Making Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered Inclusive Assumptions

When you are interacting with people whose sexual orientation is unknown to you:

DON'T: Assume that everyone is heterosexual.
DO: Assume that everyone might be attracted to and/or sexually or romantically involved with a partner of the same or opposite sex. Attraction and/or involvement fall along a continuum, which can vary over time.

DON'T: Assume that all parents are heterosexual.
DO: Assume that a parent might be heterosexual or an LGBT person.

DON'T: Assume that all partnered women/men are heterosexual.
DO: Assume that a person who is partnered might have LGBT feelings, might or has been involved in an LGBT relationship.

DON'T: Assume all premenopausal sexually active women use birth control.
DO: Assume that a premenopausal sexually active woman might have either a male or female sexual partner.

DON'T: Assume when interacting with a "single" adult, that person's only "family members" are parents, siblings, grandparents, etc.
DO: Assume that any "single" person might be involved in a life-long committed relationship with a same-sex or other-sex partner who is as much a "family member" as a husband or wife.

DON'T: Assume that all children live in families consisting of the child and a male-female couple or the child and a single parent.
DO: Assume any child might live in any number of family composition options consisting of the child and a single parent, the child and an opposite-sex couple, the child and a same-sex couple, or the child and multiple same-sex and/or other-sex adults.

DON'T: Assume that everyone will find heterosexual imagery erotic, or that everyone will find banter about heterosexual intrigue funny or playful.
DO: Assume that in any group of people, it is likely that there is at least one person who is more interested in same-sex imagery and intrigue.

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