Youth have same-sex feelings or question their gender identity regardless of race, ethnicity, culture or the colour of one’s skin. However, the experience of being a queer person of colour is often very different from the experience of being a white queer person.

As Mickie explains: “I’m a woman, I’m a lesbian, I’m a Latina. I get more trouble from everybody. I even get stuff from other Latina lesbians about betraying the culture because I date women outside of my race. I don’t think so! I’m just being who I am and loving who I love. All three things are linked together, making it harder for me to go through life. But they are also what I use to protect myself. Having these things to deal with has made me a stronger person—way more powerful and way more proud.”

There are additional complexities when you belong to more than one group that faces prejudice and discrimination. Some people feel as if they become outsiders in their community when they came out.
Quang describes his pain about this conflict: “I found strength in being part of the Vietnamese-American community and with my family because we’ve had to struggle together about racism. And then having that community reject me as a gay man, and the rift with my parents is really difficult. I think that’s something people of colour encounter a lot, the struggle against racism conflicting with the struggle against homophobia.”

At times it can feel as if you don’t fit with either the queer community or your cultural/racial community.
As Yvette says, “Sometimes I’ll be in a gay group, but they’re not racially sensitive. So that is uncomfortable. And it can be uncomfortable to be in an African-American group where they make rude remarks about gay people. And I think, gosh we’re really all in this together. It’s the same: racism, sexism, homophobia, all the same thing.”
Although being a person of color may make it harder to be queer in some ways, if you have had to face racism your whole life, you may have developed skills that will help you deal with homophobia as well. You can use your strength from one struggle and apply it to another.
Having a sense of community is especially important if you are in a group targeted for prejudice. If you are facing more than one source of oppression, it becomes even more vital. Yvette notes: “There was a big transition for me when I started being around other Black gay women. They were so beautiful and wonderful. It helped me put the different parts of my life together and learn to fully love and accept myself.”

With regards to accessing services, many queer youth of colour face a variety of barriers which may deter them from using queer services. First off, many queer services are run and used by a primarily white, English speaking population, and queer youth of colour may not feel comfortable entering those settings knowing that there are few youth or staff they can relate to or trust. Also, like other queer youth, some youth of colour fear bumping into people they may know from their community at a queer service organization for fear of being outed.

Many youth raised in a religious setting not supportive of queer people may fear coming out for a variety of reasons. They may have been taught that being queer is wrong or bad, and that they will “go to hell” or suffer because of their sexual/gender identity. Some youth fear that God will condemn them if they come out. However, one’s spirituality can also be a source of strength and there are many queers who continue to practice their faith. There are certainly more liberal branches of religions which embrace queer members.

Unfortunately like all other parts of our society, racism is very present in the queer community. We rarely, if ever see images of queer people of colour on television, in the news, or on posters and flyers advertising events and organizations. It is no wonder that many queer youth of colour struggle with the experience of “not fitting in” – images of and positive spaces for queer youth of colour are few and far between.