://bisexualindex.org.uk/index.php/Links
The Bisexuality Report: http://www.open.ac.uk/ccig/sites/www.open.ac.uk.ccig/files/The%20BisexualityReport%20Feb.2012_0.pdf
Aromantic experience
Aromantic Wiki www.aromantic.wikia.com
Queerplatonic and Aromantic Advice (blog) www.qpadvice.tumblr.com
Kink and BDSM
Rewriting the Rules – BDSM 101: https://www.rewriting-the-rules.com/2015/02/10/bdsm-101-or-what-to-do-and-what-not-to-do-from-fifty-shades-of-grey/
Relationship Diversity
Make Your Own Relationship User Guide: https://megjohnandjustin.com/product/make-your-own-relationship-user-guide-3/
Kimchi Cuddles https://kimchicuddles.com/ (A series of comics about polyamory)
Relationship Anarchy http://www.relationship-anarchy.com/
Sex Worker Advocacy and Resistance Movement https://www.swarmcollective.org/
Queer
Tyler Ford Explains The History Behind the Word “Queer” (short video) https://youtu.be/UpE0u9Dx_24
Ashley Jiang Introduces Us To the Term “Intersectionality” (short video) https://youtu.be/EXJ4Dbdm1ks
Religion and LGBTQ+ matters
Inclusive Church (Christian): https://www.inclusive-church.org/
Hidayah LGBT (Muslim): https://hidayahlgbt.com/
Imaan LGBT (Muslim): https://imaanlondon.wordpress.com/
If you have any suggestions for websites to include on this list, please feel free to comment below!