Introduction

Reflecting the profession's values to promote social justice, policies and standards on health established by United States (US) national (NASW, 2005) and international (Bywaters and Napier, 2009) social work associations serve as maps for leading the profession's mission across the globe. Explicit commitments recognise that health is fundamental to human rights and that social work training plays a key role in educating students about the need to mitigate the impact of social and health inequalities among the marginalised communities they serve. Social work has an ‘obligation to challenge social conditions that contribute to social exclusion, stigmatisation or subjugation, and to work towards an inclusive society’ (IFSW, section 4.2 (5)). Notions of what is meant by an inclusive society include recognising diversity across individual characteristics, traditions and identities based on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, ability and so on (Van Soest, 2003). While social work educators are charged with instilling these values in students, embracing these ideals may create unique challenges for students socialised to view lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) lives through the lens of heteronormative morality versus ‘cultural diversity’ (Van Den Bergh and Crisp, 2004).

Many social work students still harbour lingering vestiges of prejudice, with and without their conscious knowledge (Raiz and Saltzburg, 2008). As internalised beliefs derived from dominant heterosexist/cisgender discourses carry over into direct practice (Schope and Eliason, 2000), LGBT clients are at risk of having their lives evaluated and prescribed by using heterosexual and cisgender norms. Such lack of understanding creates barriers to culturally responsive and effective services. Social work education plays a critical role in dispelling inequalities in healthcare for LGBT people by preparing students for ethical and culturally affirmative practice.

Helping students to gain needed cultural-diversity competences (CSWE, 2008) for LGBT practice calls for cultivating a cognisant departure from assumptions instilled by heterosexist/cisgender socialisation. There have been a number of teaching strategies for practice courses suggested in the social work literature for decreasing heterosexist/cisgender bias (for example, LGBT guest speakers: Black et al, 1999; the ‘infusion method’: Basset and Day, 2003); however, efficacy of outcomes has been inconsistent. Teaching self-reflection as a means for instilling values is well established in social work pedagogy (for example Healy, 2000). However, given the religious-moral issues for some students related to same-sex attraction and behaviours and non-conforming gender expression, these topics may be experienced as too highly sensitive and provocative for transparent self-reflection.