Exploring social worker views on transgender and non-binary rights in Aotearoa New Zealand using a poemish method

The resurgence of queerphobic discourses has created narratives of social and moral crisis that frame LGBTQ+ rights as existential threats to traditional values and national identities. Such discourses perpetuate systemic discrimination, stigma, and inequitable access to, and experiences of, a range of health and social services. As professionals with a social justice mandate, social workers can support transgender and non-binary (TNB) individuals to reduce disparities in mental health, violence, and accessing affirming care amongst other areas. Despite the growing visibility of TNB communities, limited research exists on how social workers engage with these identities in practice. This study explores social workers' views on the rights and acceptance of TNB individuals in Aotearoa New Zealand.

An anonymous online qualitative survey (September - December 2023) captured responses from 120 social workers. Data were analysed inductively and presented using the "poemish" method, whereby participant responses were shaped into haiku. Thirty-seven haiku were developed and grouped into ten haiku sequences, reflecting a spectrum of perspectives.

10 haiku sequences were chosen to represent recurring significant ideas, or motifs, that included beliefs in gender-affirming care as a human right, fears of speaking openly, binary thinking, reliance on neutrality despite holding anti-TNB views, and the need for gender-specific training.

Ethical, inclusive care requires structural commitments across social work education, accreditation, and workplace training. Our findings highlight the urgent need for consistent, systemic education on gender-affirming practice and we offer research poetry as a potential tool to support learning.