Worner Leland
Bio:
Worner Leland is a researcher and educator at Upswing Advocates and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst at Empowered: A Center for Sexuality. For the past several years, Worner has also served as a sex educator with a focus on expanding affirming sexual education, consent education, and education on sexuality and data collection, and their research has focused on intimacy-related behaviors in the queer community. Worner is also a Past President and the current Research and Dissemination Liaison of the ABAI Sexual Behavior Research and Practice SIG. Their other education passions include neurodiversity affirmation, harm reduction, and restorative justice.
Abstract:
Chapter 21: LGBTQ2IA
Supporting Ontogenic and Cultural Compassion Building for the LGBTQ2IA Community
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, two-spirit, intersex, asexual, and aromantic (LGBTQ2IA) people are often targets of direct oppression at both the systemic and interpersonal level. While many non-LGBTQ2IA individuals may not engage in direct acts of aggression toward LGBTQ2IA people, they often benefit systemically from their place in an oppression hierarchy, and thus may not engage in anti-oppressive behaviors, even if they hold anti-oppressive values. We posit that to build compassion for LGBTQ2IA people involves direct, active behavior on the part of non-LGBTQ2IA people. However, anti-oppressive appearing behaviors may be engaged in which do not actually result in consequent liberation or movement in the direction of liberation. We posit that anti-oppressive action of non-LGBTQ2IA people must be LGBTQ2IA led, grounded in mutual aid, and moving in the direction of interlocking liberation for all oppressed peoples and classes.
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