IMAGINE THIS?(guided imagery exercise)
Materials Needed: None
Close your eyes. Imagine, if you will, that you have met the perfect person?a soul mate. You love spending time with them?they make you laugh?they make you complete. You ache when you are away from this person for an extended period of time. You are totally and completely contented and happy, and could think of nothing better than spending the rest of your life with this person?telling and proclaiming to the whole world your love for this one special someone. There is only one catch though?you can't tell ANYONE!! You can't bring this person home to meet your parents and family, and you can't tell any of your other friends about this person.
Think about how this would make you feel??
Now imagine that you are sitting alone in your residence hall room, and you are cuddling with this special person. A group of your "friends" from down the hall come knocking at the door. You and that special someone jump to opposite sides of the couch before telling them to come in. They are so excited. They know that you never really "go out" and they say they have found a wonderful "date" for you.
How does this make you feel? How does this make your "special someone" feel?? What do you do?? Do you go?? Do you not go??
FACILITATORS NOTE: This should be read out-loud to the group. This exercise is simply to get the audience to think about what life is like, everyday, for someone who may associate themselves as gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, or transgender. You should facilitate the thought processes with the questions?
Materials Needed: · Masking tape
Sheets of paper (5 and inches by 17 inches?split a piece of 11x17 in
half long way) - about 5-10 sheets per person or per group
Markers for each group
Directions: Before beginning, divide a wall into three sections...the section titles are listed below. Depending on size of group (may want to divide large group into three groups). Assign each group to think about rites of passages that everyone or most everyone goes through in their life through these three stages in life: CHILDHOOD, ADOLESENCE, ADULTHOOD.
Examples may include: · CHILDHOOD = first step, first day of school, etc.
ADOLESENCE = first kiss, graduation, senior prom, etc.
ADULTHOOD = marriage, paying taxes, etc.
When the groups are finished give them masking tape to tape their sheets on the wall under their section. The facilitator should then go through the answers, explaining that these are rites of passage that EVERYONE goes through in their journey from childhood to adulthood. When the facilitator is finished going through the answers for each?go back to the beginning and go through the answers again. Ask the group to identify how each answer may be different if a person associated themselves as gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, or transgender. If a rite is identified that it would be different for a GLBT person, remove it from the wall and turn it upside down and place it back on the wall.
When complete, ask the group to look at the wall, and imagine how a GLBT persons life can be turned upside down?
FACILITATORS NOTE: This can be a powerful visual exercise to get people thinking?because it actually puts some things in black and white and "writes them on the wall" so to speak.
Materials Needed: · 16 slips of paper for each person in the group.
Directions: The facilitator should explain the different kinds of losses that occur.
There are three main types of losses that occur in people's lives: those that are predictable (losses that you choose), random losses (losses that you may not want, but because of your chooses happen), and those that are random and unpredictable (losses that someone else chooses for you)?
Facilitator should ask the person to write different things on the slips of paper.
On the first four sheets?write four PEOPLE that you love.
On the second four sheets?write four THINGS that you cherish.
On the third four sheets?write four IDEAS that you value.
On the fourth four sheets?write four PLACES that you never want to forget
Once they have written on the sheets?
Have the group members go through their papers and pick and choose ONE from each category (people, places, things, or ideas) and have them ball the slip up and throw it away. Facilitator: This represents the PREDICTABLE (ones you get to choose) losses that occur in life.
Then have the group turn the categories over face down so that they can't see what is written on the papers. Then have the group go through their papers (without looking) and pick and choose ONE from each category (people, places, things, or ideas) and have them ball the slip up and throw it away.
Facilitator: This represents the RANDOM losses that occur in life.
Have the group keep the papers face down so that they can't see what is written on the papers. The facilitator should go around and choose one slip from each category of each person and ball up the slip of paper for the group member and throw it away.
Facilitator: This represents the RANDOM and UNPREDICTABLE losses that occur in life.
Have the group members turn the sheets back over. They should have four sheets left. Ask them how they feel about what they have left.
Facilitator NOTE: Can be a very powerful visual exercise if done seriously. Should explain that losses experienced in this exercise are like that of the losses experienced by a GLBT person. Some (very few) choices are predictable. Most are RANDOM and UNPREDICTABLE?
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