In the U.S. and Latin America, the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the mental health of LGBTQ young people. Experts give tips on navigating the crisis.
Their survey of self-identifying LGBTQ youth found that this victimization was particularly severe for trans, gender-nonconforming and non-binary Black students as well as for multiracial Black LGBTQ students. These groups appeared to encounter higher levels of social exclusion at school. Moreover, the report noted, “those who experienced both homophobic and racist victimization experienced the poorest academic outcomes and psychological well-being.
Ethnic studies can make a connection between Black queer legacies of resistance — spotlighting icons such as James Baldwin, Audre Lorde, Bayard Rustin and Marsha P. Johnson — and the lived experience of Black LGBTQ youth in a way that shifts all students’ perspectives on agency and social change. In these classes students should learn how marginalized communities and unsung, “everyday” leaders played a central role in pushing for the civil and human rights protections we have today.
An LGBTQ-inclusive ethnic studies curriculum should also be accompanied by social supports at school. The 2020 report found that students who had access to queer-affirming and cultural identity-affirming groups, such as gender and sexuality alliances and Black student unions, were more likely to stay in school. Mentoring programs, job training, access to housing for unhoused Black queer youth and culturally responsive therapy can also bolster academic preparedness.
The ethnic studies mandate is a critical step toward ensuring that all students are exposed to culturally relevant education. But unless the curriculum addresses students’ needs outside the classroom — and offers more than one-off mentions of LGBTQ issues during Pride month — it will be yet another mandate with great promise but limited impact.
opinion 'Ethnic studies' is a terrible name. Like some people are ethnic and some aren't. Reminds me of Ethnictown in The Simpsons.