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S3.8.12 Gifted LGBTQ Students around the World: Needs and Responses
Gifted LGBTQ youth are safer and happier in some parts of the world than they have been in previous times. Yet, depending on their nation and sector of their country, these youth face very different situations in terms of the extent to which they have access to resources that empirically-supported research has shown to be necessary, including physical safety, psychological support, teaching role models, LGBTQ curriculum, and professional learning for their educators to support all of these elements. In this session, three LGBTQ-supportive presenters share empirical, professional, and personal data to indicate how their countries are assisting gifted LGBTQ youth. Hear this first-ever session on diverse international perspectives on a population that is increasingly becoming heard!
Author(s):
Terence Friedrichs
tpfriedrichs56@gmail.com
Friedrichs Education
United States
Dr. Friedrichs, the organizer and first Chair of the NAGC GLBTQ Network, has served for 40 years as a teacher, advocate, researcher, and youth-group leader for gifted GLBTQ youth. In recent years, he increasingly has communicated with researchers in other nations, to discover both common and distinctive challenges and educational approaches for these youth. He has found that, through international collaboration, support can be shared and exciting new insights can be conveyed. This session strives to inaugurate such a formal sharing on gifted LGBTQ youth at a world gifted education conference.
Fiona Smith
fiona@giftedminds.com.au
Gifted Minds, Pty., Ltd.
Australia
Ms. Smith is the director of Gifted Minds, Pty. Ltd., based in Sydney, Australia.She is a Registered Psychologist, with a Master's Degree in Education and a major in gifted education. Over the last 20 years, Fiona has assessed over 3500 gifted children, adolescents, adults. She travels throughout Australia and has done assessments in China and Hong Kong. She has spoken at state, national, and international conferences since 1998. Fiona counsels creative young LGBTQI adults in Australia, as well as parents with gifted trans children.
Frans Corten
corten@werkenwaarde.nl
Independently Employed
Netherlands
Frans Corten (born 1962) has studied Biology (MSc.), Philosophy, and Psychosynthesis. Since 2001, he has worked as a career coach, specializing in gifted and highly gifted adolescents and adults. As an early coach for the gifted, he has written several articles about the career-related challenges and solutions for the gifted. Some of these articles are translated into English (http://www.werkenwaarde.nl/nieuwesite/engels.htm). His Dutch-language book about extraordinary talents is planned for 2019. Frans lives in the quieter eastern part of the Netherlands, together with his partner for 30 years, Guido. They have participated in several LGBTQ cultural programs in Findhorn, Scotland.
Susan Jackson
sue.jackson@shaw.ca
Daimon Institute
Canada
P. Susan Jackson is a psychologist, specializing in highly and profoundly gifted youth and their social-emotional needs, based in British Columbia, Canada. She has worked for many years as the director of Daimon Institute, which has served as home to some gifted LGBTQ youth. Sue writes, presents, and consults around the world on highly and profoundly gifted children’s potential and aspirations, and helps organize retreats for parents of the profoundly gifted. She is the parent of two profoundly gifted young adults.
Orla Dunne
orla.dunne@dcu.ie
Centre for Talented Youth
Canada
Orla Dunne is a residential coordinator for the Centre for Talented Youth (CTY) at Dublin City University. The Centre offers courses to Irish students aged 6 through 17, some of whom live at the college for part of the school year. Some CTY students attend summer sessions for older college youth. CTY also researches gifted students’ academic and social/emotional needs. Among many other things, Orla helps her students, including LGBTQ youth, to feel a part of the CTY community.