Know Us Project launches in Michigan

The Know Us Project (KUP), changing public policy one conversation at a time, has launched in Michigan.

According to Judith Kovach, Ph.D., MPIPP Program Director, the KUP grew from discussions among several Michigan and national mental health professionals about how to reduce stigma and discrimination experienced by many LGBT people on a daily basis.

"We were aware of some of the 'tell your story' programs and knew about the inter-group contact theory that tells us this should be a successful grassroots effort for change," Kovach said. "But, starting from scratch with only part-time staff, it took some time to get everything into place. I think we now have a program that we can all be proud of and we're anxious to see where this goes. Our early feedback has been exceptionally good!"

The free training program is based on Gordon Allport's inter-group contact theory (Allport, 1954), as expanded upon by Gregory Herek (Herek 2003, 2007), Pettigrew and Tropp (Pettigrew and Tropp, 2007), and some work regarding effective language done by the LGBT Movement Advancement Project (lgbtmap.org) and the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (glaad.org).
 
The KUP program also draws heavily on the research of Glenda Russell (Russell, 2000 and 2004) about the impact of anti-gay political campaigns and how becoming proactive can help to build resilience.

This is how the KNOW US PROJECT™ differes from other "tell your story" programs. Participants learn how to assess personal risks balanced with the desire to move a national movement forward. Mental health professionals discuss possible emotional consequences of "telling one's story" and ways in which participants can address any problems that may arise, Kovach explained.
 
The KUP training seminars last 3-4 hours and are facilitated by a volunteer mental health professional. We now have many facilitators in place across Michigan. Learn more at mpipp.org.