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by: Lea Gnoy

Intersectionality, a term coined in 1989 by American civil rights advocate Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw, is the importance of including all types of people with many different social identities. A more precise definition of intersectionality is the acknowledgment that everyone has their own individual experiences of oppression and discrimination. Crenshaw initially created the term to show how race and gender discrimination intersected during the third wave of feminism to allow queer women and women of color feel included in the Feminist Movement. Before intersectionality was acknowledged, black women felt excluded from the feminist movement due to racism. Intersectionality was prevalent during the movement because it placed emphasis on knowledge to empower black women who felt discriminated against due to two of their identities of being women of color.

Today, intersectionality is just as important for helping and understanding the complexity of prejudices people with overlapping identities face. For example, black women experience sexism and racism differently than white women deal with sexism and how black men deal with racism. Fighting racism and sexism with an intersectional lens allows all types of women and people of color to be included to truly achieve equality. In this example, having conversations with intersectionality in mind can help black women feel less alone in their struggles. Lisa Bowleg’s “When Black + Lesbian + Woman ≠ Black Lesbian Woman: The Methodological Challenges of Qualitative and Quantitative Intersectionality Research” goes in depth on how to properly research Black Lesbian Woman by looking through an intersectional lens. Bowleg’s intensive evidence in her peer-reviewed article supports how important understanding intersectionality is because the “perspectives gained from intersectionality research can advance knowledge, inform interventions, and shape public policy in ways that benefit women like Black lesbians and all others who fall through the ‘women and minorities gap’” (Bowleg p.323). Understanding intersectionality is crucial to rewiring the deep-rooted oppression in the world and making everyone feel equal and understood in life.

Citations

Bowleg, L. (2008). When Black + lesbian + woman ≠ Black lesbian woman: The methodological challenges of qualitative and quantitative intersectionality research. Sex Roles: A Journal of Research, 59(5-6), 312–325. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-008-9400-z

by: Sophia Marano

When examining intimate partner abuse, many researchers fail to study the patterns and types of abuse in same-sex male couples. In turn, the psychosocial characteristics and health problems of gay and bisexual men who experience such abuse have often been neglected in research. In the correlational study, “Intimate Partner Abuse among Gay and Bisexual Men: Risk Correlates and Health Outcomes,” Houston and McKirnan examined the effect of psychological and demographic factors generally associated with intimate partner abuse. They also examined intimate partner abuse’s relationship to various health problems such as depression, substance abuse, and sexually transmitted diseases.

Unlike many previous studies regarding intimate partner abuse, Houston and McKirnan specifically focused on gay and bisexual men. In their study, participants filled out an anonymous survey that consisted of questions about health-related attitudes and behaviors, drug and alcohol use, and sexual practices. Findings concluded that 32.4% of the total sample reported experiencing intimate partner abuse in either a current or past relationship and that most abuse victims experienced more than one form of abuse. Additionally, Houston and McKirnan examined the relation of abuse with key health behaviors. Findings showed that abused men were more likely to report monthly or more frequent alcohol intoxication, problems caused by substance use, and frequent use of substances before or during sex. It was also proven that abuse correlates with unprotected anal intercourse. Findings showed that abused men were not only more likely to report unprotected sex in the previous 6 months but were also more likely to report a recent STI. Lastly, Houston and McKirnan found a relationship between intimate partner abuse and both physiological and psychological risk factors. Based on the findings, abused men were more likely to report at least one health problem or diagnosis and significantly more depressive symptoms than non-abused men.

Based on this research, we can undoubtedly declare that intimate partner abuse is a major factor in a range of health problems. It is crucial, however, to highlight how these intimate partner abuse challenges among gay and bisexual men do not receive the same attention as heterosexual couples. Regardless of the fact that gay and bisexual men face partner abuse at similar or higher rates than heterosexual couples, many researchers and health providers fail to meet the needs of abused men. It is not only imperative that healthcare providers are appropriately trained to assess abuse in these populations, but also for strategies to be implemented that bring these men out of danger and thus, improve their overall health outcomes.

Citations

Houston, E., & McKirnan, D. J. (2007, September). Intimate partner abuse among gay and bisexual men: Risk correlates and health outcomes. Journal of urban health : bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine. Retrieved November 2, 2022, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2231846/