Utilizing Social Support in Treating Complex Trauma in Sexual and Gender Minorities

Sexual and gender minorities (SGM) are those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning. All other affectional and sexual orientations and gender identities are represented by a “plus” (LGBTQ+). Sexual orientation refers to one’s sexual attraction, and affectional orientation refers to one’s emotional attraction towards others (Ginicola, Smith, & Filmore, 2017). Gender identity is how one feels or experiences their gender, which may or may not be congruent with their sex assigned at birth. When an individual who is assigned a sex at birth that does not match their gender identity, one may identify as transgender, non-binary, or queer (Ellis & Cook, 2017).