LGBTQ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer. LGBTQ communities are formed around these identities that are different from heteronormative expectations. These differences create unique challenges when it comes to accessing resources, social services, employment opportunities, healthcare, housing, education, political power, media representation, and legal protections. Intersectionality is the idea that aspects of identity such as race, ethnicity, class, gender, ability, age, national origin, religion, and more influence how an individual experiences discrimination. The intersectional approach allows us to understand how different forms of oppression reinforce one another. This article will explore how the intersections of race, class, and gender shape the lived experience of LGBTQ communities.
LGBTQ people who belong to marginalized racial groups have experienced disproportionate rates of poverty, unemployment, homelessness, HIV/AIDS infection, police brutality, and other forms of violence. Racial minorities also face barriers to receiving adequate medical care, mental health support, and culturally competent resources.
A Black trans woman may be at higher risk for HIV due to a lack of access to hormone therapy or health insurance coverage. A Latina lesbian may not feel safe seeking help after being sexually assaulted because she fears deportation. A Native American man may struggle with internalized stigma about his sexual orientation within his tribe's traditional values.
Class plays a significant role in access to wealth, educational attainment, economic mobility, job security, housing stability, and political participation. Lower-income individuals are less likely to have stable jobs, own homes, attend college, vote, or participate in community activities. They are also more likely to live in areas with poor health outcomes, lacking medical facilities, social services, and cultural amenities.
A working-class queer person might find it difficult to afford childcare while attending job training programs. A middle-class lesbian couple might have difficulty adopting children due to discrimination by adoption agencies or employers. An upper-middle-class bisexual individual could benefit from generational wealth but still face discrimination based on their gender expression.
Gender identity intersects with race and class in that transgender people of color often experience the most severe consequences of these systems of oppression. Trans people must navigate legal, medical, educational, and employment systems that deny recognition of their gender identities. This can lead to increased poverty, unemployment, homelessness, discrimination, harassment, and violence. Gender nonconformity is seen as a threat to heteronormative expectations of masculinity and femininity. Cisgender individuals who identify as male or female enjoy privileges related to safety, respect, acceptance, opportunity, and autonomy.
Even cis women and men struggle against gender stereotypes when they step outside expected roles.
A gay man may be pressured to behave in ways that conform to traditional masculinity, such as being macho or physically strong.
In what ways do intersections of race, class, and gender shape the lived experiences of LGBTQ communities?
Intersectionality is a concept that was developed by civil rights advocate Kimberlé Crenshaw in the 1980s, which describes how individuals are not only shaped by their individual characteristics but also by the interactions between multiple identities they hold. In this context, intersections of race, class, and gender can have significant impacts on the lived experiences of LGBTQ communities.