People in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, and other sexual and gender minority (LGBTQIA+) community face barriers to equity in almost every aspect of their lives including housing, employment, healthcare, and education. This is especially true for LGBTQIA+ people who are also people of color.

Systems of inequity are mutually reinforcing and must be recognized to prevent further compounding and reinforcing those same inequalities. Taking an intersectional approach to reviewing policies, procedures, and best practices is a way to understand the challenges and barriers people face and not a competition to determine who is the most marginalized.

Likewise while stories of LGBTQIA+ people are often uncomfortable and may include discrimination, abuse, loss of family, and other painful experiences there are also amazing stories of chosen family, welcoming spaces, and radical joy. Pride month, in June, is one place where celebrations of lives filled with joy, connection, resilience and liberation are focused.

Definitions:

Intersectionality: The interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender, regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage; a theoretical approach based on such a premise. (Oxford Dictionary)