““My meemaw is a cool ass person”: Family members as role models of resilience for sexual and gender diverse people of color” by Amy L. Stone, Elizabeth Nimmons, Robert Salcido, Phillip Schnarrs
Abstract:
The families of people of Color and indigenous people (POCI) are often analyzed as hostile institutions for sexual and gender diverse (SGD) adults. Using 58 interviews with SGD POCI from the Strengthening Colors of Pride 2018 Interview Study, we argue that Black and Latinx SGD adults gain resilience from family role models, mostly resilient mothers and othermothers. These resilient family members model three things: 1) how to overcome adversity and trauma, 2) being providers, and 3) emotional strength. This resilient modeling facilitates the adult resilience of SGD POCI who are navigating the complexity of intersections of race, sexuality, gender, poverty, and childhood trauma.
“The moderating effect of resilience on the relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and quality of physical and mental health among adult sexual and gender minorities” by Phillip Schnarrs, Charlotte Georgiou, Amy Stone, Robert Salcido
Abstract:
Sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals experience a greater burned of poor mental health compared to heterosexual individuals. One factor that helps to explain this disparity is trauma experienced during childhood. SGM are more likely to report traumatic experiences during childhood contributing to this disparity. Previous research has shown that resilience moderates the relationship between childhood trauma and adults mental health outcomes. As part of the Strengthening Colors of Pride project, data on 463 SGM adults living in San Antonio were collected using surveys. A diverse recruitment strategy was used in conjunction with a community advisory board. The brief resilience scale (BRS) was used to assess intrapersonal level resilience to determine if there was an effect on the relationship between ACEs and quality of mental and physical health. Differences were noted for some items across low, normal, and high levels of resilience. Both ACEs and BRS significantly predicted quality of mental and physical health. We also noted a significant interaction between ACEs and BRS with regard to quality of mental health. Findings suggest there is a relationship between intrapersonal level resilience, ACEs, and quality of mental health.
“Multiplicity, Race, and Resilience: Transgender and Non-Binary People Building Community” by Amy L. Stone, Elizabeth A. Nimmons, Robert Salcido, Jr, and Phillip Schnarrs
Abstract:
Scholars theorize that the development of community is an important part of resilience. In this mixed-methods study, we argue that race informs the experiences that transgender and non-binary (TNB) people have in seeking community. Using the Strengthening Colors of Pride Phase I and Phase II research, we argue that in a Latino-majority city, Latinx and Anglo TNB people connected with the transgender and broader lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) community, although Anglo TNB people reported more transphobia in the LGBTQ+ community. Black and American Indian TNB people connected with LGBTQ+ communities of color specifically and struggled more to find in-person community. Anglo TNB people used their own White racial networks to connect with supportive hobby and interest groups. In general, TNB people connected more with communities that resonated with the multiplicities of their own lives, such as commonalities of economic precarity and immigration status. This research is an important contribution to understanding the development of community for resilience, and the way race and gender identity inform community experiences for TNB people.
“Differences in Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Quality of Physical and Mental Health between Transgender and Cisgender Sexual Minorities” by Phillip W. Schnarrs, Amy L. Stone, Robert Salcido, Charlotte Georgiou, Aleta Baldwin, and Charles Nemeroff
Abstract:
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been shown to increase risk for negative health outcomes. Recent work has shown that lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals, on average, have higher ACEs scores compared to heterosexual individuals. However, past ACEs research involving LGB people did not assess the influence of experiencing childhood neglect and risk for poor health among this population. Further, this previous work has been limited to LGB people, excluding transgender and gender nonconforming experiences. The purpose of this project was to assess the relationship between ACEs, gender-identity, and physical and mental health status. As part of a larger community-based participatory research study, we surveyed 477 sexual and gender minority individuals about mental and physical health, ACEs, and sociodemographic characteristics. Transgender participants reported emotional abuse, physical neglect, and emotional neglect more frequently compared to cisgender LGB people. Two logistic regression models were run to assess the influence of ACE on quality of physical and mental health. The model adjusted for ACE scores showed that ACEs explained 17.6% of the variance in mental health. Our findings show that neglect is a common experience among LGB/TGN and needs to be assessed along with other ACE domains. Further, there may exist unique adverse experiences among this population during childhood resulting from social stigma. Future research should identify and quantify these experiences as well as assess the role of adversity during adulthood on mental health.