Abstract: An Intersectionality Approach to Identifying Vulnerabilities Among Young Latino Sexual Minority Men in North Carolina (Society for Social Work and Research 27th Annual Conference - Social Work Science and Complex Problems: Battling Inequities + Building Solutions)

Schedule:

Thursday, January 12, 2023

Hospitality 3 - Room 432, 4th Level (Sheraton Phoenix Downtown)

* noted as presenting author

Rain Masa, Associate Professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC

Natalia Villegas Rodriguez, PhD, Associate Professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC

Oscar Pineda, Community Outreach Coordinator, El Centro Hispano, Durham, NC

Graham Zulu, MSW, Doctoral Student, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC

Don Operario, PhD, Professor, Brown University, Providence, RI

Background and Purpose

Racism and heteronormativity are well-documented factors affecting access to resources and the ability to use resources to achieve positive outcomes among racial, ethnic, and sexual minorities. An intersectionality framework is commonly used to acknowledge and describe that there exist intragroup differences within groups of people with a common identity, whether it be race, ethnicity, or sexuality. These intragroup differences increase vulnerability and heighten the risk for adverse outcomes among individuals with multiple minoritized or stigmatized attributes. This study explores multiple co-occurring stigmatized characteristics and identities among young Latino sexual minority men (YLSMM) that may heighten their risk for adverse health outcomes, such as poor mental health and HIV transmission.

Methods

We conducted seven focus group discussions (n=19) with YLSMM in North Carolina, ages 18 to 24. Focus group discussions (FGD) were conducted in Spanish or English, depending on the group’s language preference. We used a semi-structured interview guide that asked the youth about their shared and unique characteristics and identities, assumptions people make about their identities, and their experiences of being treated differently because of their identities. Two bilingual facilitators conducted the FGDs. Audio recordings were transcribed, and Spanish transcripts were translated into English. Debriefing with the facilitators and research team was done after each FGD. Thematic analysis was used to analyze FGD transcripts and debriefing notes to identify common themes, i.e., topics, characteristics, and identities that came up repeatedly.

Results

Our findings indicate multiple layers of stigmatized characteristics and identities among YLSMM. YLSMM in the study reported immigration status, language, gender expression, and perceived gender roles as additional stigmatized attributes that heighten the vulnerability of YLSMM. For example, YLSMM, who adopted a feminine gender expression, were more vulnerable to bullying and discrimination in predominantly Latinx and gay spaces than YLSMM, with a masculine gender expression. Experiences of multiple co-occurring stigmas attributed to sexuality, gender expression, and language were identified as a critical pathway linking intragroup differences to adverse health outcomes, such as poor mental health, experiences of violence and abuse, and unsafe sexual behaviors.

Implications and Conclusions

An intersectionality approach to understanding vulnerability among YLSMM, a population that is already vulnerable and marginalized, reveals additional and multiple layers of stigmatized characteristics and identities. In addition to racial and sexual minority status, gender expression, language ability, and immigration status shape lived experiences differently. These lived experiences result in divergent pathways linking experiences of intersectional stigmas to health outcomes. Recognition of a commonly shared identity in social work research and practice should not disregard the presence of other vulnerable and marginalized identities within the group.