Relate to Others with Confidence: A Guidebook for LGBTQIA+ People and Those with a Different Label or No Label

This guidebook is designed to increase readers’ social resilience, assertiveness, and competence in responding to minority stress. Readers will understand how to embody a compassionate power in relationships when confronted by discrimination, rejection, and conflicts. We hope these ideas and skills help readers empower themselves and others to live more authentically and positively with differences. We highlight the need for community building and a safe, collaborative, and peaceful coexistence with our diverse pluralistic cultures. The LGBTQIA+ Peacemaking Book Project offers two guidebooks, Feel Secure in Yourself and Relate to Others with Confidence, published by Rowman & Littlefield, and twelve e-resources self-published by each set of chapter coauthors. Each chapter has 4-15 coauthors, with differing and sometimes politically opposing viewpoints, who contributed their ideas and skills regarding the chapter topic. Over 120 scholars, clinicians, and/or community leaders contributed to this project. Their reason for this collaboration was to find common ground, reduce prejudice, and improve LGBTQIA+ health and self-development for a wide range of readers. These resources are written for the general public and can be used by academics, clinicians, researchers, religious leaders, parents, and other providers. They are for conservatives and progressives who want to learn updated and integrated ideas and skills about sexuality, gender, race/ethnicity, faith/purpose of life, emotional health, resilience, and relationships. Overall, this book project is a social experiment of bridge-building and hope to empower readers with identity development and skill development and reduce the side-taking that impairs growth. We hope readers can resolve more conflicts personally and socially and experience more peace. Especially in these divisive times, this book project may serve as an inspiration for other projects.