Advancing LGBTQ+ Whole Person Health in Therapeutic Recreation through Intersectionality and Anti-Oppression

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18666/TRJ-2026-V60-I2-13213

Keywords:

Anti-oppression, equity, intersectionality, justice, LGBTQ+, practice model, therapeutic recreation, whole person health

Abstract

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and additional sexually and gender diverse (LGBTQ+) populations experience persistent inequities in the realms of health and recreation. These inequities pose significant barriers to accessing services that uphold the standards and principles of whole person health. Despite its philosophical alignment with holistic, person-centered care, the field of therapeutic recreation (TR) has yet to meaningfully engage with LGBTQ+ populations in ways that recognize the complexity of these identities in research and practice. This conceptual paper addresses this gap by proposing a practice model informed by intersectionality and anti-oppression to advance whole person health in equitable and justice-oriented directions. The model acknowledges how structural factors influence individual experiences in health and recreation and provides detailed guidance on integrating intersectionality and anti-oppression into everyday TR practice. In turn, it lays the groundwork for future TR research, policy, and practice implications that promote whole person health. By presenting an empirically and theoretically informed model, this paper makes a unique contribution to the literature on TR, LGBTQ+ populations, and whole person health. 

 

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Published

2026-05-04

Issue

Vol. 60 No. 2 (2026): Whole Person Health

Section

Conceptual Papers

License

Sagamore Publishing LLC (hereinafter the “Copyright Owner”)

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