ABSTRACT
Social work research on lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) issues has many potential audiences – social work and mental health practitioners, educators, public policy makers, the media, and the LGBT community itself. One audience for LGBT research that has received little attention in the literature comprises professionals within the judicial system: judges, expert witnesses, lawyers, and other advocates who may use research within legal proceedings that relate to LGBT issues. This chapter provides researchers with an understanding of the way in which research might affect judicial decisions so that investigators can design, implement, and disseminate their work in a manner most likely to affect judicial decision-making in a constructive manner. By understanding the role of research as “evidence,” and the roles of social work researchers as “potential expert witnesses,” investigators can help ensure that judges make decisions based upon relevant, valid, reliable, and unbiased data concerning the LGBT community. This same understanding will benefit forensic social workers 1 as they learn to access and enlist LGBT research for court purposes.
