10 STEPS TO UNDERSTANDING HOW RACIAL INEQUITIES AFFECT LGBTQ COMMUNITIES OF COLOR

4. Explore how LGBTQ people of color are affected by a host of interrelated factors, including economic and gender inequities

Racial inequities are shaped by economic forces, as well as broader systems such as sexism, rigid gender norms, ageism and other societal factors. Further, for LGBTQ people of color, who embody multiple identities, hardship and discrimination reveal themselves at multiple points and at heightened levels—which leads to pronounced disparities. When surveying how racial disparities play out among your grantee's populations, concurrently assess how women, transgender and gender non-conforming people, and poor and low-income people (among others) are uniquely affected by various forces, which often require tailored interventions.

PrYSM works with Southeast Asian LGBTQ youth dealing with entrenched poverty, as well as various forms of discrimination in all parts of their lives. Many of these youth are financially interdependent on their families, which can hinder the ability of youth to be honest about their sexualities and gender identities. (Complicating this is the reality that Southeast Asian languages lack clear ways of speaking positively about sexuality or gender identity/expression.)