Presenter: Alexandra Jagielski − Multidisciplinary Science
Faculty Mentor(s): Zachary DuBois, Alicia DeLouize
Session: (In-Person) Poster Presentation
Transgender and gender diverse people of color (TGD POC) endure high levels of discrimination and violence related to anti-trans bias and racism. The Trans Resilience & Health in Sociopolitical Contexts Study (N = 158) is a longitudinal mixed-methods study that captured monthly data on experiences of certain sociopolitical events and measured aspects of mental and physical health from a diverse sample of TGD people living in Oregon, Michigan, Tennessee, and Nebraska. This investigation centers on the experiences and health of TGD POC participants during the Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests in June 2020. These events involved a series of protests characterized by increased mobilization against systemic racism. Participants reflected on the increased focus on police brutality and racism. TGD POC participants reported significantly higher levels of post-event changes related to anti-trans hate speech and impacts on overall safety. TGD POC also had significantly higher perceived stress scores and lower resilience scores compared to TGD white participants. These findings show how sociopolitical events have negatively impacted the social treatment and well-being of TGD POC in our sample. It enables further understanding of the experiences of TGD POC which could help inform the development of supportive programs in the community. This study also highlights the importance of examining compounded effects of inequality related to intersecting marginalized identities.