Background: Intersectionality is a concept that was posited by Kimberle Crenshaw in 1991 that looks at the way that systems of power and privilege work to create barriers to accessing community resilience for people with multiple minority identities. It looks at the way gender, class, race, sexual orientation, and dis/ability interconnect within these systems of power. When using this model, it is evident that those that are marginalized on multiple levels have a greater risk to their wellbeing whereas those with multiple privileged group memberships will benefit from these. Looking at the experiences of the QTBIPOC community through an intersectional framework gives a more all encompassing picture of the ways they navigate the world and the spaces they belong to. Because of the multiple identities they hold, QTBIPOC may not benefit from the protective factors of the LGBTQ+ community because their ethnic or racial identities are being excluded. They may also be marginalized within their ethnoracial community as well as the LGBTQ+ community. Minority stress is stigma, prejudice, and discrimination that create a hostile and stressful social environment that can end up causing mental health issues. People with marginalized racial/ethnic, sexual, and/or gender identities face minority stress to some degree. QTBIPOC experience this phenomenon based on multiple aspects of their identity which can be classified as multiple minority stress. They have reported feeling excluded from the LGBTQ+ community and spaces based on their racial or ethnic identity. QTBIPOC note that many LGBTQ+ organizations are perceived as only catering towards white people. QTBIPOC also face heterosexism within their racial/ethnic minority communities.
Purpose: The study intends to explore explore risk and resilience in intersectional identity and intersectional microaggressions looking specifically at identity cohesion and identity conflict and the role they play in mental health outcomes for QTBIPOC. The current study focuses on the factors that influence identity cohesion and conflict. In addition, past research supports LGBTQ+ community resilience as an important protective factor for QTBIPOC folks. What is uncertain is if that community resilience is predictive of a cohesive intersectional identity. To determine this, additional ratings of LGBTQ+ community belonging and engagement, and LGBTQ+ identity will be used to determine what factors contribute to intersectional QTBIPOC identity conflict versus identity cohesion.
Research Aims:
Identify systematic differences in intersectional QTBIPOC identity
Examine intersectional identity buffers against mental health outcomes
How can you help?
We are currently looking for Research Assistants to help us collect/analyze data! If you would like to get involved in helping to conduct interviews and analyze data, please consider joining the team.
Qadar, Z. & Papa., L. A. (2023, July 13-15). Risk and resilience in intersectional identity and intersectional microaggressions. In L. A. Papa (Chair), Experiences of minoritized people: A cross cutting look at microaggressions [Symposium]. A symposium presentation at 7th Biennial APA Division 45 Society for the Study of Culture, Ethnicity, and Race Research Conference, San Diego, CA, United States.