Study Finds Black LGB People Are Regularly Harassed and Threatened
A new study from the US-based Black Futures Lab has found that 62 percent of gay and lesbian black people are harassed or threatened at least a few times a year, while 25 percent are harassed or threatened once a week.
“More than 78 percent of LGB Black Census respondents report that violence against gays, lesbians, and transgender people is a problem in the community, and 62 percent or more say it is a major problem,” the study explains.
They also found that black LGB people’s biggest worries were “bread-and-butter economic issues like low pay, unaffordable health care, and access to housing.
Black Futures Lab surveyed 5,400 black LGB people across the United States.
“Too often, Black LGB+ people are perceived as distinct and separate from the larger Black community and defined more by their sexual orientation than their race,” said the organiser of the survey and a Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza.
“In fact, LGB+ respondents prioritise the same concerns as the rest of the Black community and face triple consciousness: violence and discrimination based not only on race but gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation.
“Black LGB+ people often lose employment opportunities, access to housing and quality affordable health care because of how we identify.
“It is important for policymakers, activists and community groups to remember this and create an agenda that reflects that understanding when representing and serving Black LGB+ people.
“Attending a gay wedding and changing your Facebook profile picture to a rainbow flag is great, but it’s simply not enough.”
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