Race and Ethnicity in the LGBTIQ Community

Race and ethnicity, and LGBTQ issues, are frequently discussed exclusively, and rarely in conjunction with one another. This divide can be harmful, as it seemingly ignores the crossover, while people of color who are also LGBTQ-identified are so often hit harder by discrimination.

When people are both LGBTQ-identified and persons of color, they may sometimes feel, or be forced to feel, that only one part of their identity can be primary. They often feel torn between their cultures, pulled by each of them to primarily identify as one singular culture. As race is sometimes a more visible identity than an LGBTQ identity, it can be easy to ignore or deny the LGBTQ aspect of self. Many find it difficult to find a balance where they can feel they are empowered and liberated in both, or all, identities. 

Their lives are affected by multiple oppressions. First of all, there are possible and probable increased difficulties as a result of having multiple marginalized identities. An individual may also feel that one aspect of their identity conflicts with another, and they may feel misunderstood by each group, as they themselves consider both identities to be equally important. The experience of each racial and ethnic group is different depending on cultural values and beliefs about LGBTQ communities, and each individual has a unique experience of having multiple identities. 

GALLUP did a study in 2012 which sought to acquire a rough percentage of how many Americans identified as LGBT. They conducted interviews between June 1st and September 30th of 2012. The question they posed was, “Do you, personally, identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender?” This was posed to more than 120,000 U.S. adults. It is important to keep in mind that the result of this study represented adult americans who publicly identify as LGBT when asked in a survey context. The result was that 3.4% responded, “Yes.”

Women were also slightly more likely to identify as LGBT.

When they split it into subgroups by race, the results countered many media stereotypes that tend to portray LGBT communities as predominantly white, highly educated, and wealthy. In fact, the analysis showed that nonwhites were actually more likely to identify as LGBT than white segments of the U.S. population.

The LGBT identification in the East and West was also somewhat higher than in the Midwest and South.

There are a couple factors that likely contribute to this. Firstly, more accepting regions are more likely to attract people who identify as LGBT to move there, and secondly, a region with more social acceptance leads to people being more willing and likely to publicly identify as LGBT, and feel less stigmatized by their identity. 

As we move forward, we should try to acknowledge that race and ethnicity issues, and LGBTQ issues are not mutually exclusive. The following video from Critical Thinking is a good way to summarize this, as it talks about how these issues are so frequently discussed as disconnected and even at odds with each other. It states the obvious but often overlooked fact that “LGBT people of color exist,” and the perceived disconnect between these issues causes harm to people of color in the LGBTQ community, as they are hit harder by discrimination and more marginalized in their needs.

Works Cited:

1. "GAY TV - CRITICAL THINKING S3EP1 "The Intersection of Race & LGBT Issues"" YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PwOPWeX60I>.

2. "Race/Ethnicity and LGBTIQ Identities | LGBTQ." Race/Ethnicity and LGBTIQ Identities | LGBTQ. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2014. <https://lgbtq.unc.edu/resources/exploring-identities/raceethnicity-and-lgbtiq-identities>.

3. "Special Report: 3.4% of U.S. Adults Identify as LGBT." Special Report: 3.4% of U.S. Adults Identify as LGBT. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2014. <http://www.gallup.com/poll/158066/special-report-adults-identify-lgbt.aspx>.