Developing A Speaker Panel Program to Provide Curriculum Content on Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual People in Baccalaureate Social Work Education

Speaker panel programs are used as an educational intervention in which gay, lesbian and bisexual (GLB) people share their personal stories and participate in a question-answer session with the audience. These panels have been proven to be effective in reducing homophobic attitudes in university and community settings and can be utilized as an educational tool in social work education. This paper will discuss the development and uses of an innovative videotape and manual designed to train GLB students and their allies to serve as speakers on these panels. The production of the videotape and training manual are discussed, including practical information on the design and implementation of a speaker panel program.