Developing a gender identity and becoming aware of one's own sexual orientation are among the most important tasks in adolescent identity development. Linked to this is the search for partnership and living arrangements. Accordingly, the Federal Working Group of the State Youth Welfare Offices (BAGLJÄ) decided in 2003 that "sexual orientation [is] a relevant topic in youth welfare". This was done with the intention of taking appropriate account of sexual orientation in the further development of services for children and young people (BAGLÄ Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft der Landesjugendämter 2003). Schools as well as child and youth welfare services are therefore required to take the situation of LGBT*IQ young people into account in an unprejudiced and appropriate manner.

Young people who do not identify with the gender they were assigned at birth or who have non-heterosexual desires still have to deal with discrimination as sexual and gender minorities at a time when they are coping with developmental tasks and at the same time are highly emotionally and financially dependent on people and institutions. The few available studies on the life situation of LGBT*IQ young people show that coming out processes begin early in adolescence and are often experienced as an additional burden by young people who continue to face discrimination in a heteronormative society. This so-called minority stress can displace the confrontation with age-typical demands and issues in adolescence and have a negative impact on participation in education, health and social integration.

Due to the dependencies and additional challenges, LGBT*IQ young people are therefore considered vulnerable groups who are also dependent on support services from child and youth services. It is important that lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans* young people meet reflective and competent professionals who support them in dealing with LGBT*IQ-specific issues as well as age-specific general issues (relationships with parents, school, friendships, career choices, etc.) and stand by their side.

Outed LGBT*IQ professionals could provide meaningful support as competent contact persons and act as positive role models. However, findings from the project "Sexual orientation in child and youth welfare" (SeKiJu) show that queer professionals usually remain invisible to their clients and are at best outed to colleagues or the provider within the team. A recent study (Baer Fischer 2021) also shows a connection between the job satisfaction of lesbian, gay and bisexual professionals and how they deal with (internalized) homonegativity. A connection between behaviors such as avoiding the topic and straight acting (i.e. pretending to have a heterosexual lifestyle) and awareness of depression and lower job satisfaction was significantly confirmed in this context.

The project makes a contribution to researching the opportunities and limits of a reflexive approach to one's own queer identity and, if necessary, lifeworld expertise in professional action and professional biography. On the other hand, queer professionals themselves must be considered as members of sexual minorities and thus potentially more exposed to heteronormative discrimination, who experience situations in the workplace in which they have to conceal their sexual identity or even fear for their professional status. The project aims to conduct more detailed research into the situation of queer professionals in Social Work and pursues a twofold perspective and goal:

1. Profession-theoretical reconstruction of the contribution of LGBT*IQ professionals to a discrimination-sensitive and needs-based regulatory structure and its services for users (professional theoretical perspectives on queer professionals as experts on sexual and gender diversity in the real world).

2. Reconstruction of discrimination and coping skills of LGBT*IQ professionals in the field of Social Work ((Anti-) discrimination of queer social work professionals in the workplace)

The transfer of findings on anti-discrimination in the workplace and professional theoretical perspectives on queer professionals as experts on sexual and gender diversity in child and youth welfare into practical experience takes place on several levels:

• Training professionals: The project's findings are directly incorporated into the training of Social Work professionals in the bachelor's and master's degree programs at Hochschule RheinMain.

• Further and continuing education: Recommendations on the needs and content of continuing education are developed

• Policy: Recommendations for action are given for socio-political measures of welfare state political actors and social work providers (state youth welfare office, state health offices, care insurance funds, etc.).

About the QueerProf study