| Abstract: 7% of US adults, and 1 in 5 members of Gen Z, identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or queer (LGBTQ, Gallup, 2022). These population data imply the presence of a large, and likely growing, number of LGBTQ+ behavior analysts. These individuals have much to offer our field, including a particular promise to address the clear need for LGBTQ+ affirming approaches to clinical service delivery. At the same time, LGBTQ+ trainees in allied health and science fields often report experiencing discrimination, non-acceptance, and/or non-inclusion in professional settings, which can decrease both professional engagement and personal wellbeing (Boustaini & Taylor, 2020; Hsueh et al., 2021). The goal of this panel is to catalyze behavior analysts’ thinking on how they can move toward more effective and culturally-responsive approaches to mentoring LGBTQ+ behavior analysts. Panelists from a range of career stages will speak to their lived experiences navigating mentor-mentee relationships in academic and clinical service settings. Both facilitators of and barriers to effective training will be discussed. Ample time will be devoted to audience Q&A, with an explicit invitation for LGBTQ+ mentees in attendance to pose questions that speak to their lived experiences. |