It has been 52 years since the Stonewall Uprising – a multi-day protest that began when police raided and arrested the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in the village of Greenwich, New York City, in the early hours of June 28, 1969 began patrons and employees. The bar was a haven for the LGBTQ + community, and the raid – allegedly for alcohol license violations – was another in a pattern of police harassment of queer and transgender establishments.
Many members of the LGBTQ + community attribute the first stone to sparking the uprising to Marsha P. Johnson, a black transgender woman and frequent patroness. However, in interviews in the 1970s, Johnson said she didn't arrive until the clash was underway. In other stories, Sylvia Rivera, a transgender woman of black and Latina, threw the first Molotov cocktail. Rivera later said she was in the crowd and tossed coins before the cocktails started flying. LGBTQ + historian Charles Kaiser believes Stormé DeLarverie, a black biracial lesbian and drag king, sparked resistance from the first blow.
People may not agree on how the uprising started, but one thing is clear: trans and queer women of color were at the forefront of the gay liberation movement that emerged from Stonewall. Johnson and Rivera also helped found STAR (Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries), a group that offered housing to the homeless and transgender youth.
Your contributions to the LGBTQ + communities are gradually being recognized. Brooklyn's East River State Park was renamed Marsha P. Johnson State Park, and in 2019 New York City announced plans to erect memorials in honor of Johnson and Rivera. They will be the first permanent memorials to transgender women in upstate New York. The monuments are also part of the city's efforts to close the gender gap in public art.
But the gap goes beyond gender. Over time, the contributions of Johnson, Rivera, DeLarverie, and many other queer and trans people from black, indigenous, and colored (BIPOC) communities have been overshadowed by white narratives and priorities. In the eyes of many, the face of the LGBTQ + community is still too often that of white, gay cisgender men.
Often non-white queer and trans people do not feel included in the larger LGBTQ + community – or even necessarily feel safe. As in other parts of a system based on white supremacy, racism is all too widespread. People who are part of communities across the BIPOC spectrum also face increasing oppression and unique challenges due to the intersection of their cultural and LGBTQ + identities. Although the term BIPOC is meant to be inclusive, it can sometimes be used as a collective term that deliberately or not deletes individual communities. What follows is professional insights from seven Black, Latin American, Indigenous, and Asian counselors on how racism and oppression affect clients who identify as both ethnic / racial minorities and LGBTQ +.
Creation of safe, integrative spaces
Historically, whites have made decisions about where or how people of color fit into their world, notes Adrienne Erby, assistant professor of counseling training at Ohio University. Her research focuses on intersectionality as well as racial, cultural and LGBTQ + issues.
In a broader society where consistently white cisgender men take the lead, LGBTQ + communities can recreate the same dynamic, says Erby. Cisgender white gay men may not lead all aspects of the LGBTQ + movement, but they have become the face – and the voice – of it, she notes.
“Who is allowed to have a vote? Who sets the agenda for activism? “Asks Erby. Navigating racism and genderism – especially among black transgender women – increases the risk of experiencing violence or getting killed, she explains. Constantly questioning your own safety creates different priorities – like just survival, notes Erby, a member of the American Counseling Association. For BIPOC queer, trans and non-binary individuals, the interplay of racism and genderism impacts even the most basic things, like the ability to find and keep work, health care and safe housing.
Trans activists note that the addition of transphobia on top of racism exacerbates employment and housing problems. Transgender women often have no place to go when they need protection or are in danger because most shelters for the homeless and domestic violence do not accept trans people.
Educational disabilities are also an important issue for LGBTQ + people who are BIPOC. Trans and non-binary adolescents – especially those of color – often drop out of school to avoid racial and gender bullying by their peers and even teachers. They are also being pushed out of school by disciplinary measures that disproportionately affect BIPOC students, Erby says.
Counselors can be key advocates by challenging policies and procedures and acting as "safe adults" for these students, she points out. At the same time, Erby warns counselors to oppose the desire to reformulate legitimate issues such as racism, heterosexism, genderism and prejudice. Rather than helping, these approaches serve as barriers to open communication, especially between queer, trans, and non-binary colored people. BIPOC are more responsive to honesty and authenticity, she says.
"In our homes, most of us have learned to read very quickly when a person is someone to [we] to talk to," says Erby. "Instead of expecting people to come to us, we have to show that we can be invited." Inviting someone – sharing power with the student or client, to share what they choose – is important in building trust, she points out.
Counselors are often trained to assess against questions that are based on information rather than narrative. "We ask for the information we need, which is not a bad thing – it is important – but we also have to ask broader questions," says Erby. For example, instead of just confirming that a client lives with their family, counselors should invite clients to tell them more about their families, she advises.
Erby recommends counselors to get an idea of who clients are, not just in the moment but in their lives outside of counseling. Who are their family members? Where did you grow up? How do they relate to a religious community? "It's important that we talk about the things that shaped [clients] such as family, school, race, belief, spiritual belief, and how [they] identify," she says.
"We [also] need to address race, culture and gender issues from the start and throughout our relationship," she explains. “I always make sure to mention race, gender, loving and spiritual identity. These are things that people may not address themselves. "
Past a white-centered story
Tameeka Hunter, Assistant Professor of Counselor Education and Supervision at the University of Arkansas, believes that one of the most important elements in understanding and centering the various histories of the LGBTQ + population is not to use white experiences to use more as a benchmark. For example, getting out of the closet is a white, patriarchal construct, she explains. Western (white) culture is an individualistic culture that places more emphasis on individual desires and independence than on collectivistic or relational cultures. However, Hunter points out that most cultures across the BIPOC spectrum are relational, so community is a central part of the person's identity.
"Coming out is not possible for everyone," says Hunter, an ACA member whose research focuses on marginalized populations, including LGBTQ + and disabled populations. “It may not be safe to do this. "Coming out" can cause significant losses. "
For example, black culture is a relational culture that honors its elders, and community support is an essential tool to survive racism, says Hunter. Getting out could jeopardize the person's place in the community and their source of social and financial support and security, she notes .
To be an LGBTQ + affirmative counselor, one must examine one's own prejudices about issues such as gender, affective identity, and race and understand the complexities of a crossbreed, says Hunter, a spokesperson and researcher on diversity.
In addition to ensuring that their forms of ingestion are inclusive, including racial, affective and gender identity categories and pronouns, counselors must tell clients that they are open to talking about religion and spirituality because they Acting as hunters indicates that this can be a central part of the lives of many black people. And if an LGBTQ + customer's family believes that it is sinful to be a sexual minority, it can lead to serious identity problems for them. When clients know that they can safely speak about religion / spirituality in the session, “create a space where they can tell you,“ I am in conflict with my family ”or“ I might believe that my sexuality is a sin or it is an abomination ”. "She explains.
In situations where clients have difficulty being gay and fear that their family will reject them, counselors should evaluate the client's support system, says Hunter. Is there anyone in the family you can talk to? If not, advisors can help clients expand their minds on support. For example, LGBTQ + people have often “found” families – nonbiological relationships that provide a supportive environment. Hunter helps clients find support networks by asking them about places or people that make them feel peaceful or happy. They can also choose who to share their LGBTQ + identity with. That could mean being open to some family members but not others, she adds.
"People of color who are also LGBTQ + tend to find fellowship with those who share [their] sexual, racial, or other marginalized identities," she says. "This is a way to hold on to … culture. Part of the search for community is to hold on to the validity of our experiences."
People with multiple marginalized identities are constantly forced to present small, bite-sized pieces of themselves. Being around like-minded people is one way of finding relief from the effort of holding back so much of yourself, she says.
But Hunter also warns that it is all too easy for counselors to indulge in what they call "disparity porn" – stereotypical narratives such as blackness make one more susceptible to substance abuse, or that black families are usually less accepting or accepting of LGBTQ + family members are homophobic. “While it is important to acknowledge health and other systemic differences so that we can train prospective advisors and support clients struggling with these concerns, we often care disproportionately about these differences,” she says. "Disparities and systemic oppression are important issues, but there needs to be a balance in how often these issues are dealt with."
Hunter recommends that counselors also focus on positive affirmative concepts such as resilience. "We can celebrate those who are thriving in the community by shedding light on their stories," she says.
Hunter concludes by emphasizing our common humanity: "I firmly believe that our liberation is interrelated – any marginalization from systemic oppression is interrelated – even if we do not share the same marginalized identity." In other words, they believes that we will all be free as a society when the most stigmatized among us – like black transgender women – are free.
Unfracturing identity
When people engage with the LGBTQ + community, those who have been marginalized often have the first feeling that that part of their identity has been finally confirmed and they feel safe, says Misty Ginicola, a licensed professional Consultant (LPC) who specializes in counseling LGBTQ + people. Often, however, those who are Black, Latin American, Asian, Indigenous, or other colored people “soon learn that [they] are not entirely sure,” she says.
Colonization and the system of oppression it has established are everywhere, Ginicola notes, so that racism and misogyny are also anchored in the LGBTQ + community. "It hurts worse when it comes from a room where you think you are safe," she notes.
Mirroring may be a developmental concept applied primarily to children, but Ginicola, professor in the clinical mental health advisory program at Southern Connecticut University, believes adults do it instinctively. "We're looking for people who mirror and validate [us]," she says. “For those of us who have different marginalized identities, we never get a real mirror. … No matter what – I think I can speak personally from this point of view – there will not be a community in which you have all of your marginalized identities [mirrored]. "
It's not just that no community can encompass every aspect of a person; When it comes to marginalized identities, there will always be environments that are not only undesirable but also hostile, explains Ginicola, ACA member and co-editor of the ACA-published book Affirmative Counseling With LGBTQI + People. For security reasons – and for many other reasons – it may be necessary to suppress parts of one's identity, which can lead to a person's identity being broken, she says.
In order to remain whole, the person must have a home and a community within themselves, Ginicola notes. Their goal is for customers to be able to say, "If I don't feel welcome somewhere, I won't go." I won't break anymore to fit in. "But to get to a point where the client can say they need to investigate all of their identities, says Ginicola.
She helps customers explore the boxes they want to fit in by asking, “What do people expect of you? Is that what you want to be ? “For example, Ginicola has a client who is strange and grew up in a rigid evangelical family. Since the client still has internal critical voices associated with their strict religious upbringing, she works with the client to find out where those voices come from and whether those voices reflect his or someone else's value system. Consultants need to look at all of the areas that have shaped the client's identity, even if they make them feel uncomfortable, she says.
"The colonization of beliefs and the value system that we have as a culture is a loss-loss for most people – even for people who are apparently fit," she says. "We all walk around broken in some way as to whether it's your physical experience [or] Mental Health Diagnosis. We have been taught to pull these things inward to adjust."
"I think the other thing we need to address as individuals and as a society is binary thinking," adds Ginicola. “Everything [is] black and white, good and bad. Our society did not prepare us for complex emotions. "
Navigating at intersections
There is an element of cultural embezzlement in the white LGBTQ + community, says Christian Chan, assistant professor in the Department of Counseling and Educational Development at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro. A feeling he often hears from clients who have at least one marginalized identity is, "I'm free from being microaggressive. I'm free from acknowledging that these other forces are at play. I cannot be racist. "But people with marginalized identities can still be racially aggressive, he says.
In a way, white LGBTQ + people are being established as the "norm and ideal," notes Chan, an ACA member whose research focuses on intersectionality, social justice, and the LGBTQ + population. Their white privilege helps mitigate the oppression they face despite being weird or transsexual.
Chan also points out that those from BIPOC communities often grow up in collectivist cultures. There is a sense of kinship and sharing in black, Latin American, Indigenous, Asian, and other color communities that helps them carry the weight of hatred and injustice that is always present but has been especially visible in the past year, he says. But when identifying as LGBTQ + makes a person undesirable in their culture or family and their race / culture is not widely accepted in the queer and trans community, where do they turn? What if they are rejected not only by their family but also by their culture? Chan says that the feeling of isolation that can arise when one is physically in a community but not feeling part of it can be profound. "It's a dance of hypervisibility and invisibility," he says.
Race also overlaps with genderism and heterosexist norms, emphasizes Chan. Queer men have internalized many of the stereotypes of masculinity that prevail in pure culture. Not only do they see it as a taboo to be “too feminine,” but they also often have an ideal of hyper masculinity, he says.
Stereotyping and fetishizing BIPOC bodies is widespread in clubs and on dating apps, Chan continues. For example, Asian men are often perceived as less masculine in heterosexual dating apps due to prevailing stereotypes in queer culture, he says. In contrast, black gay men are fetishized because they are often perceived as hyper-masculine. Obvious racist comments are also common on dating apps, he adds.
It is important for consultants not only to acknowledge that a client's LGBTQ + and BIPOC identities are connected, but also to understand how the client deals with these overlapping forms of oppression, emphasizes Chan. He advises counselors against assuming that the reason a client is in their office is related to their racial, affective, or gendered identity. He also urges counselors to let clients know that they are in a safe place to talk about all of their experiences, as internalized oppression is negatively linked to mental and physical wellbeing. Chan notes that confirming crossbreeds can actually cushion negative encounters and reduce the stress. Consultants can help clients see that navigating their intersections is strong as it can build resilience and even save lives, he says.
Become an accomplice
"One of my favorite sex educators, Ericka Hart, will often find that weirdness doesn't release racism," says Alandria Mustafa, LPC at Sula Counseling in Goose Creek, South Carolina. "White LGBTQ + people exert blackness, especially black femininity, through a variety of mannerisms and the use of AAVE [African American Vernacular English] and slang terms that were born and raised in the black queer community while being queer at the same time. and invalidate and illuminate trans-black people trying to identify the damage within the community and seek recognition. "
"White LGBTQ + people tend to believe that because they are also queer, they have a similar experience of oppression as queer and trans-black people," Mustafa continues (pronouns she / she / their). "This couldn't be further from the truth, but attempts to explain and examine what this false assumption is like are usually made difficult by white fragility."
Mustafa emphasizes that white LGBTQ + people must listen to queer and trans-black people when they say that anti-black attitudes harm them and that they are doing the work of unlearning about anti-blackness have to. “Queer and trans black people would benefit best from mutual help and true accomplices, not just allies. Accomplices are ready to use resources and power to achieve real justice and accountability, ”they add.
When working with clients who have been rejected by their communities of origin for identifying as members of the LGBTQ + community, Mustafa encourages them to recognize the lack of acceptance as an internalization of white supremacy in individual black communities.
"The idea that we are available is a direct consequence of the disposal over many, many years," explains Mustafa. "This conversation usually supports the externalization of transphobia and queer phobia so that we can see that rejection is a product of generational and ancestral trauma."
Mustafa also encourages customers to question their definition of family and the belief that families must be organic. "Queer and trans BIPOC have always been careful and thoughtful to create family dynamics among themselves to protect and support one another," they say. "That is why I usually invite the development of selected family and social support systems as a secure family dynamic that can always be created and promoted outside of those with whom we share a genetic makeup."
Racism within the LGBTQ + community also leads to extreme marginalization of transgender people (especially black transgender women) and non-binary people who are at greatest risk of violence and murder, says Mustafa.
"It is important to acknowledge that this [marginalization] is due to transphobia and anti-blackness, both of which stem from the rhetoric of the white supremacists and the harmful nature of gender binary," Mustafa emphasizes. They point out that "trans and non-binary people are less likely to use support services – be it mental / emotional health services or physical and reproductive health services – and are least likely to access a variety of community programs." these services are not due to a lack of desire or unwillingness, says Mustafa. It comes from "a multitude of systemic barriers that make it incredibly difficult to access safe care."
Mustafa suggests the following ways in which counselors can support transgender and non-binary people:
Offer some pro bono or relay services to ensure that transgender and non-binary people have access to mental health care.
Do not charge for records required for transgender people to obtain confirmatory medical care.
Veterinarian providers who claim to provide gender-affirming medical care before referring clients to them. "We are responsible to our customers, and above all to our trans customers, that the recommendations we use exercise a confirmatory care and are unlikely to harm our customers," emphasizes Mustafa.
Include gender-neutral language in websites, regulatory documents, and signage around the office (e.g. on bathroom doors).
Keep learning and criticizing yourself about your perceptions of gender and sexual identity. Mustafa adds that counselors should challenge how they perceive gender in their personal life as well. Counselors cannot say they believe in affirming gender diversity and expansion in therapeutic space and then presenting it with rigidity and lack of flexibility in personal space, they say.
Attorney for clients. "The personal is political," says Mustafa. "Colored transsexuals are highly politicized simply because of their overlapping identities." It is virtually impossible to adequately and wholeheartedly serve a population at the intersection of a multitude of marginalized identities while demanding neutrality about laws and policies that do harm. Mustafa stresses that counselors cannot be ready when working with a population of people who do not have access to adequate medical care due to anti-trans laws and policies, or who are murdered and discarded for simply existing.
LGBTQ + and Latinx to be
One of Roberto L. Abreu's main areas of research is the parents and families of Latinx queer and trans people. What he found in his research challenges the belief and stereotype that Latinx families do not accept their LGBTQ + family members. The families whose stories he highlights in his research interpret Latinx's cultural norms in a way that affirms their LGBTQ + children.
„Wie in anderen kollektivistischen Kulturen liegt bei Lateinamerikanern ein starker Schwerpunkt auf Gemeinschaft und Familie“, sagt Abreu, Assistenzprofessor für Beratungspsychologie und Direktor der kollektiven Heilung und Stärkung von Stimmen durch Forschung und Engagement ( ¡Chévere!) Labor an der Universität von Florida. „Die Familie spielt bei allem eine zentrale Rolle. Die Idee ist, dass es keine Rolle spielt, was passiert. Familie steht vor allem anderen “, sagt er.
Geschlechtsnormen sind auch in der Latinx-Kultur wichtig, bemerkt Abreu. Insbesondere Mütter oder Mütter in mütterlichen Rollen werden als Bewahrer der Kultur angesehen. Die Mütter, mit denen er sprach, berichteten oft, dass einer der Gründe, warum sie ihr LGBTQ + -Kind akzeptieren, darin besteht, dass es ihre Pflicht als Mutter ist, zu der es gehört, sich selbst zu opfern und das Wohlergehen ihrer Kinder über alles zu stellen.
Abreu weist darauf hin, dass selbst männliche Geschlechtsnormen für Latinos, die oft als starre Ansichten von Männlichkeit beschrieben werden, Schichten haben. Ein Teil der männlichen Geschlechtsnormen für Latinos besteht darin, sein Wort zu halten, emotional mit der Familie in Kontakt zu sein und ein gutes Beispiel für die Familieneinheit zu geben – alles Merkmale, die mit Caballerismo verbunden sind (die Idee eines Mannes als Familienversorger, der seine Familie respektiert und sich um sie kümmert ). Zum Beispiel haben einige der Väter, die Abreu gesprochen hat, beschrieben, wie sie an ihren eigenen Gefühlen und Emotionen in Bezug auf ihr LGBTQ + -Kind arbeiten und an einen Ort der Akzeptanz kommen, um sicherzustellen, dass ihre anderen Kinder und Familienmitglieder auch das LGBTQ + -Kind akzeptieren.
„Die Latinx-Kultur legt auch großen Wert auf die Idee, dass jedem Würde gewährt werden sollte“, sagt Abreu. Er hat herausgefunden, dass Eltern von LGBTQ + -Kindern dies oft als das Recht ihres Kindes interpretieren, zu lieben, wen sie wollen.
Abreu untersucht auch Probleme, mit denen Latinx-Transgender konfrontiert sind, und sagt, der Zugang zur Gesundheitsversorgung sei eine Herausforderung für diese Bevölkerung. "Die Barrieren gehen über das einfache Erreichen der Arztpraxis hinaus. Das Fehlen von Formularen in ihrer Muttersprache und [experiencing] negative Interaktionen mit Büropersonal sind nur zwei Beispiele für die Arten von Diskriminierung und feindlichen Umgebungen, denen Latinx-Transgender-Menschen ausgesetzt sind, bevor sie überhaupt zum Arzt gehen “, sagt Abreu.
"Gesundheitsdienstleister führen häufig auch alles auf die Identität des Patienten als Transgender zurück", bemerkt Abreu. Zum Beispiel könnte eine Person mit einer Erkältung hereinkommen und aufdringliche Fragen zum Thema Transgender erhalten. "Das medizinische Personal tendiert auch dazu, sich auf Teile der Identität der Transfrauen zu konzentrieren, z. B. Annahmen darüber zu treffen, was sie beruflich machen", sagt er.
Als Abreu die Studienmitglieder fragte, welche Dienstleistungen sie am dringendsten benötigten, nannten sie transspezifische Gesundheitsquellen, finanzielle Ressourcen, Räume für Transgender-Obdachlose, Suchtpflege und Hilfe für undokumentierte Personen wie Rechts- und Dokumentationskompetenz. Abreu glaubt auch, dass es ein Zentrum geben sollte, das Familienmitgliedern Bildung bietet, um zu verstehen, was es bedeutet, LGBTQ + zu sein. Und all diese Ressourcen müssen auf Spanisch angeboten werden, fügt er hinzu.
Anerkennung und Befürwortung von BIPOC LGBTQ + -Kunden
„Es ist unerlässlich, nicht nur LGBTQ + -Erfahrungen zu verstehen, sondern auch, wie sich dies mit Rasse / ethnischer Zugehörigkeit überschneidet“, sagt Tamekia Bell, Assistenzprofessorin an der Governors State University in Illinois. „Wir sind keine monolithischen Individuen; Wir haben mehrere Identitäten. Manchmal kämpfen wir jedoch oder ignorieren die vielfältigen Identitäten, die Menschen haben. “
„Ich glaube, einige farbige Menschen fühlen sich von der größeren LGBTQ + -Community ausgeschlossen“, fährt Bell fort. „BIPOC LGBTQ + -Personen brauchen die Gemeinschaft, um sich nicht nur gegen den Hass in Bezug auf LGBTQ + -Probleme auszusprechen, sondern auch [also] systemischen Rassismus und den Abbau der weißen Vormachtstellung. Auch hier muss der Fokus auf allen Mitgliedern der Gemeinschaft liegen, nicht nur auf den Privilegierten. “
Bell, an ACA member whose research interests include multicultural competency surrounding individuals with disabilities and LGBTQ+ individuals, cautions counselors that not all individuals who identify as LGBTQ+ have the same experiences. “It is important for counselors to have our clients guide us in that discussion and not assume [that] because they identified as BIPOC and LGBTQ+, they will have struggles with who they are,” she says.
Society as a whole sends constant and consistent messages to BIPOC LGBTQ+ individuals that they are not valuable, notes Bell, chair of the Society for Sexual, Affectional, Intersex and Gender Expansive Identities’ Queer & Trans People of Color Committee. It is society that needs to change, she stresses, yet BIPOC LGBTQ+ individuals are expected to adjust to the society they live in. “This is where our work outside the therapeutic spaces is so crucial,” she emphasizes. “We can provide tools, resources and support for our clients, but ultimately, they go back into the world that tells them they are unworthy. In order to truly help our clients, we have to work to dismantle the systems that make our clients feel undervalued and unworthy.”
Bell advises counselors to seek out resources and readings to help them learn how to provide ethical and culturally competent care to BIPOC LGBTQ+ individuals. By doing their own work, counselors avoid placing the burden on BIPOC LGBTQ+ counselors, clients and community members. “The work is not always easy, and I sometimes find myself saying or doing the wrong thing,” Bell admits. “In those instances, I acknowledge my ignorance, apologize for my transgression and commit myself to continuing to do better in the future.”
When working with LGBTQ+ individuals, Bell acknowledges her privileges and asks that they call her out if she says or does something offensive or inappropriate. “Because I know and understand my worldview is different, I am more intentional,” she says. “I do not mind the work because I want to live in a world, and have future generations live in a world, where they are honored and valued for who they are and being their authentic selves.”
Daniel Samray/Shutterstock.com
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Laurie Meyers is a senior writer for Counseling Today. Contact her at [email protected].
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Opinions expressed and statements made in articles appearing on CT Online should not be assumed to represent the opinions of the editors or policies of the American Counseling Association.
