Dangerous territories

SUMMARY This paper considers both social work and the workplace as dangerous territory for lesbians. It is claimed that social work as a professional and occupational role is territorially claimed by heterodominant relations and discourses. Because of this, lesbian social workers are endangered within this environment and context. It draws on the experiences of lesbian social workers and examines the trends and themes of discrimination within a theoretical and analytical context that addresses the hetero-dominance of a professional and occupational role. The analysis shows the systematic patterning of discrimination and the psychological impact of social forms of oppression.