Black LGBTQ Research Articles

“I guess I have to just put my dick on the table”: Rough Trade, Tenure, and Black Sexualities as Self-defense

Willoughby-Herard crafts original bawdy fables and fashions crude proverbs to analyze Black LGBTQ+ experiences in academia as a ground for theory that navigates the promise and peril of telling. The essay takes seriously Evelynn Hammonds’s advice that Black sexual and gender others recall their journeys as a mode of defense, analysis, meaning making. Using vulgar tales to throw shade, while wrestling within and beyond the limits of trauma porn and spectacle, makes for a hard-won cultural legacy and remittance that points to possibilities for survival and being. Recalling bitter experiences in academia exposes social relations anchored by collective violence. Following Alicia Levy-Seedat, vulgarity, deployed by working-class speakers of Jamaican Patwah (patois), cuts through patronizing conditions. Willoughby-Herard’s notion of “writerly extravagance” enables telling while feeding on the rough laughter and crass pleasure of readers and hearers to create something like survival, or at least having the last laugh.

Portrayal or Betrayal: Heteronormativity and the Realism Burden in the 2022 Disney+ Pride Collection

ABSTRACT The presence and quality of LGBTQ+ representation in film and television has important implications for viewers, especially LGBTQ+ youth. This study conducted a content analysis of the 2022 Disney+ Pride Collection, a list of movies and episodes designated by Disney as including LGBTQ+ characters and stories. This analysis examined the depiction of LGBTQ+ fictional characters, finding that Black LGBTQ+ characters were more likely to be presented as adults and in romantic relationships compared to characters of other races, suggesting that their intersecting identities influence their portrayal toward more heteronormative scripts. In what we argue is a heteronormative evolution of the butch/femme binary, lesbian characters were frequently presented on a light/dark binary. Further, in what we describe as a “realism burden,” portrayals of discrimination and LGBTQ+ identity labeling were limited to realistic fiction and adult media, and were absent from the post-gay worlds of sci-fi and fantasy.

Local Dynamics of Intersectional Stigma for Black LGBTQ People in Montreal, Quebec

ABSTRACT Much academic literature on intersectional stigma is limited by a focus on relatively static and “universal” identity traits, such as ethnicity, gender, and sexuality. This paper addresses local dynamics of intersectional stigma for Black LGBTQ people in Montreal, QC, Canada. Findings draw from fourteen semi-structured, virtual interviews with key informants providing critical services to Black LGBTQ people living in Montreal. Findings suggest intersectional stigmatization via social identity and local power dynamics converge. Specifically, language and immigration are two domains determining intersectional stigma challenges and ameliorative opportunities for Black LGBTQ people in the city. Specific immigration-related challenges included (1) insecurity (e.g. concerning Canadian residency), (2) barriers to resource access (e.g. social and legal services), and (3) stressful identity challenges. Specific language issues included (1) Francophone limitations for expressing gender and sexual diversity and (2) exclusionary linguistic divisions (i.e. Franco/Anglo, Franco/non-Franco, and Western/non-Western). Local, place-based power inequities may determine black LGBTQ experiences of intersectional stigma.

‘It’s not a me thing’: the role of transcendence and critical politics in Black LGBTQ wellness in Montreal

This study explores well-being strategies and challenges for Black LGBTQ individuals in Montreal, Canada. Semi-structured interviews were conducted between March and May 2023 with key informants, or advocates and service providers for LGBTQ communities in the Montreal metropolitan area. Thematic analysis was used and involved transcription, memo-writing and a multi-step, inductive coding process using MAXQDA. The findings highlight three areas of well-noted challenges for Black LGBTQ individuals: systemic barriers; lack of targeted support; and challenges to accessing services. Two strategic domains emerged as innovative approaches to support well-being: transcendental practices and intersectional sociopolitical awareness raising. Transcendental practices, ranging from fine arts and dance to reiki energy healing, offered avenues for healing and community-building. Intersectional sociopolitical awareness was described as crucial in informing and contributing to existing efforts to improve well-being such as therapeutic engagement with clients and facilitating mutual aid. The identified transcendental practices and political awareness offer promising avenues for holistic well-being and comprehensive approaches to challenges such as inequitable HIV burden. Recognising the convergence of identities and social power axes can inform future interventions to foster more inclusive and empowering health strategies for Black LGBTQ communities.

"I didn't come here for your judgement" alongside "they understand you and encourage you": Exploring the narratives of young black and mixed-race LGBTQ+ people who have a physical health condition and their experiences within physical health services.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning (LGBTQ+) individuals experience health inequalities. Young people living with a health condition are also more likely to experience adverse mental health outcomes. Developing positive identity can help to mitigate the impact of this. Young black LGBTQ+ people have additional barriers to developing positive identity. Current research rarely considers the intersection of these identities for young people despite the discrimination they may face, and the impact this may have on their health. A narrative approach allows these voices to be heard in research. Eight participants were interviewed using a narrative approach. Interviews were analysed using content and thematic narrative analysis. Global summaries of each interview were developed and 'plot lines' emerged from these. A central plot related to identity development, with two plots embedded in these exploring experiences of illness and of healthcare. Participants had positive experiences of healthcare despite encountering stigma. Access to positive role models and being able link in with various communities allowed participants to integrate and accept their identities. A key discussion point in this study is the ways in which healthcare staff could become role models for young LGBTQ+ people and help them to integrate and accept their identities.

“It’s okay to dream: Navigating trauma, healing, and futuring among LGBTQ + Black girls, transgender and nonbinary youth in New York State”

Black LGBTQ + girls, femmes, transgender and nonbinary youth and young adults experience high rates of sexual violence, and other forms of trauma, including oppression-based trauma related to racism, misogynoir, homophobia and transphobia. Black LGBTQ + girls, femmes, transgender and nonbinary young people, whose experiences are underexplored within social science research, also experience disparately harsh discipline and pushout within school settings while being disproportionately represented in the foster care and juvenile justice systems. However, they are also a community with a tremendous history of creative resistance, and legacies of activism and powerful healing practices. Within this paper we have disaggregated the interview data of 13 LGBTQ + identified participants from a larger qualitative study with 24 Black girls, femmes, transgender and nonbinary youth, aged 16–25, who reside in New York State. Data were analyzed using critical thematic analysis and three main themes emerged: 1) the significance of participants’ experiences of childhood trauma, 2) participants’ conceptualizations and experiences of healing and resistance, and 3) participants aspirations and dreams for their futures and the futures of their communities.

An Almost Empty Scoping Review: State of the Research on Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Messaging Strategies for Black and/or Latine LGBTQ+ Youth and Young Adults

ABSTRACT Research has yet to offer strong recommendations for effective tobacco prevention and cessation messaging that can reduce tobacco-related health disparities among Black and/or Latine LGBTQ+ youth and young adults. As a result of predatory marketing strategies and community stressors, among other factors, LGBTQ+ youth and young adults use tobacco products at higher rates than their non-LGBTQ+ peers. These disparities are uniquely complex among Black and/or Latine youth and young adults within the LGBTQ+ community, but there has been little research addressing the communication strategies that can promote tobacco prevention and cessation for these groups. Given the promise and history of successful health communication campaigns for tobacco control, this research is crucial. We thus conducted a scoping review to identify trends and gaps in the empirical research published from 2002–2022 that analyzed tobacco prevention and cessation communication strategies for Black and/or Latine LGBTQ+ youth and young adults (ages 12–30) living in the United States. Despite an initial search query of 3,182 articles after deleting duplicates, only five articles were eligible for inclusion, three of which evaluated the This Free Life campaign. Accordingly, we view our scoping review as an almost empty review. Although our results offer preliminary insight into messaging strategies used in these campaigns, our larger contribution is to expose the scarcity of tobacco-related communication research being conducted among Black and/or Latine LGBTQ+ communities. Given the marginalization these communities face, we issue a call to action for researchers and campaign designers and offer a series of suggestions for future research.

Black Mothering Communities as Homeplaces for Black LGBTQ+ Youth

In our critical duo-ethnography, we reflect on our shared childhood as Black queer youth growing up within a Black mothering community in an urban context. Our analysis illustrates how our Black mothering community created homeplaces centered around the themes of resistance, restoration, and re-storying. And we draw on our analysis to articulate the possibilities of creating more inclusive K-12 spaces within urban contexts for Black LGBTQ+ youth. Specifically, we offer concrete examples from our Black mothering community to assist schools and education stakeholders in transforming schools into sites of resistance, restoration, and re-storying for Black LGBTQ+ youth.

Predictors of Religious and Spiritual Identities in a Nationwide Sample of Black LGBTQ Adults in the United States

LGBTQ people have a complex history with religion and spirituality in the United States. This dynamic is likely to be complicated for black LGBTQ people given the intersection of their LGBTQ identity with their racial identity, both of which are marginalized in U.S. society. There is, however, a paucity of quantitative research that examines significant predictors of religious and spiritual identities among black LGBTQ adults. To address this gap in the literature, we use a 2020 nationwide survey of black LGBTQ adults to examine the significance of gender, religious upbringing, and attendance at religious services on the likelihood that black LGBTQ people identify as religious and/or spiritual. The results of our exploratory study indicate that, compared to black LGBTQ men, black LGBTQ women are less likely to identify as religious, but more likely to identify as spiritual. Additionally, black LGBTQ adults who grew up in a religious family are more likely to identify as religious, and those who attend religious services are more likely to identify as religious and/or spiritual.

Confirmatory factor analysis of the DASS-10 with Black adolescents

BackgroundThe Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS) are widely used in research and clinical practice to assist in diagnostic decision-making and progress monitoring. However, more research is needed to support its use with Black adolescents in the United States, who are often underrepresented in DASS validation studies. MethodsThis study assessed the factor structure of the DASS-10 scale using confirmatory factor analysis in Black adolescents with clinical levels of negative internal behaviors (n = 372). Data were derived from the Black Teen Help-Seeking (BTHS) project, a mixed-methods study using an explanatory sequential design. ResultsThe two-factor model of the DASS-10 assessing anxiety-stress and depression was the best-fitting model compared to the one-factor model. The two-factor model of the DASS-10 yielded a close-fitting model (χ2 = 42.83, TLI = 0.981, CFI = 0.986, RMSEA = 0.026, SRMR = 0.032) with internal consistency as follows: Cronbach's α = 0.61 for anxiety-stress and 0.69 for depression. However, the item “I was intolerant of anything that kept me from what I was doing” should be further assessed or replaced with a familiarly worded and age-appropriate item. LimitationsBlack boys were underrepresented in the sample, while Black girls and LGBTQ+ youth were overrepresented compared to the overall US population of Black youth. ConclusionThe results support the use of the DASS-10 with Black adolescents, allowing clinicians and researchers the opportunity to examine overall levels of distress and distinguish between depression and anxiety-stress symptoms using minimal items.

Black social media influencers engage higher percentages of Black gay and bisexual men in online outreach for HIV prevention research relative to paid ads.

Influencer-based social media marketing campaigns are a popular strategy to engage customers in many non-research industries (e.g., retail), but have been increasingly used in public health campaigns to reach and engage specific populations. However, few studies have directly compared the performance of influencer-based marketing with other ad strategies (e.g., paid ads) in achieving these goals. From March to September 2023, we conducted an influencer-focused marketing campaign in which we identified and partnered with predominantly Black LGBTQ + influencers in the United States South to promote engagement in our ongoing research. We then used web analytics and interest form data to compare performance of influencer posts versus paid ads over the same time period. We contacted a total of 358 influencers, 20 of whom ultimately agreed to post (85% Black/African American) and made a total of 28 posts on our behalf. A significantly higher percentage of users who clicked through influencer posts were Black (40% vs. 15%), were not currently using pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) (67% vs. 62%), had no history of PrEP use (78% vs. 72%), and reported higher medical mistrust (12% vs. 8%) compared to those who clicked through paid ads. The percentage of Black men who have sex with men who were at high HIV risk, who were not taking PrEP, had no history of PrEP, or were high in mistrust, were all 2-3 times higher among those who clicked through influencer posts relative to paid ads. Influencer-focused marketing may be a powerful tool to efficiently reach and engage high-priority and hard to reach populations.

Natasha Kellem's Minoritarian Liberalism

Normative liberalism has promoted the freedom of privileged subjects, those entitled to rights – usually white, adult, heteronormative, and bourgeois – at the expense of marginalized groups, such as Black people, children, LGBTQ people, and slum dwellers. In this ethnographic analysis of Rocinha, the largest favela in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, I explore what happens when liberalism is challenged by people whose lives are impaired by normative understandings of liberty. I call such marginalized visions of freedom “minoritarian liberalism,” a concept that stands in for overlapping, alternative modes of freedom. In this piece, I introduce Natasha Kellem, a charismatic self-declared travesti (a term used in Latin America to indicate a specific form of female gender construction opposite to the sex assigned at birth). Through interconnected experiences, I offer ethnographic evidence of non-normative routes to freedom for those seeking liberties against the backdrop of capitalist exploitation, transphobia, racism, and other patterns of domination.

The Inherent Violence of Anti-Black Racism and its Effects on HIV Care for Black Sexually Minoritized Men.

The goal of this study was to examine the effects of racial discrimination, depression, and Black LGBTQ community support on HIV care outcomes among a sample of Black sexually minoritized men living with HIV. We conducted a cross-sectional survey with 107 Black sexually minoritized men living with HIV in Chicago. A path model was used to test associations between racial discrimination, Black LGBTQ community support, depressive symptoms, and missed antiretroviral medication doses and HIV care appointments. Results of the path model showed that men who had experienced more racism had more depressive symptoms and subsequently, missed more doses of HIV antiretroviral medication and had missed more HIV care appointments. Greater Black LGBTQ community support was associated with fewer missed HIV care appointments in the past year. This research shows that anti-Black racism may be a pervasive and harmful determinant of HIV inequities and a critical driver of racial disparities in ART adherence and HIV care engagement experienced by Black SMM. Black LGBTQ community support may buffer against the effects of racial discrimination on HIV care outcomes by providing safe, inclusive, supportive spaces for Black SMM.

COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT AMONG OLDER ADULTS WITH INTERSECTING SEXUAL, GENDER, RACIAL, AND ETHNIC MINORITY IDENTITIES

Abstract Emerging research shows Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) older adults experience higher prevalence of cognitive impairment when compared to their heterosexual and cisgender peers of a similar age. The same is true for racial and ethnic minority older adults when compared to their White counterparts. Little is known about the cognitive health of older adults with intersecting sexual, gender, racial, and ethnic minority identities, highlighting a critical gap in gerontological research that requires further investigation. This study utilizes four time-point data from the first longitudinal study of a racially and ethnically diverse sample of LGBTQ older adults. Multilevel mixed models accounting for intersecting sexual, gender, racial, and ethnic identities were applied to examine subgroup differences in cognitive impairment as well as risk and protective factors after controlling for confounding factors. Black and Hispanic LGBTQ minority older adults (b=5.20, p<.01; b=4.05, p<.01) experience higher levels of cognitive impairment over time when compared to their White LGBTQ peers. Day-to-day discrimination targeting the confluence of sexual/gender and racial/ethnic minority status (b=2.78, p<.05) was positively associated with higher cognitive impairment. Community engagement (b=-.46, p<.05) was negatively associated with cognitive impairment regardless of race and ethnicity whereas network size was exclusively negatively associated with cognitive impairment for Black LGBTQ older adults. The overall findings demonstrate racial and ethnic differences in cognitive impairment among LGBTQ older adults and illuminate the importance of culturally tailored interventions that account for intersectionality, social connectivity, and discrimination to promote cognitive health for specific subgroups.

Sexual orientation and vote choice: how race affects support of openly-gay candidates

ABSTRACT The increasing number of Black LGBTQ candidates and elected officials suggests that voters are being asked to evaluate their candidacies more often. These scenarios raise the question about how voters—particularly white voters—respond to these candidates, including in non-partisan races such as primaries. In this study, we test how sharing information about a candidate’s racial and sexual identity affects support from white and Black voters. Data come from an original online survey experiment conducted at 14 college campuses. We find that students use race and sexual orientation as vote-guiding heuristics, using stereotypes to fill in for knowledge gaps to try to make choices consistent with their partisan affiliations. We also find, contrary to concerns in some circles that openly-LGBTQ candidates are at an electoral disadvantage, that college students are more supportive of candidates that are identified as openly gay.

Beyond single-identity spaces of Black mattering: Homeplaces for Black LGBTQ+ identities in K-12 schools

ABSTRACT Many scholars have documented the critical importance of youth having access to spaces of joy and homeplaces in which they learn to matter. Research has shown that Black LGBTQ+ youth often struggle to locate homeplaces and spaces of joy in K-12 schooling contexts due to societal beliefs flowing from anti-blackness, (hetero)sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and classism. These discriminatory beliefs coupled with the lack of understanding many educational stakeholders have about the (dis)connections between interlocking systems of oppression complicates their capacity to construct spaces of affirmation and inclusion for Black LGBTQ+ youth in K-12 schools. In this article, I draw on previous scholarship within Black LGBTQ+ communities in which I worked within a queer of color critique framework to explore how Black LGBTQ+ youth and their communities practice love, agency, and world-making. I reflect on this previous work and offer three practical invitations for education stakeholders committed to creating spaces of joy and homeplaces for Black LGBTQ+ youth in K-12 schooling spaces.

Social Support-Seeking Strategies on Social Media at the Intersection of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Identity, Race, and Ethnicity: Insights for Intervention From a Qualitative Study.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) individuals experience a disproportionately higher prevalence of mental health challenges when compared to their heterosexual and cisgender counterparts. Moreover, they exhibit increased engagement with social media platforms relative to their peers. Understanding the intersectional dynamics of their identities is crucial in elucidating effective and safe approaches to garnering social support through social media channels. This exploration holds significance for informing future research endeavors and shaping targeted interventions to address the unique mental health needs of LGBTQ+ individuals. The purpose of this study was to explore the strategies used by Black, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic White LGBTQ+ young adults to acquire social support from social media. The study aimed to examine how these strategies may differ by race and ethnicity. We conducted semistructured interviews with LGBTQ+ young adults aged between 18 and 30 years recruited in the United States from social media. Of 52 participants, 12 (23%) were Black, 12 (23%) were Hispanic, and 28 (54%) were non-Hispanic White. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the collected data. The analysis uncovered both divergent and convergent strategies among participants of different races and ethnicities. Black and Hispanic young adults exhibited a preference for connecting with individuals who shared similar identities, seeking safety and tailored advice. Conversely, non-Hispanic White participants demonstrated minimal preference for identity-based advice. Seeking support from anonymous sources emerged as a strategy to avoid unwanted disclosure among Hispanic participants. Furthermore, all participants emphasized the importance of content filtering with family members to cultivate positive and supportive social media experiences. This study sheds light on the strategies used by LGBTQ+ individuals of different racial and ethnic backgrounds to seek social support from social media platforms. The findings underscore the importance of considering race and ethnicity when examining social support-seeking behaviors on social media in LGBTQ+ populations. The identified strategies provide valuable insights for the development of interventions that aim to leverage social support from social media to benefit the mental health of Black, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic White LGBTQ+ young adults.

Correction to: The Impact of Community Belongingness on Mental Health and Well‑Being Among Black LGBTQ Adults

Correction to: The Impact of Community Belongingness on Mental Health and Well‑Being Among Black LGBTQ Adults

Examining the Role of Peer and Family Belongingness in the Mental Health of Black LGBTQ + Youth

A sense of belonging to familial and peer networks is crucial for the mental health of LGBTQ + youth. Black LGBTQ + youth report feeling rejected and isolated due to their sexual and/or gender identities. Utilizing linear regression analyses, this study explored the relationship between peer and family belongingness and levels of depression, anxiety, and self-rated mental health among 181 Black LGBTQ + youth in the United States and Canada. Findings suggest that family and peer belongingness are important factors in Black LGBTQ + youth’s mental health and warrant further study into the protective nature of peer and family relationships for this population.

The Impact of Community Belongingness on Mental Health and Well-Being Among Black LGBTQ Adults

The Impact of Community Belongingness on Mental Health and Well-Being Among Black LGBTQ Adults