LGBTQ+ People's Perceptions of Interactions with Outgroup Members: Implications for Social Work Education and Practice.

This study explores the lived experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, genderqueer, or gender-nonconforming (LGBTQ+) graduate social work students and recent alumni regarding their interactions with people outside the LGBTQ+ community ("outgroup members"). Through narrative interviews with 11 participants, six core themes emerged: unbalanced depictions of difference, avoiding interactions, managing positive treatment of identity, restricting certain perspectives, focusing on differences, and the importance of seeing humanity. Findings highlight that LGBTQ+ individuals desire nuanced, holistic recognition of their identities beyond sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI), cautioning against overemphasis on these aspects which can lead to tokenization or forced disclosure. The study suggests social work educators and practitioners create supportive environments that respect diverse perspectives and treat LGBTQ+ people as multidimensional individuals to foster respectful, culturally sensitive engagement.