How does the way you’ve experienced the world due to identity impact the way you work with young people?
The one identity that comes up for me when thinking about this question is my bisexual identity and being part of the LGBTQIA+ community. I have been looked at in different ways when I am out with my partner and have even been judged out loud. Sometimes I even experience internalized homophobia which is an awful feeling. Recently I shared a beautiful story about my best friend to a group of people I do not know well, and I called my friend to tell her what I shared. While on the phone with her I said "they're going to think I'm gay" for basically the way I was talking about her. I stopped in my tracks. I am gay. This sat with me for a few weeks, and I tried to unpack it and reflect on it to figure out where this came from. I have since moved on from it and have been stepping into by identity more. When working with young people I am always conscious of what I say and how I say it because you never know what identities they possess.
How can your lived experience strengthen the work you do?
I come from a low-income single parent household where my mom worked long hours to support me, and my grandparents had a great role in raising me. My dad was struggling as an addict at the time, and I could not be left alone with him. I am also a first-generation college student and that did not mean much to me as an undergraduate student, but it sure does now. In a lot of ways, I know I can relate to the students I work with but sometimes those things do not always come up conversation. I never want to compare my experiences with anyone's especially a student because I want them to know that they matter and that they have a safe place to be themselves.
Everyone has blind spots when it comes to understanding identity. How can you as a youth worker create space parts of your young people’s identities that you may not be aware of?
As a youth worker I want to build those meaningful relationships with young people and to also build that trust where they feel comfortable with me. I want to create safe spaces where youth can share their experiences and their identities without feeling judged. I think I am still learning and exploring how to create these spaces for the youth that I work with without having them feel like they need to share their identities with me. I want them to embrace who they are as individuals and step into their identities and if I can help them navigate that space, we can do it together.
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