Advocate for the LGBTQIA+ Community in Social Work Careers
5 Min Read
Everyone thrives in a world where they feel safe, affirmed, and respected. Those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, asexual, and more (LGBTQIA+) can face significant adversity in their pursuit of happiness, so many turn to social workers for help. Boost your advocacy skills with an online social work degree and create powerful change for vulnerable populations.
Social Work Is Crucial for the LGBTQIA+ Community
U.S. advocacy organizations have led significant strides toward equal rights for people impacted by LGBTQIA+ legislature. The latest data from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) shows that 8 in 10 Americans favor nondiscrimination laws as of 2022, representing a 10% increase since 2017.1 The most notable developments have expanded access to employment, housing, marriage, gender-affirming care, and military service.
Now is the time to build on this momentum, especially since government advocacy has increased. According to the Pew Research Center, 13 voting members of the 118th Congress (in 2023-34) openly identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual – the highest number in history.2 These elected officials can directly impact additional progress, but only if constituents’ needs are heard.
Social workers in any role can foster LGBTQIA+ advocacy, making them essential to continued support. Whether they practice in schools, public health organizations, child welfare programs, nonprofits, and more, social workers provide services to the LGBTQIA+ community each day.
Become an Advocate in Several Social Work Jobs
Social work jobs are projected to grow faster than the average for all occupations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which will add an average of 63,800 openings each year from 2022 to 2032.3 These professionals will experience significant demand in child and family services, school counseling, health care, and mental health practice.
With specialized advocacy skills, awareness of LGBTQIA+ issues, and a trauma-informed perspective, you can direct your services toward individuals pursuing adoption, navigating legal procedures, seeking gender-affirming care, and more.
Adoption Counselor or Case Worker
Counselors and case workers are a crucial part of the decision to adopt. They assist clients in navigating court procedures, managing paperwork, and processing the myriad emotions that come with the process. These challenges are amplified for adoptive parents who are LGBTQIA+. According to What to Expect, a prominent source of parenting information, some states explicitly allow anti-LGBTQ discrimination, while other states have no protection against it.4 As liaisons and advocates, social workers communicate with legal representatives and government officials on behalf of their clients. They help give clients the confidence to retain their adoptive rights and minimize stress along the journey.
Adoption caseworkers in the U.S. made an average base salary of $51,044 in January 2024; skills in child advocacy were correlated with salaries six percent higher than average.5 Adoption caseworkers with an MSW can increase their income potential, qualify for promotions, and move into leadership roles with more opportunities for LGBTQIA+ advocacy.
Family Mediator
These professionals guide children, parents, and other family members through challenging situations. They frequently work with clients affected by legal issues such as adoption, conception, custody agreements, discrimination, divorce, and remediation. The Mediation Center, a New York-based practice, explains that LGBTQIA+ clients may need help evaluating how their situations change when other states don’t recognize legal marriage or separation and when there is no “legal safety net” that can guarantee their rights.6 Social workers have an advanced understanding of how these contexts affect the LGBTQIA+ community so they are uniquely positioned to help.
An entry-level mediator with less than a year of experience can expect to earn an average total compensation of $45,000; negotiation, facilitation, and legal skills correlate to pay that is above average.7 Family mediators with backgrounds in social work and LGBTQIA+ advocacy can better ensure their clients are treated fairly through challenging times.
Gender-affirming Care Counselor
Individuals who identify as transgender are transitioning to another gender and require gender-affirming care in the process. Social workers and mental health professionals affirm someone’s gender identity by advocating for their social and psychological well-being. The Conversation, an academic publisher, explains that social workers must often assess children and young adults before gender-affirming care can begin.8 Through the complex assessment process and afterward, social workers should be equipped with the tools to help clients flourish.
Social workers who would like to provide gender-affirming care need experience from a clinically focused MSW. With clinical assessment skills from an advanced social work program, these professionals can earn salaries as high as 11% above average.9 Gender-affirming care skills are particularly valuable for social workers in health care offices, community-based organizations, and mental/behavioral health.
Further Your Social Work Career
If you’re passionate about social work and advocacy for the LGBTQIA+ community, Utica University’s online Master of Social Work and online Master of Social Work – Advanced Standing degree programs may be for you. In these programs, you’ll study critical topics in courses topics including:
- Advocacy for mental health
- Human behavior in the social environment
- Power, privilege, and oppression
- Social work with individuals, families, and groups
You will gain innovative skills that prepare you to support the needs of the LGBTQIA+ community. Learn more about the online MSW or online Advanced Standing program with a request for more information.
Sources
- Human Rights Campaign (HRC). “ICYMI: New Data Shows Support for LGBTQ+ Rights Reaches Highest Rates Ever Recorded.” March 27, 2023. Retrieved March 22, 2024, from https://www.hrc.org/press-releases/icymi-new-data-shows-support-for-lgbtq-rights-reaches-highest-rates-ever-recorded.
- Pew Research Center. “118th Congress Breaks Record For Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Representation.” January 11, 2023. Retrieved March 22, 2024, from https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/01/11/118th-congress-breaks-record-for-lesbian-gay-and-bisexual-representation/.
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. Occupational Outlook Handbook. “Social Workers.” September 6, 2023. Retrieved April 3, 2024, from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/social-workers.htm#tab-1.
- What to Expect. “Guide to Starting a Family for LGBTQ+ Parents-to-Be.” September 21, 2021. Retrieved April 3, 2024, from https://www.whattoexpect.com/family/lgbtq-guide-to-starting-family.
- Payscale. “Average Adoption Caseworker Salary.” January 10, 2024. Retrieved April 3, 2024, from https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Adoption_Caseworker/Salary.
- The Mediation Center. “LGBTQ Families.” Retrieved April 3, 2024, from https://mediationctr.com/lgbtq-families/.
- Payscale. “Average Mediator Salary.” March 10, 2024. Retrieved April 3, 2024, from https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Mediator/Salary.
- The Conversation. “What is Gender-affirming Care? A Social Worker and Therapist Working with Trans People Explains.” March 13, 2024. Retrieved April 3, 2024, from https://theconversation.com/what-is-gender-affirming-care-a-social-worker-and-therapist-working-with-trans-people-explains-223412.
- Payscale. “Average Social Worker Salary.” March 20, 2024. Retrieved April 3, 2024, from https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Social_Worker/Salary.