RUNNING HEAD: ANALYSIS OF A GROUPS DIVERSITY

Angelita S. Pierce
December 9th, 2013
Wayne State University: Analysis of A Groups Diversity
SW: 3110

I had the pleasure of interviewing Ms. Karis Karr who is a member of the LGBT

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community, prior to the interview I asked if Karis wanted to be nameless only for confidentiality
purposes and she declined stating that she was honored to do the interview. Karis is a 29-yearold African American who has been a member of the LGBT community since the age of 14.
While interviewing Karis she told me that she knew she was a lesbian at the age of 12 and until
the age of 21 she had been living a double life, which she was perfectly fine with seeing as how
she knew the way society and her parents viewed people who were lesbians or gay. Karis has
openly been a member of the LGBTQ community for 8 years but she stated that if it had not
been for a former friend who told her mother that she was gay, Karis would more than likely still
be living her double life. When I asked Karis how she viewed the LGBTQ community in light of
its history, she mentioned that the LGBTQ community is looked down upon as poison to other
non-homosexual individuals not because of the actual history but because of what society as
done to the LGBTQ community.
The LGBTQ community has never and probably will never be seen as something
positive. Karis stated that there are too many stereotypes going around about individuals in the
LGBTQ community such as the main one of the HIV/AIDS virus being a gay mans disease, yet
the sad thing is that people have a lack of knowledge about the LGBTQ community, and they
would rather remain ignorant that to educate themselves about the community. Karis mentioned
that because of the history regarding the LGBTQ community that individuals belonging to the
community will never been seen as equal amongst everyone else and that members belonging to
the LGBT community would never have equal rights either.
When I went on to ask about the sources of cohesion and discord of the community, Karis
went on to explain that individuals belonging to the LGBT community all stick together, they
support one another. She told me how they have support groups for individuals who are in the

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closet and are trying to find a way to come out which I found to be very interesting, Karis
also informed me that she used to attend those same group sessions for when she was trying to
find a way to come out to her family and friends and let it be known that was a lesbian. Karis
mentioned that the individuals of the LGBTQ community stick together more than any other
group or minority, which through my personal experiences I find that information to me
seemingly true. When it came to sources of stress and discord Karis explained that the stress and
discord mainly comes from society and he way people have been brought up, and as I stated
before people would rather remain ignorant than to educate themselves on the LGBTQ
community. Karis stated that a lot of it had to do with religion and that was a topic for another
one of my social work papers. Nonetheless I could tell when interviewing Karis that talking
about stress and discord dealing with the LGBTQ community was something that she really did
not want to elaborate on. Going forward with the interview Karis informed me that in the
LGBTQ community gender is not so much a factor in choosing roles being that to be gay or a
lesbian you just simply have to have and acknowledge a physical attraction to someone of the
same sex.
When conducting my interview with Karis I was informed that individuals belonging to
the LGBTQ community come from different races, cultures are rich, poor, sick and healthy.
Karis said they look like you and me. I never really paid any attention to how people of the
LGBTQ community looked, not that I had any negative opinions about them or that I judged
them in any way I honestly didnt have any opinion good or bad about people of the LGBTQ
community until I conducted this interview. The LGBTQ community was not founded for any
reason it is just a community that is many individuals who are basically cast out by society
because of who they love which just so happens to be people of the same sex. The LGBTQ

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community functions as a transmitter of cultural values by resenting a strong commitment to

educating individuals who are not of the LGBTQ community with facts regarding individuals
belonging to the LGBTQ community . This community was individuals to be aware of the
positive things that go on inside the LGBTQ community.
When comparing research found in the literature about another community, I found out
that if any other community or race that individuals on the LGBTQ community are treated
almost if not worse than African Americans, the LGBTQ community is being treated like
animals and individuals of the African American race has been and even in some places are
currently being treated as animals. The LGBTQ community and the African American race gets
the least amount of respect from any other race, group, or organizations. An implication for
social work practice on the micro level would be the social worker interacting with the individual
of the LGBTQ community and providing the appropriate resources for the client. On the macro
level I would be the social worker becoming an advocate for the LGBTQ community as a whole
perhaps trying to change certain policies that might affect individuals belonging to the LGBTQ
community in a negative manner.
Once the interview was over I feel it was very informative. Karis seemed to know a lot
about the LGBTQ community and did not portray to just being a member of the community
because it was the trend for now. Her heartfelt passion for herself as well as the other
individuals of the LGBTQ community was felt throughout the interview. Although this
interview did not really change my feeling(s) towards the LGBTQ community I now have more
empathy for anyone who is in the LGBTQ community.