Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Conference

Despite increased visibility and acceptance of the LGBT community (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender), in some parts of society, many LGBT people struggle with self-acceptance. Minority Stress Theory, described in the scientific literature, explains that health disparities among populations such as the LGBT population can be explained by stressors induced by a hostile, homophobic culture, which results in harm suffered, expectations of rejection, and internalized homophobia. The harm suffered may include acts of discrimination, harassment, violence (physical or linguistic). But more deeply, two important points of this theory: 1) the expectations of the LGBT person to experience rejection based on their identity and the anti-LGBT social stigma, 2) internalized homophobia, which is a social internalization from negativity against homosexuality and transgender to the initial stages of the identity development of an individual who can continue throughout his life. Perceived harm, stigma and lived rejection are associated with an increased propensity to experience significant psychological pain. LGBT people are more likely to develop self-identification based on sexual orientation or gender, making them more vulnerable to any rejection signal. There is a growing scientific interest around Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies (CBT) of 3rd wave, also called therapies derived from Buddhism, or therapies based on meditation. These programs aim to observe and test, through an experiential meta-cognitive practice, the dogmas or preconceptions (about ourselves, others, and the world) and mental attitudes that guide our choices without our knowledge and are at the origin of suffering, in order to gain inner freedom. These practices constitute an experiential scientific methodology of self-knowledge and reality. These secular programs have become a standard treatment in the management of stress, chronic pain, and the prevention of relapsing depression. In addition, the inter