Empowerment Through Intersectionality: Being Lgbtq+ And Latin@

Psychology’s current focus on multiple identities views each identity as independent from one another. Members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer+ (LGBTQ+) community and those of the Latin@ community face a unique intersection. Members of the LGBTQ+ community are about two and-one-half times more likely than heterosexual cisgender men and women to have had a mental health disorder. They are also four times more likely to attempt suicide. Latinos are a high-risk group for depression, anxiety, and substance abuse and few of them contact mental health specialists. This study aims to explore whether a non-heterosexual/gender non-conforming identity comes into conflict with having a Latin@ identity. Less clear is how these two factors may intersect, thereby possibly increasing risk. Current measures only assess racism and heterosexism separately; there is no measure that expresses the unique ways that these types of oppressions intersect. Hence, this study utilizes a qualitative approach incorporating semi-structured interviews of participants to investigate the relationship between microaggressions and psychological well-being. The authors proposed that being Latin@ and LGBTQ+ poses a particularly problematic intersection which gives rise to identity conflict and possibly leaves an individual at greater risk for negative mental health outcomes. The findings support the hypothesis that stress focusing on the intersection of LGBTQ+ and Latin@ status was associated with increased feelings of depression. The qualitative data provided rich grounding in understanding the process by which these two factors are linked. The data also supported the authors’ secondary hypothesis that the challenges presented through these intersections allowed participants opportunities for the development of resiliency and empowerment. The contribution of the study represents an important step because of the stigmas associated with mental health, particularly within the respective communities being studied. The authors contend that this research contributes to providing a better understanding of how to begin to look at intersecting microaggressions as factors for maladjustment as well as suggests promising areas of inquiry regarding the development of resiliency.