Associations among psychological distress, high-risk activism, and conflict between ethnic-racial and sexual minority identities in lesbian, gay, bisexual racial/ethnic minority adults.

Abstract

In this brief report, we present results from a study exploring the associations of high-risk activism (HRA) orientation in lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) issues; HRA orientation in racial/ethnic issues; conflicts in allegiances (CIA) between one's ethnic-racial and sexual minority identities; and anxiety among LGB racial/ethnic minority adults. A racially and ethnically diverse sample of 208 LGB racial/ethnic minority adults (age: M = 27.52, SD = 8.76) completed an online survey. Bivariate correlations showed that HRA orientation in LGB and in racial/ethnic issues, as well as CIA, were each positively associated with anxiety. However, regression analyses indicated that CIA moderated the association between anxiety and HRA orientation in LGB issues (but not racial/ethnic minority issues) such that this association was significant and positive at low levels of CIA and nonsignificant at high levels of CIA. These findings can be used to not only inform psychological practice with this population (e.g., by encouraging practitioners to be more attentive to these issues as potential sources of stress), but also more broadly, as knowledge that can inform the burgeoning psychological literature on collective action. We highlight, for example, the importance of distinguishing between types of activism (i.e., high- vs. low-risk types) in relation to mental health outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record

Queering Black activism: Exploring the relationship between racial identity and Black activist orientation among Black LGBTQ youth

“…Relatedly, in a narrative analysis of civic engagement among immigrant parents and adolescents from El Salvador and India, participants reported more civic involvement at the community level as opposed to within the political sphere (Jensen, ). Further, Black queer people can experience a “conflict in allegiance” whereby they feel pressure to identify as either Black or queer, which diminishes activism orientation with regard to LGB issues (Santos & VanDaalen, ). Therefore, a singular focus on racial identity may not predict activism orientation within the Black community for Black queer youth.…”

Two, four, six, eight…why we want to participate: Motivations and barriers to LGBTQ+ activism

“…There is a growing literature examining the motivations and barriers to activism in samples of predominantly white LGBTQ+ individuals (Breslow et al, 2015; Craney, Watson, Brownfield, & Flores, 2018; Dunn & Szymanski, 2018; Friedman & Leaper, 2010; Swank, 2018; Swank & Fahs, 2012, 2013, 2019; Swank, & Fahs, B., 2016), as well as a number of studies examining the impact of intersectional experiences of oppression on participation in activism for LGBTQ+ black, Indigenous and people of colour (BIPOC; Battle & Harris, 2013a, 2013b; DeBlaere et al, 2014; Harris & Battle, 2013; Harris, Battle, Pastrana Jr, & Daniels, 2013; Harris, Battle, Pastrana, & Daniels, 2015; Pender, Hope, & Riddick, 2019; VanDaalen & Santos, 2017; Santos & VanDaalen, 2018). With regard to research with LGBTQ+ BIPOC samples, findings show a number of predictors for participation in activism.…”

Risky Politics? Associations Between Adolescent Risk Preference and Political Engagement

“…We did not find any evidence that risk preference was related to volunteering for a political campaign, and this behavior demonstrated very low prevalence in our sample. These more limited associations between risk preference and standard political behaviors are most likely due to the higher levels and greater range of risks that come with social movement activities relative to other types of political engagement (McAdam, 1986;Santos & VanDaalen, 2018). On the whole, voting, donating to campaigns, and communicating with government officials are behaviors that may not be seen as very risky for youth.…”

“…Involvement in protests and demonstrations comes with real risks for youth, such as escalated interactions with police or counter-protesters, which could result in serious personal consequences (Santos & VanDaalen, 2018). Thus, the link between risk preference and political behavior should be much stronger for social movement behaviors.…”