Intragroup Marginalization, Community, and Identity: Factors Influencing Activism among Black LGBTQ Emerging Adults

• In Event: Poster Session 13
  In Poster Session: PS 13 Topic -Diversity, Equity & Social Justice

Abstract

Activism can play an important role in healing (French et al., 2019) and positive development (Watts & Flanagan, 2007; Hope & Spencer, 2017) among marginalized youth. Research suggests that discrimination experiences, identity, and community connection are all influential in fostering young adult’s sociopolitical action (Anwiyo et al., 2018). However, studies have primarily focused activism around a single identity, missing the ways in which race and sexuality intersect to influence the communities and organizations young adults politically engage in. Applying an intersectional lens to theoretical frameworks of sociopolitical development, the current study assesses how Black LGBTQ emerging adults’ discrimination experiences, identity, and community are related to their activism in LGBTQ communities of color.

Participants were 516 Black LGBTQ emerging adults (18-29 years old) from the Social Justice Sexuality Project. As a proxy for intragroup marginalization, participants reported levels of discomfort in the LGBTQ community because of their race (LGBTQ Marginalization) and within their racial/ethnic community because of their sexuality (Race Marginalization). Race Centrality and Sexuality Centrality were each assessed with a one-item question inquiring how much they considered their race/ethnicity and sexuality to be an important part of their overall identity. Participants reported their level of connection to each community (e.g. attended social or cultural events; 4 items; LGBTQ, α= .71; POC, α= .74; LGBTQ-POC, α= .77). To assess activism in LGBTQ POC communities, participants reported how often within the last 12 months they participated in political events (e.g. march, rally, etc.) and donated money to an organization servicing LGBTQ POC. (2 items; LGBTQ-POC activism, α= .68).

After controlling for age, gender, education and out status (e.g., degree to which they are ‘out’ to family/friends), regression analyses revealed that marginalization within the LGBTQ community because of one’s race/ethnicity (β=0.17, p<.01) and social connection to LGBTQ-POC communities (β=0.48, p<.01) were positively associated LGBTQ-POC activism. Race Centrality was negatively associated with LGBTQ-POC activism (β=-0.13, p<.05), and there was a significant LGBTQ Marginalization x Racial Centrality interaction (β= -0.12, p<.05). Simple slope analyses showed that the negative effect of Race Centrality on participants’ LGBTQ-POC activism was exacerbated as experiences of marginalization in the LGBTQ community increased (low marginalization: b=-.15, t=-2.98, p<.01; average: b=-.23, t=-2.95, p<.01; high: b=-.32, t=-2.83, p<.01; Figure 1).

Connection to LGBTQ-POC communities was particularly influential in fostering activism in LGBTQ communities of color. Consistent with prior literature, marginalization experiences within the LGBTQ community was also associated with greater LGBTQ-POC activism, however, this relationship may only hold for participants with low racial centrality. Black LGBTQ emerging adults who considered race to be an important part of their identity were less likely to engage in LGBTQ-POC activism and this effect increased with greater marginalization in LGBTQ communities. It is possible that continued marginalization within the LGBTQ community may lead to disengagement among Black LGBTQ young adults, particularly if they are not already connected to an LGBTQ-POC community. Overall, this study highlights the importance of considering the interplay between identity and community as it relates to activism among Black LGBTQ emerging adults.

Authors

• Janae Shaheed, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  Presenting Author

• Shauna M. Cooper, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  Non-Presenting Author

• Margarett McBride, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  Non-Presenting Author

• Marketa Burnett, University of Connecticut
  Non-Presenting Author