The Intersection of Race, Sexuality, and Gender

— BRAVE CONVERSATIONS SERIES —

A Deliberate Approach to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Lawrence Hall’s DEI Committee strives to ensure Lawrence Hall is a diverse, equitable environment of belonging and inclusivity. Having “brave conversations” about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace is a necessity for healthy company culture and requires honesty, compassion, and self-reflection of all involved. Our Brave Conversations Series highlights topics not normally discussed but that have deep, personal impacts on our staff, youth, families, and communities.

In June, we celebrate PRIDE Month and Juneteenth, which presents us with the opportunity to have brave conversations about LGBTQ+ community issues and continue to highlight achievements and issues faced by the Black community.

CONTENT WARNING: This blog contains references to racism, transphobia, and police brutality.

This Brave Conversation brings awareness to the influence and strides made by Black, Brown, and Transgender individuals in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights. Recently in the news, there have been a lot of anti-gay and anti-trans conversation and legislation (i.e. Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill and recent Texas legislation), which gives us the opportunity to discuss some of the intersectionality issues faced by this community.

What is intersectionality?

The concept of intersectionality “describes the ways in which systems of inequality based on gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, class and other forms of discrimination ‘intersect’ to create unique dynamics and effects.” These intersections and how they intertwine are part of ones identity.

The term LGBTQ+ represents the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer communities, and includes non-binary, asexual, and intersex individuals. BIPOC stands for Black, indigenous, and people of color. As 42%—nearly half—of all LGBTQ+ individuals in the United States are people of color, many people at this intersection of race, sexuality, and gender are subject to compounded systems of discrimination.

Struggles and influence of Black, Brown, and Trans individuals in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights

In understanding the history of the LGBTQ+ community and their fight for rights, it is important to highlight the influence of Black, Brown, and Transgender individuals, as they still struggle to have their voices heard and acknowledged.

One of the biggest events in LGBTQ+ history are the Stonewall Riots, which acted as a catalyst for the gay rights movement in the US. The Riots began June 28, 1969, in New York City after NYPD raided the Stonewall Inn, just one of the many raids the NYPD completed in which they targeted specific or highly LGBTQ+ meeting places (as public displays of homosexual acts was considered illegal.) During the raid of the Stonewall Inn, police dragged, beat, and violated many of the patrons; this caused an uproar, and patrons and LGBTQ+ members began to riot for six days in the fight against police brutality.

Two of the most influential figures involved in the Stonewall Riots were Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera. Eyewitnesses of the riots identify Marsha as one of the first individuals to fight back and ‘throw the first brick’ (although this was never historically accurate given the chaos of the riots.) Marsha and Sylvia both began and continued their work as activists, starting the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR). These women fought for rights for all LGBTQ+ individuals despite facing discrimination due to race, ethnicity, and gender identity.

The key in highlighting such influential women is that their fight was not only against a heteronormative society, but also racism and transphobia within their own communities as well.

Other influential Black, Brown, and/or Transgender individuals fighting for LGBTQ+ rights include:

• Bayard Rustin (1912-1987), an openly gay Black adviser to Dr. MLK, Jr., and the main organizer of the 1963 March on Washington (see video below for Bayard’s story as told by his partner)
• James Baldwin (1924-1987), a gay Black essayist, playwright, novelist, and voice of the American Civil Rights Movement
• Brandon Teena (1972-1993), a young trans man who was murdered in Nebraska when his friends learned his biological sex
• Chaz Bono (1972-present), an trans actor and Cher and Sonny Bono’s only child who transitioned to male at 41

What are some issues faced by LGBTQ+ individuals?

• Discrimination: While the rate of homelessness, unemployment, and hate crimes for Transgender individuals are quite high in comparison for their cisgendered counterparts, these discrimination rates are extremely higher for Black transgender individuals.
• Hate crimes: With increasing legislation targeting the LGBTQ+ community, many alternative groups have been targeting individuals, causing a spike in hate crimes. For LGBTQ+ individuals of color, this rate doubles, as this intersectionality makes them more vulnerable to hate crimes and police brutality. This is not a uncommon phenomenon with events such as the attempted Brooklyn Night Club Arson (2022,) Orlando’s Pulse nightclub mass shooting (2016), and the suspected targeted Baltimore house fires (2022) taken place in recent years.
• Workplace issues: Transgender individuals face many issues in the workplace including unsafe workplace environments and unaccepting attitudes and beliefs from coworkers. These individuals also face higher rates of refusal to hire, privacy violations, harassment, and even physical and sexual violence on the job, making maintaining a stable career difficult mentally, emotionally, and physically. In fact, 20% of Black transgender individuals report experiencing unemployment—twice the rate among all Black people in the United States.

What can you do?

• Speak up when you see or hear homophobia or transphobia. While it is always great to stand against hate and injustice, please do so safely or get proper assistance.
• Check your own bias. We have lived in a heteronormative and cisgendered world for a long time, so it may be challenging to reshape our perspective to be more inclusive. Try anyway! Deeply inspect your biases and beliefs through conversation, reading, and learning more.
• Give credit where credit is due. Erasure of our BIPOC and Trans communities deletes so many positive contributions to society.
• Be respectful of individual identities. Remember the Golden Rule: Treat others the way you want to be treated.
• Teach our children and youth about LGBTQ+ history. Education is the best way to beat stigmas and stereotypes.

Need support? Start here.

If you or someone you know need support, know that you are not alone and that help is easy to receive:

• Prefer to text about what you’re going through? Try the all-virtual BetterHelp.
• Prefer LGBTQ+-based help? Reach out to a counselor at The Trevor Project through webchat, phone (866-488-7386), or text (send to 678678).
• 988 mental health hotline: On July 16, 2022, the new national suicide and crisis number will go live across all devices. Similar to our national 911 emergency hotline, simply dial 988 if you or someone you know is contemplating suicide or needs mental health-related support, and you will be immediately connected with a trained mental health counselor in one of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline’s network of over 200 crisis centers. 988 services are free, confidential, and available 24/7.

RESOURCES

What is Intersectionality?

Black & LGBTQ+: At the intersection of race, sexual orientation & identity — American Medical Association

Listening to Voices of Color in the LGBTQ+ Community

QTBIPOC Mental Health — Human Rights Campaign

National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network

LGBTQIA+ Resources — Human Rights Campaign

BIPOC Mental Health Resources (PDF)

MOVIES

Fire Island (2022)

Moonlight (2016)

Love, Simon (2018)

Too Wong Foo (1995)

Paris is Burning (1990)

Philadelphia (1993)

TV SERIES

Special (2019)

Pose (2018)

Heartstopper (2022)

Love, Victor (2020)

Will and Grace (1998 & 2017)

Queer Eye (2003 & 2018)

BOOKS

Giovanni’s Room
James Baldwin

Boy Erased
Garrard Conley

The Stonewall Reader
New York Public Library and Jason Baumann

Untamed
Glennon Doyle

Sister Outsider
Audre Lorde

The Passing Playbook
Isaac Fitzsimons

MUSIC ARTISTS

Kim Petras

Lil Nas X

King Princess

Janelle Monáe

Sam Smith

Frank Ocean

Boy George

Janis Joplin

Freddie Mercury

PODCASTS

Making Gay History

Las Culturistas

One From the Vaults