The Impact of Moving Beyond Intersection to Integration of LGBTQIA+ Identities on Professional Identity Affirmation

Abstract

There have been active calls within pharmacy education literature for the profession to work toward dismantling systemic oppression by elevating the voices of commonly underrepresented and marginalized communities, including the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, and asexual(LGBTQIA+) community. There has also been a simultaneously growing interest in understanding how the intersection of one’s personal identity with one’s professional identity may help to foster greater affirmation within the profession. However, what has not been explored is how intersecting personal and professional identities may enhance the strength of one’s LGBTQIA+ identity and therefore result in creating cultures of affirmation in addition to meaningful participation in professional advocacy. We link our lived experiences to a theoretical perspective through the minority stress model to demonstrate how distal and proximal stresses may affect pharmacy professionals’ ability to fully integrate their professional and personal identities. Additionally, we call on the academy to strategically address gaps in LGBTQIA+ knowledge, equity, and professional development through research, shifts in culture, and education.