Within the LGBTQIA+ community, progress has been made. Let’s never deny that or miss the opportunity to celebrate. However, stark realities still exist. For example, roughly 83 percent of LGBTQIA+ people hide their orientation from all or almost all the people in their lives. So much more work needs to be done.
An excellent place to start that work is the development of intersectional support. Inequality and discrimination both transcend any single issue. Awareness of such intersectionality allows for the scenario in which oppressed people can connect and work together for justice.
What is Intersectionality?
Each of us has our singular lived experience. Simultaneously, we are part of a larger patchwork of identities. These create complex layers that include, for example:
Gender
Race
Class
Ability
Age
We experience the world through multiple lenses. Thus, the LGBTQIA+ lens can intersect with other lenses. This enables us to identify commonalities we may not have seen before.
Case in point: A disabled African-American lesbian intersects with at least the Black, disability rights, and LGBTQIA+ communities. She is not Black one day, lesbian the next, and disabled on weekends. She is all three, all the time. This is sometimes called “multiple minorities.”
She may encounter homophobia in communities of color and racism in her LGBTQIA+ friends. The disability rights movement could display both forms of bias. It has been said that intersectionality is a guidepost for “protecting minorities within minorities.”
The Importance of Intersectional LGBTQIA+ Support
It is a delicate balancing act. Intersectionality is not merely lumping marginalized groups together. These intersections are a powerful starting point to better understand both struggles and create a new community. Our lives are not limited to one or two stories. We are complex. We contain multitudes. In such complexity lies power.
An anti-racism movement must incorporate feminism and a commitment to rejecting homophobia. It must oppose discrimination based on one’s age, financial strata, or ability/disability. Because injustices overlap, justice must be a holistic goal.
Some Basics Steps to Help You Act on Your Awareness
It is not enough to know the concepts described above. Your responsibility is to translate them into action.
Set strong intentions: You will make mistakes. It will take a while to gain a bigger perspective. Therefore, commit early to doing the work and remaining open.
Listen: It’s always been the best way to learn. Pay attention. Meet people at your intersections with them and stay involved.
Center others’ viewpoints: What you do impacts others. Your words and behaviors are not just about you. Never forget how your decisions can make others feel.
Accountability: And it’s not just your decisions. Hold yourself and others accountable to create a culture of solidarity. Part of being an ally is speaking up when necessary.
Intersectionality is a wider lens. It encompasses so many forms of discrimination. Embracing such a big-picture view opens your mind and makes you a more compassionate human being.
Easier Said Than Done
As noble as the idea of intersectionality is, it is not easy to practice. We live in a divided society. People seem to hear what they expect to hear. This is true across all communities, and we must never assume to be immune to such cognitive dissonance.
With all that in mind, getting some professional guidance makes a lot of sense. Working with an aware therapist is the ideal starting point. Your weekly sessions will be your safe space. You can open up, explore your perspectives, and develop new ways of interacting with people in all settings. I’d love to help you do this individual work as you also strive for a more equitable world.
