NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SOCIAL WORKERS
The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) mandates that social workers do the following with regard to the trans* community:
Below, the parts of the NASW Code of Ethics that concern gender identity and expression are listed (NASW).
- educate themselves about and attempt to understand the trans* community and the oppression they face
- refrain from criticizing coworkers based on their gender identity or expression
- work against discrimination based on gender identity or expression
Below, the parts of the NASW Code of Ethics that concern gender identity and expression are listed (NASW).
The 2008 NASW Delegate Assembly approved the following revisions to the NASW Code of Ethics:
1.05 Cultural Competence and Social Diversity
(c) Social workers should obtain education about and seek to understand the nature of social diversity and oppression with respect to race, ethnicity, national origin, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, political belief, religion, immigration status, and mental or physical disability.
2.01 Respect
(a) Social workers should treat colleagues with respect and should represent accurately and fairly the qualifications, views, and obligations of colleagues.
(b) Social workers should avoid unwarranted negative criticism of colleagues in communications with clients or with other professionals. Unwarranted negative criticism may include demeaning comments that refer to colleagues’ level of competence or to individuals’ attributes such as race, ethnicity, national origin, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, political belief, religion, immigration status, and mental or physical disability.
4.02 Discrimination
Social workers should not practice, condone, facilitate, or collaborate with any form of discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, political belief, religion, immigration status, or mental or physical disability.
6.04 Social and Political Action
(d) Social workers should act to prevent and eliminate domination of, exploitation of, and discrimination against any person, group, or class on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, political belief, religion, immigration status, or mental or physical disability.