Queer IPS for LGBTQIA+
What is QIPS?
In March 2022, we completed our second round of “queer IPS,” or QIPS—Intentional Peer Support through an LGBTQIA+* lens. This curriculum was adapted from the IPS core training at the request of the Q Corner, a peer support program in Santa Clara County, California, that supports LGBTQ+ community members.
Empowerment Through Stories
IPS is about building relationships where our stories can be told and explored. By sharing our stories, we:
- Build networks of support.
- Create justice and empowerment.
- Drive social change rooted in civil rights movements, including gay liberation and the Stonewall riots.
"In the words of indigenous Australian activists in the 1970s, 'your liberation is bound up with mine.'"
(*The acronym LGBTQIA+ is commonly used to stand for “lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, asexual/aromantic, and more.”)
Join Our Community
Engage with us in deepening your understanding and support within the LGBTQIA+ community. Your voice and story can make a difference.
Check our Eventbrite page for upcoming QIPS training dates.
Intersectionality
Creating Space
QIPS was designed to acknowledge and support those of us whose gender, expression, and/or sexuality don’t fit within our society’s narrow definitions of “normal.” This includes individuals who have historically been marginalized by various systems such as education, employment, healthcare, and housing.
From this vantage point, we examine how these systems have also marginalized those of us whose experiences of mental or emotional distress, “big feelings” or altered states don’t fit into societal definitions of “healthy.”
A Unique Intersection
Participants in QIPS engage at the intersection of queer/trans communities and peer support. They:
- Learn the tasks and principles of IPS.
- Examine assumptions about who they are.
- Acknowledge personal and cultural histories of oppression and trauma.
- Focus on understanding “what happened” instead of “what’s wrong.”
“Intentional Queer Support”
Language as Power
“Queer” and “Mad” are terms reclaimed by some to express pride and resistance to assimilation. For others, these terms are too painfully associated with trauma and violence, and alternate language is preferable.
Language is constantly evolving and expanding and is often generation- and culture-specific. QIPS explores how language shapes reality, tells our stories and embraces diverse worldviews.
Community Healing
Healing Through Mutual Relationships
As IPS teaches, “mutual relationships heal.” Members of marginalized groups also know the healing power of belonging to a community. Through participating in QIPS, we hope members of LGBTQIA+ communities will be more equipped to navigate crisis, conflict and power imbalances in their supportive relationships. This fosters stronger, more connected communities and promotes collective liberation!
Join the Movement
Are you ready to be part of a global community that values growth, mutual support, and transformative change?
Explore the world of IPS and learn how you can contribute to a movement that's reshaping mental health support, one relationship at a time.