That's So Gay!: Microaggressions and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community

People who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) experience subtle forms of discrimination, also known as microaggressions. Microaggressions are commonplace interactions that occur in a wide variety of social settings, including school or the workplace, among friends and family, and even among other LGBT people.

These accumulated experiences are associated with feelings of victimization,  suicidal thinking, and higher rates of substance abuse, depression, and other health problems among members of the LGBT community.

In this book, Kevin Nadal provides a thought-provoking review of the literature on discrimination and microaggressions toward LGBT people. The generous use of case examples makes the book ideal for gender studies courses and discussion groups. Each case is followed by analysis of the elements involved in microaggressions and discussion questions for the reader to reflect upon.

This book includes advice for mental health practitioners, organizational leaders, educators, and students who want to adopt LGBT-accepting worldviews and practices. It has tips for how to discuss and advocate for LGBT issues in the realms of family, community, educational systems, and the government.

Foreword

Preface

Acknowledgements

Introduction

1. A Brief History of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People and Civil Rights
2. A Review of the Microaggression Literature
3. Sexual Orientation Microaggressions: Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual People
4. Gender Identity Microaggressions: Experiences of Transgender and Gender Nonconforming People
5. Intersectional Microaggressions: Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People With Multiple Oppressed Identities
6. Processes of Dealing With Microaggressions
7. Conclusion: What Can You Do?

References

Index

About the Author

Kevin L. Nadal, PhD, is a professor, psychologist, performer, activist, and author who received his doctorate in counseling psychology from Columbia University in New York City. He earned bachelor's degrees in psychology and political science from the University of California, Irvine, and a master's degree in counseling from Michigan State University. He is currently an associate professor of psychology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York, where he also serves as the deputy director of the forensic mental health counseling program.

Dr. Nadal's research focuses primarily on multicultural issues in psychology, in particular, those involving sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, gender, and gender identity. He is one of the leading researchers on the psychological impacts of microaggressions, or subtle forms of discrimination, toward people of color; lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people; and women.

He is the author of Filipino American Psychology: A Handbook of Theory, Research, and Clinical Practice (2011) and the coeditor of Women and Mental Disorders (2011). His work has been published in numerous journals, including American Psychologist, the Journal of Counseling Psychology, the Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, the Journal of College Student Development, and the Journal of LGBT Issues in Counseling.

Dr. Nadal was a board member of APA's Committee on LGBT Concerns, as well as a fellow of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. He is an executive board member of the Asian American Psychological Association (AAPA) and was the recipient of the AAPA Early Contributions to Excellence Award in 2011. He is a national trustee of the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) and the current president of the metropolitan New York chapter of FANHS.

Dr. Nadal has been a keynote speaker for many colleges, universities, and organizations across the country and abroad. He facilitates diversity and mental health trainings with the New York Police Department and other nonprofit and corporate organizations. He is also a stand-up comedian and spoken-word artist who has performed across the United States since 2000.

Dr. Nadal enjoys spending his free time with his family and friends as well as traveling all over the world and meeting new people. His hobbies include singing karaoke, exercising, practicing Bikram yoga, watching Broadway shows, and walking the streets of New York City with his 7-lb black and tan Chihuahua, Christiano Tomas.

That's So Gay! should be required reading for classroom teachers, guidance counselors, social workers, doctors, and parents — anyone who is concerned about the well-being of LGBT youth or seeks a greater understanding of the history, literature and research pertaining to this population…It provides insight into a community that may be challenging for nonmembers to understand and is worthy of a prominent place on desks and reading nooks.
—Youth Today

This book could enlighten undergraduate and graduate students in any social science field (e.g., psychology, sociology, counseling), as well as the general public. Guidance such as that offered in the closing chapter, focusing as it does on what the reader can do, should be a part of more journal article, as well as book. That's So Gay! is a significant contribution to the literature that holds the potential to have a lasting impact on professionals and on the lay public.
—PsycCRITIQUES