A topic that still receives little attention is that of the massage or bodywork therapist who identifies as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. Just like LGBTQ+ clients, they likewise regularly face discrimination, prejudice, rejection, and marginalization in their daily lives, including in their profession.
eBook | Click for details
For instance, for a male masseur it’s often already quite an ordeal to have male clients due to conscious or subconscious homophobic bents of male clients. As it is, there is a general fear in men to be massaged by a man, not only because of homophobic feelings, but also because of unease to be in a vulnerable position towards another man, which is mostly caused by exaggerated ideas of masculinity. Hence, you can imagine that this fear of being massaged by another man significantly intensifies when it’s known that the masseur is actually homosexual.
The abovementioned is just an example, but the reality is that LGBTQ+ bodywork therapists who are open about their non-traditional sexual orientation or atypical gender identity may have more difficulties finding non-LGBTQ+ clients. This is certainly not always the case, and depends partly on their approach and presentation and on the region or city they practice in, which in the latter case may be more or less welcoming to gender diverse people or to those with a non-traditional sexual orientation.
By contrast, LGBTQ+ bodywork therapists can certainly profit from the fact that they belong to the LGBTQ+ community. In fact, there are quite some LGBTQ+ clients who explicitly look for an LGBTQ+ masseur or bodyworker just because they’d feel more welcome and emotionally safe during their sessions.
In addition to this, you’ll also find that many LGBTQ+ bodywork therapists have specialized in LGBTQ+ related issues and specifically advertise towards LGBTQ+ individuals, generally having more success in obtaining LGBTQ+ clients compared to non-LGBTQ+ therapists.
Receive occasional news about our new eBook and Video Workshop publications.
