Understanding Factors Which Contribute to LGBT Ally Identity Development

Graduate counseling programs do not currently provide sufficient learning opportunities to address the counseling needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) clients, so these clients will likely be underserved in counseling unless counselors have cultivated a personal interest in developing an LGBT-affirmative ally identity. However, the experiences that lead to increased levels of LGBT ally identity are not explicitly defined in the existing literature. The purpose of this study was to examine how LGBT-specific mentorship, supervision, education, advocacy efforts, and personal relationships with members of the LGBT community (independent variables) impacted counselors’ scores on the Ally Identity Measure (AIM), a survey which assesses for the presence of attitudes and behaviors of allies to the LGBT community. The AIM was chosen because it aligned with the Getz-Kirkley model of ally-identity development. The main research involved whether the independent variables had a relationship to the participant’s AIM score. The second research question was whether Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Program affiliation had an impact on AIM score, and the third question was about whether participants were self-ranking level of allyship congruent with AIM scores. A quantitative cross-sectional survey of 214 heterosexual and cisgender allies was conducted to assess their ally identity development activities and also had participants complete the AIM. Using linear regression, the study revealed all independent variables positively impacted AIM scores, yet there were average participation rates of 0 for LGBT mentorship, supervision, and advocacy. The results of this study could offer suggestions for strategies for ally identity development