This list of questions is to help stimulate your thought processes. In order for Left-Hander in London to be a good guide, you need to be able to take something from the book that you can use in your life, your world. As I related in the book about my friend Dan, if I had had the chance to reflect on this matter beforehand, I would have reacted much differently. If you can think about these things in advance, you won’t be as surprised and will react better. Here are many of the questions you may have when you encounter friends, family and colleagues that maybe LGBT – or any minority.
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Before you read the book:
Q: What is your experience with LGBT people? Do you know anyone who is LGBT?
Q: What has been your experience when you find out that some is LGBT? Has it varied if the person was close to you? A friend? An acquaintance?
Q: When you first heard of Left-Hander in London, what did you think of the title?
Q: What is the “Gay Agenda?”
As you read the book/After you finish the book:
Q: How have I treated people that I perceive as gay or transgender? How would I like to treat them?
Q: How do I know that people are gay or transgender?
Q: Do I know any same sex couples? How is my relationship with them? How would I react if I found that a friend, family member or colleague is in a same sex relationship?
Q: Do I judge the morality of LGBT people? Why? Is that my right or responsibility?
Q: Do I think being LGBT is a choice? If I believe it is or isn’t, how does that affect my relationship with LGBT people?
Q: How do my religious beliefs affect my relationships with LGBT people? What is the basis of my beliefs?
Q: Do you think being left-handed and journeying to London are helpful to explain the journey of LGBT people?
Q: Are you left-handed? Are you in a minority? Are you disabled? Have you felt different from others?
Q: Do you know anyone that has struggled or is struggling with his or her sexual attraction or gender identity? Have you helped, supported or thwarted them?
Q: How do the “What If” Twins (see Chapters 2 and 3) affect your day-to-day life and relationships? How much fear do you invent yourself?
Q: Have you had an experience with a friend, family member, loved one or colleague telling you the truth about their sexuality or gender identity? How have you reacted? If you had it to do over again, would you do the same? Was your response supportive and helpful? Negative or judgmental? Disinterested?
Q. If you are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (or some combination), how have you treated others? Are you helpful and empathetic when people are surprised to learn about your true nature? Are you judgmental of people that you think may be not very open or understanding?
Q: How do you compare your relationship before you found that someone was LGBT with after?
Q: Have you used religion to judge other people? Have you used the Bible or another holy book to determine if another person is doing the right thing? How do you respond to people that have different religious beliefs or act in ways not consistent with your beliefs? What was your reaction to JJ’s Morality Rule (Chapter 7)?
Q: Do you agree or disagree with JJ’s description of Christian Moralists (Chapter 7)? Do you perceive this as a problem? Are you a Christian Moralist, or a “Moralist” of another faith or tradition?
Q: My company policy is supportive of LGBT employees and vendors. I am personally uncomfortable with them. If I say what I truly believe, I might lose my job. How do I reconcile this problem?
Q: How do JJ Gufreda’s Rules of Ethical behavior (Chapter 7) match your beliefs and the practices and policies of your company?
Q: JJ contrasts two types of responses to her “news” of being transgender – supportive and loving and non-supportive and judgmental. Which style matches your behavior and how would you like to be in the future?
Q: What is your reaction to JJ’s simplistic explanation of Gay, Lesbian and Bi people? Could it be that simple?
Q: What are your feelings about legislators and courts related to gay rights or anti-gay initiatives?
Q: If we rounded up all the gays and lesbians, what would change? What would some of the effects be? If there were no gays and lesbians in society, would that eliminate them forever?
Q: What is the gay agenda? Is there one?
Q: JJ claims to have experience as a translator – being able to see things from more than one side or view. Do you see things more as shades of grey or more as black and white? Is trying to be a “translator” a positive or negative thing?
Q: If female, have you felt that men sometime talk down to you? If male, have you done this?
Q: Describe the policies and actual practices in your organization or company: Are you accepting/encouraging/supporting of minorities or more uniform and closed. Are all minority groups treated similarly, or are some treated well and others not so well?
Q: Do you track progress for supporting minorities? Do you use and partner with minority suppliers? Is your effort sincere, or more for show or for good PR?
Q: What are your views and standards around same sex couples, gender markers (M or F) when the person’s gender may not be clear or is in flux, name changes, etc?
Q: Would you like to move beyond tolerance and acceptance to enjoying diversity?
