Resilience in Black Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Individuals: A Critical Review of the Literature

Abstract

Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals are more likely to experience violence than LGBT individuals of other ethnoracial backgrounds or heterosexuals of any ethnoracial background. While the literature has thoroughly described the challenges faced by Black LGBT individuals, their resilience capacity is given much less attention. An examination of the strengths and resilience outcomes of these populations is warranted given their ability to successfully adapt and thrive in the face of racism, sexism, transphobia, and homophobia, as well as racialized sexual orientation and gender identity health disparities. This paper examines resilience and LGBT social science literatures, focusing on factors that may lead to resilience in Black LGBT individuals, and offers recommendations for research and clinical practice.