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From Research to Practice

Tips and Strategies for Meeting the Needs of GLBTQ Youth of Color*

GLBTQ youth of color face stigma related both to race/ethnicity and to sexual orientation and/or gender identity. Surviving racial/ethnic discrimination requires strong connections to family and ethnic community. However, GLBTQ youth of color seldom receive their community's support regarding sexual orientation or transgender identity. Indeed, ethnic communities often perceive gay, lesbian, and bisexual orientation or transgender identity as a rejection of ethnic heritage. Unlike racial stereotypes that family and ethnic community positively reframe, many ethnic minority communities strongly reinforce negative cultural perceptions of homosexual orientation and/or of being transgender.[10] Thus, stigma places these young people at greater risk for substance use, violence, and risky sexual behaviors.

African American/black and Hispanic/Latino young men who have sex with men (YMSM) are more likely than other YMSM to be infected with HIV.[14] Young lesbians of color, particularly African Americans/blacks and Latinas/Hispanics, are at heightened risk for HIV infection and pregnancy due, in part, to the strong value placed on motherhood and childbearing in their ethnic communities, which may force GLBTQ youth to participate in heterosexual intercourse in order to become parents and/or to hide their sexual orientation.[15] Young GLBTQ Native Americans are often at increased risk for substance abuse, mental illness, and HIV infection due both to persistent racial/ethnic discrimination by white culture and to homophobia within native cultures. 16 The needs of Asian and Pacific Islander (API) GLBTQ youth are often overlooked due to the 'model minority'** stereotype, language barriers, underreporting of AIDS cases, and persistent homophobia within many API cultures.[17]

Most models of homosexual identity development are based on the experiences of white, middle- and upper-middle class lesbians and gays.[10] Often, youth of color don't identify as 'gay' or 'queer,' which may mean they will not seek services or hear messages designed for the white GLBTQ community. To effectively meet the needs of GLBTQ youth of color, programs must integrate awareness of racism with an understanding of how culture shapes sexual attitudes, values, and beliefs.

Good programs targeting youth of color already fully integrate the culture of these young people into their activities, language, and materials. They already acknowledge and incorporate culturally specific values, attitudes, beliefs, and knowledge about health, sexuality, and relationships. But these programs may not yet acknowledge the presence and needs of GLBTQ youth among those they serve. Programs are most likely to be effective in also meeting the needs of these youth of color when they:

• Use language that is inclusive and non-pejorative with regard to sexual orientation and gender identity.
• Involve youth, including GLBTQ youth, in planning, running, and evaluating the programs.
• Focus on the assets of each teen participant, irrespective of sexual orientation and gender identity.
• Address the needs of the whole young person.
• Ask young people how they self-identify and use these terms.
• Offer activities and opportunities that are inclusive as to gender and sexual orientation.
• Build skills.
• Acknowledge culturally specific values, attitudes, and beliefs.
• Consider the social and cultural factors that influence behaviors.
• Hold discussions that explore the added impact of racism on GLBTQ youth of color.
• Provide peer support to change peer norms, especially those regarding sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.
• Acknowledge when culture and sexual orientation cause conflicts for GLBTQ youth and recognize and confront cultural biases regarding sexual orientation and gender identity within the program.
• Know when and where to seek help . Be aware of appropriate referral agencies for crisis intervention, mental and physical health services, emergency assistance, etc. Be aware of your personal and organizational limits, and accept that your organization may not always be the best one to assist a young person in some situations. For assistance, see Select Organizations, Web Sites, Videos, and Books in Creating Safe Space for GLBTQ Youth: A Toolkit.

* Adapted from Transitions volume 14, issue 4, Washington, DC: Advocates for Youth, © 2002.

** 'Model minority' refers to the commonly held stereotype of Asian Americans as superior students who do not participate in risk-taking behaviors such as unprotected sex, substance use, and violence. The stereotype can include incorrect beliefs that Asian American youth never face issues related to sexual orientation and/or gender identity.

Reprinted from Creating Safe Space for GLBTQ Youth: A Toolkit, Girl's Best Friend Foundation and Advocates for Youth, © 2005. [PDF file]

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