Increasing your knowledge and understanding of the different aspects of LGBTIQ+ identity and experience will help you to provide better mental healthcare for young people.
Many young people we spoke to while developing this resource said: “We just want clinicians to educate themselves and try their best.”
Watch a short video on identity and experience(3:29 min)
The Prism of LGBTIQ+ Identity and Experience developed by youth service Twenty 10 (and adapted below) is a great way to understand young people’s identities and lived experience. It looks at the different intersections or parts of a person's life that make up who they are.
Whether or not they are LGBTIQ+, a person’s identity and experience always includes:
- sex characteristics
- sexuality
- gender.
The full prism can include other intersecting aspects of a person's identity and experience, such as:
- physical ability
- appearance
- neurotype
- age
- class
- financial status
- education
- faith/spirituality
- culture
- nationality
- location
- ancestry
- race
- language
For some young people, experiences and identities may change over time, so it’s important to seek clarity from a young person on how they understand their own experience whenever you are working with them, even if you’ve worked with them before. Intersectionality is about how different aspects of a young person's identity and experiences may be interconnected. This may lead to overlapping experiences of discrimination or challenges.
Sex characteristics
Learn about primary and secondary sex characteristics, as well as those of people with intersex variations.
Gender and the trans umbrella
Understand the meaning and language of gender, including the trans umbrella and Aboriginal gender identities.
Sexuality
Learn about the spectrum of romantic, emotional and sexual attraction; relationships; and diverse sexual identities.
Common experiences
Be aware of and address common experiences that impact the mental health of LGBTIQ+ young people and act as barriers to healthcare.