Did It Get Better? The Realities of Queer and Trans Youth of Color in K-12 Schools

ABSTRACT

The lived experiences of queer and trans people of color (QTPOC) youth are significantly influenced by the various environments they navigate – including but not limited to their families, schools, neighborhoods, communities, and workplaces. QTPOC youth – or queer and trans youth who identify as Asian American, Black/African American, Indigenous, Hispanic/Latinx, or/and multiracial – are susceptible to multiple forms of oppression that are embedded in racism, sexism, transphobia, heterosexism, and more. This paper seeks to highlight perspectives of QTPOC youth – particularly how intersectional identities, discrimination, and victimization influence school experiences and negative educational outcomes. We underscore three major areas that educators must be aware of when working with this subgroup: (a) common experiences for QTPOC youth; (b) QTPOC youth school experiences; and (c) psychosocial determinants affecting school violence. Furthermore, we provide recommendations to consider for working with QTPOC youth, specifically for teachers, school administrators, and families and communities.

KEYWORDS:

• Youth of color
• LGBTQ+
• discrimination
• racism
• gender expression
• colorism

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kevin L. Nadal

Kevin L. Nadal is a distinguished professor of psychology at the City University of New York, with appointments at both John Jay College and the Graduate Center. He has authored 14 books and numerous research articles on topics related to LGBTQ+ communities, microaggressions, Asian American psychology, and social justice.

Wiston Rodriguez

Wiston Rodriguez is a Ph.D. candidate in industrial-organizational psychology at Baruch College and The Graduate Center. His work focuses on the predictors and outcomes of various workplace stressors and the unique experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals.

Emerson Tejeda

Emerson Tejeda received her Bachelors degree in psychology from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York. Her research interests focus on issues related to LGBTQ communities of color, ranging from impostor phenomenon to colorism to the criminal justice system.

D’Andrah Almanzar

D’Andrah Almanzar is a graduate student in the Master’s in Social Work program at Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service. Her research and work focuses on topics such as social justice, mental health, immigration and healthcare disparities for BIPOC communities and the LGBTQ+ community.

Sheharyar Hussain

Sheharyar Hussain is a Ph.D. student in clinical psychology at John Jay College and the Graduate Center. His work focuses on mental health stigma in the South Asian community and the impact of microaggressions on South Asians mental health.