(Dismantling an Epidemic of Violence, n.d.). Regrettably, fear of the unknown and stigma against transgender and nonbinary people lead many to reject or deny their children for who they are. This rejection can devastate individuals and isolate them from physical and emotional resources essential to their well- being. Most transgender people prefer to be identified with the pronoun that corresponds to the gender with which they identify. A transgender woman should be called “she” or “her” if that is what she prefers. Some transgender people do not believe in binary gender appellations and prefer “they” or a nongendered pronoun. Deadnaming refers to a transgender or nonbinary person by their birth, given, or former name without consent. Deadnaming can be harmful and can contribute to mental health conditions and violence. Many transgender people continue to face familial rejection and isolation, including being kicked out of their homes or physically harmed by family members (Dismantling an Epidemic of Violence, n.d.). In one of its most severe forms, grieving family members will misgender or erase the identities of victims of violence against transgender and nonbinary people after Intersectionality Intersectionality is a concept that describes how these various dimensions come together to privilege or oppress individuals and groups. Intersectionality is defined as “multiple, intersecting identities and ascribed social positions (e.g., race, gender, sexual identity, class) along with associated power dynamics, as people are at the same time members of many different social groups and have unique experiences with privilege and disadvantage because of those intersections” (Rosenthal, 2016, p. 475). Kimberlé Crenshaw coined the term “intersectionality” over 25 years ago as a way to help explain the oppression of Black women. Today, the term “intersectionality” continues to be critical in helping us understand why a person may experience the world differently than others who share similar identities to them but have a social advantage in one of them. Intersectionality recognizes that social identities such as “woman,” and “disabled” do not exist independently and often converge to construct unique frameworks of oppression that must be first acknowledged in order to create more inclusive dialogue and solutions for all people. For example, while only 21% of corporate leaders in the U.S. are women, only 4% of corporate leaders are women of color, and only 1% are Black women. The vast underrepresentation of Black women in leadership positions can thus be attributed to the disadvantages created by the intersection of race and gender instead of the effects of race or gender alone (U-M LSA Center for Social Solutions, n.d.). Each individual has a multitude of diverse identities; some are visible, and some are not readily identifiable. Each of the identities intersects with the other identities. The multiple intersections can provide for further oppression and marginalization or other power and privilege, and they could mitigate one another, providing some facets of freedom and others of pressure. For example, a Black college professor who is a heterosexual woman with a doctoral degree is often oppressed and marginalized due to her race and gender; however, as a
their deaths. When family members reject, deny, or disown transgender individuals, it can devastate their well-being and self-worth. It can also impact educational, economic, and housing stability and have long-term effects on mental health. Familial rejection of transgender and nonbinary people can be even more challenging for those who hold racial, ethnic, linguistic, religious, immigrant, and other cultural identities that appear to conflict with LGBTQ+ identities (Dismantling an Epidemic of Violence, n.d.). Evidence-Based Practice: Transgender individuals experience a dramatically higher prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization compared with cisgender individuals, regardless of sex assigned at birth. IPV prevalence estimates are comparably high for assigned-male-sex-at-birth and assigned-female-sex-at-birth transgender individuals, and for binary and nonbinary transgender individuals. Note : From “Intimate partner violence in transgender populations: Systematic review and meta-analysis of prevalence and correlates,” by Peitzmeier, S. M., Malik, M., Kattari, S. K., Marrow, E., Stephenson, R., Agénor, M., & Reisner, S. L. (2020). American Journal of Public Health, 110(9), e1–e14. highly educated academic who is not gay, she experiences power and privilege, particularly in the academic classroom setting as the course professor. Another example is a female student who has experienced poverty throughout her life cycle and identifies as biracial and gay; she may experience shared identities that compound her oppression and marginalization (i.e., female, poor, gay, biracial). Intersectionality says that men who do not have privilege in other areas may not experience male privilege similarly. For example, gay men may experience less male privilege than straight men. Men of color, men from a low socioeconomic background, and men who are not naturally masculine may all experience less or different types of male privilege. Members of racial minorities may face additional challenges regarding their mental health, and they tend to have a higher burden of disability due to mental illness. Depression rates in African American and Hispanic people are the same as in other ethnic groups. However, their depression tends to persist longer. Indigenous populations have higher rates of PTSD and alcoholism rates (Spillane et al., 2022). The APA also notes that about 50–75% of youth offenders have a mental illness, and racial minority groups are over-represented in the criminal justice system. Compared to White youth, youth from racial minorities are more likely to be diverted to the criminal justice system rather than the mental health system (Peterson, 2022). The concept of intersectionality provides practical, valuable work for counselors, as it helps them to understand the complexity of clients’ diverse identities. Further, it provides a structure for understanding the multitude of factors that may cause a client to be oppressed and privileged within American society. In this same manner, it is essential to recognize that culture is best described as fluid and subjective, as will be discussed in greater detail concerning counseling with cultural humility. Using an intersectional lens also means recognizing the historical contexts surrounding an issue.
Figure 4, “Circles of Intersectionality”, visually describe the numerous elements that impact one’s experiences of multiple identities in this country. The center circle represents the overlap among the different aspects of an individual’s identity describing one’s individual experiences regarding power, privilege, identity, and racialization. The next circle goes toward the outer part of the circle and compasses factors like disability, physical health, sexuality, and so on. These different identities influence how each individual will experience bias and various types of discrimination. For instance, if an individual is a racial or ethnic group member, is in a lower class, has a disability, and identifies as a member of the LGBTQ community, that individual is likely to experience various types of bias and discrimination throughout life. In comparison, an individual with a disability and a racial or ethnic group member would likely only experience bias and discrimination from ethnicity and disability status. On the outside of the circle, we see the larger systems that play a role in each of the circles inside. For example, we have all seen that the justice system in this country works differently for White individuals as opposed to people of color. Therefore, any individual dealing with the justice system, as a victim or a perpetrator, will be met with bias and discrimination based on the different identities they ascribe to within the circle.
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Book Code: PCTX1324
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