A Youth Leader's Guide to Building Cultural Competence 

6.  What cultural factors in your background might contribute to being misunderstood or rejected by 

members of other cultures? 

7.  What personal qualities do you have that will help you establish personal relationships with people 

from other cultural groups? What personal qualities might make that difficult? 

Questions to Ask Yourself About Sexual Orientation Issues  

Answering these questions about sexual orientation will help you begin to identify issues needing 

additional learning and work on your part.  

1.  What messages did you receive about lesbian, gay and bisexual people when you were growing up? 

From family? From religion? From friends? From the media? What opinions did you form?  

2.  Have experiences in your adult life changed some of your opinions? If yes, which ones? How?  

3.  Are you knowledgeable about: How many people are gay, lesbian, or bisexual? Research on 

homosexuality? The history of the gay liberation movement in the U.S.?  

4.  Do you know any gay, lesbian or bisexual people who are open about their sexual orientation? Have 

they ever discussed their lives with you? If not, why do you think they haven't?  

5.  If you think that someone might be gay, lesbian or bisexual, do you try to signal to them that you are 

accepting? Why or why not? How?  

6.  Have you ever read a book or seen a movie with a gay theme? Been to a gay bookstore or bar? Read a 

gay newspaper or magazine? Seen a gay show on cable television? Seen an openly gay or lesbian 

musician or comedian perform?  

7.  How would you feel if a family member told you she or he was lesbian, gay or bisexual? Would you 

respond differently if it were your child? Cousin? Parent?  

8.  How would you feel if a colleague at work told you he or she was gay or lesbian?  

An ever present issue for lesbian, gay and bisexual people is whether or not it is safe to tell people the 

truth about their lives. If you are gay, lesbian or bisexual, you may wonder whether or not to  come out  

to a non gay youth group by being open about your sexual orientation.  

Questions to Consider Before Coming Out to a Group: __________ 

Have you already established mutual trust and respect with the group?  

What purpose would coming out it serve? Would it help you, the group or both?  

What will be the effect on the group? 

Is there another leader who can help the group process the information? 

What sources of emotional support could you turn to?  

Do you risk losing your job?  

Checking Out Your Biases

13

This set of questions, if answered honestly, will help you begin to see where your biases are in working 

with young people. There can be a link between the treatment of and opinions about a few individuals and 

a more general attitude or bias. 

1.  List five young people you most like and feel comfortable with and five with whom the reverse is 

true.  

a)  Do these teens have anything in common with each other? Think of language, behavior, gender, 

cleanliness, manners, culture, sexual orientation, race and ethnicity.  

b)  Can you identify a bias that is indicated by their similarities?