Poster #111 - Experiences with Racial Microaggressions Among LGBTQIA+ Racial Minority Youth and Associations with Wellbeing

• In Event: Poster Session 14

Abstract

Introduction: Microaggressions, or subtle forms of discrimination targeted at minoritized groups, have been investigated in racial minority and sexual and gender minority (SGM) youth and appear to be linked to decreased psychological wellbeing (Munro et al., 2019; Wong et al., 2013). However, the intersections of multiple minority identities in LGBTQIA+ racial minority youths’ experiences result in unique forms of racially and sexuality-based microaggressions. Diverse LGBTQIA+ adolescents oftentimes contend with microaggressions from outgroups (i.e. white and straight people) in addition to racial microaggressions from their white SGM peers and sexuality-based microaggressions from their straight same-race peers. Research on adults indicates that significant differences exist in the types of microaggressions that different racial groups are exposed to, though little research on youth exists (Wong et al., 2013). Being the target of racial microaggressions coming from within the queer community is linked to feelings of isolation among sexual minority adults of color (Patel., 2019). The current study investigates how SGM youth of color differ from one another on their experiences with microaggressions. Additionally, experience with different forms of microaggressions was investigated as a possible predictor of racial minority SGM youths’ queer identity self-acceptance.
Method: Participants were 6,182 racial minority SGM youth between the ages of 13 and 17 (Mage = 15.57, SD = 1.27) who took part in the LGBTQ National Teen Survey, collected in 2017. Participants completed the People of Color Microaggressions Scale (Balsam et al., 2011), which includes subscales for Racism in LGBT Communities, Heterosexism in Racial/Ethnic Minority Communities, and Racism in Dating and Close Relationships. Participants also completed a self-acceptance measure (Shidlo, 1994). One-way ANOVAs compared minority racial groups on their experiences of microaggressions. Regression analyses tested associations between youths’ experiences with microaggressions and their LGBTQIA+ self-acceptance.
Results: Microaggressions were reported by 98.1% of the participants. Descriptive data on individual racial groups’ frequency of experiences with microaggression is depicted in Figure 1. Racial minority groups differed significantly from one another on experiences with heterosexism in racial minority communities and racism in dating and close relationships, as well as on experiences of microaggressions overall. These results are reported in Table 1. Post-hoc analyses will be discussed. Additionally, experience with heterosexism in racial minority communities was significantly associated with LGBTQIA+ self-acceptance (R2 = .06, F(1, 814) = 49.98, p = < .001).
Discussion: This study indicates that experiences with racial microaggressions from queer peers and gender- or sexuality-based microaggressions in racial minority communities are very common. Significant differences in the specific types of microaggressions experienced exist between racial groups, indicating that the experiences of one racial group of SGM youth does not necessarily reflect those of others. Finally, the association between microaggressions and LGBTQIA+ lower self-acceptance offers one explanation for why SGM youth of color tend to be less comfortable with their queer identity than their white peers (Toomey et al., 2016). This study has important implications for ongoing research on racial microaggressions among queer youth, in particular how different kinds of microaggressions are targeted at and affect different racial groups differently.

Authors

• Katelyn Jane Pitcher, University of Connecticut
  Presenting Author

• Rhiannon L. Smith, University of Connecticut

• Ryan J Watson, University of Connecticut