It’s Time We Address The Racism in The LGBTQ+ Community
All humans have unconscious bias, therefore all populations, organizations, and groups have bias. The LGBTQIA+ community has dealt with a number of internal-phobias, biases, and rejection of the impact of intersectionality on people of color that are LGBTQ+. Pride in being LGBTQ+ is important; it is radical and shows strength. However, if we are not lifting ALL LGBTQ+ up and advocating for equal treatment within our own community, how can we expect the world to accept us?
The racism in the queer community can be seen interpersonally and organizationally. From the commonplace “No Asians” and other derogatory specifications on dating profiles to turning a bling eye to the healthcare inequalities that Black communities face, there is a clear message being sent that you only get to truly be included in the LGBTQ+ community if you are white. For the purpose of this article, I am focusing on the data of inequality for the Black community. In no way are these experiences limited to the Black community. All people of color have endured racism within the LGBTQIA+ community.
This white ideal originated at the start of the liberation, where the Black activists weren’t given credit for their work such as openly gay novelist James Baldwin and transgender rights activist Marsha P. Johnson. The whitewashing of history is not exempt from LGBTQ+ history. Pride has continuously rejoiced in the celebration of being white and queer, but has not extended the same joy and protection to our Black queer siblings.
Black LGBTQ+ people live at the intersection of racism, homophobia and transphobia and face a number of critical issues. According to the Human Rights Campaign, they experience intersectional oppression unprecedented for white folks:
- Economic Insecurity
Although economic conditions in the U.S. are improving, LGBTQ+ African Americans continue to be economically disadvantaged because of persistent discrimination, housing insecurity, a lack of quality, affordable healthcare and fewer educational opportunities. A 2012 report found that “32% of children being raised by Black same-sex couples live in poverty, compared to 13% of children being raised by heterosexual Black parents and just 7% being raised by married heterosexual white parents.” Additionally, Black transgender people face severe rates of poverty, with 34% living in extreme poverty compared to just 9% of non-transgender Black people. - Violence & Harassment
According to a 2014 report on hate violence against LGBTQ and HIV-affected communities, Black survivors of hate violence were 1.3 times more likely to experience police violence than their non-Black counterparts. Black survivors were also twice as likely to experience any physical violence, twice as likely to experience discrimination and 1.4 times more likely to experience threats and intimidation during acts of hate violence. Additionally, Black transgender women face the highest levels of fatal violence within the LGBTQ+ community and are less likely to turn to police for help for fear of revictimization by law enforcement personnel. According to the National Transgender Discrimination Survey, 38% of Black transgender people who interacted with police reported harassment; 14% reported physical assault from police and 6% reported sexual assault. Such high rates of revictimization by police is a major barrier to dealing with anti-transgender violence. - HIV & Health Inequity
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, young, Black gay and bisexual men are among the communities most heavily affected by HIV. In the city of Atlanta, for example, a young, Black gay man now has a 60% chance of becoming HIV-positive by the age of 30 even though Black gay and bisexual men are more likely to engage in safer sex practices than their white counterparts. - Religious Intolerance
While LGBTQ+ African Americans identify with various faith traditions, the Christian church remains a source of both hope and trepidation for many — but acceptance of LGBTQ+ people is increasing in communities of faith. For example, according to the Public Religion Research Institute, support for marriage equality increased from 23% to 38% among Black Protestants between 2013 and 2014. - Criminal Injustice
A number of recent, highly publicized cases of police brutality and misconduct have highlighted how broken our criminal justice system really is. Findings from a 2014 U.S. Department of Justice investigation revealed patterns of excessive force in the Albuquerque and Cleveland police departments. Findings of clear racial disparities and discriminatory intent were also revealed in a 2015 study of Ferguson, Missouri, which became a site of major protests following the police shooting of unarmed Black teenager Michael Brown in 2014. Additionally, data from the 2011 National Transgender Discrimination Survey found disproportionately high rates of arrest and incarceration among Black transgender people when compared to all other racial and ethnic groups.
This bias feeds into the larger systemic inequalities that allow for oppression to continue in our society, as explained above. Unconscious bias is not something to be ashamed of, but it is something to bring to your consciousness and actively work to change. As a community, we can work to be more inclusive and help create systemic change. Here are three ways we can come together and support POC in the LGBTQ+ community:
1. Provide accurate sexual information
The HIV epidemic, which remains a major problem for Black and Brown men same sex relations, sheds light on the intersection of race and sexuality while creating additional barriers like access to healthcare, medication and a proximity to higher infection rates. Black people make up more than 40% of all people living with HIV in the United States, despite comprising only 12% of the U.S. population. Unfortunately, when HIV stopped being known as a primarily white gay epidemic, it began to be treated more and more like an afterthought.
2. Increase awareness and integration of the lived experiences of Black LGBTQ+ people
Advocate for safe spaces that include ALL people and allow for equal representation in LGTBQ+ community events and gatherings. Explicitly saying that this event is for ALL people, condemns racist ideals, and is a safe space is a great way to extend invitations to Black people. If this practice becomes commonplace, it will create a systemic shift that showcases intolerance for racism in the LGBTQ+ community.
3. Don’t confuse Civil Rights with LGBTQ+ Rights
When having conversations that deal with a multitude of identities it is important to acknowledge and separate the intersectional struggles folks experienced in order to fully comprehend the plights they’ve gone through. Just because Black folks, technically, have civil rights, it does not mean that racism is abolished. Just because LGBTQ+ people are allowed to marry, does not mean homophobia and other federal limitations do not exist. We must recognize the intersectionality of these oppressions experienced by LGBTQ+ people of color and show empathy and compassion. You do not have to fight for just one cause. Fight for equal rights for ALL.
