Professional Documents
Culture Documents
An examination of the unique experiences, perspectives, and priorities of the Black Lesbian community
June 2010
A Zuna Institute Publication by Francine Ramsey,
Dr. Marjorie J. Hill, and Cassondra Kellam
Zuna Institute would like to thank the authors, contributors, sponsors, and friends for their generous assistance with this report.
Aisha Mills
Synergy Strategy Group, LLC
Washington, DC
Brenda J. Crawford
Co-Founder
Zuna Institute
Vallejo, CA
Perspectives
41.9% of the respondents. Respondents reported they had group. This survey also highlights the needs and concerns
experienced domestic violence either with a man (14.1%) or of Black lesbians as defined by them.
in a same-sex relationship (27.8%). The study revealed that
the needs of Black women in violent same-sex relationships
have been overlooked on local and national levels. The call for II. Black Lesbians: Making
Black lesbian visibility is the call for safety and protection.
the Case
How we define ourselves, what we call ourselves, and when
we disclose this information to health care professionals can “Let me put it this way: When I show up in a place where
have life or death consequences. The invisibility of Black I am lesbian, Black, and a woman, it’s very clear to me where
lesbians, combined with our fluidity of identity poses health those things fall.” (Survey Respondent)
care concerns around HIV transmission. Additionally,
upholding the myth of the “strong black woman” along with The majority of the respondents (55%) in the National
the lack of adequate mental health support can lead Black Black Lesbian Needs Assessment are Black lesbians in their
lesbians to higher rates of suicide. The call for Black lesbian middle years with middle class values and viewpoints. They
visibility is the call to save lives. are in a developmental phase in life that Sara Lawrence-
Lightfoot states, “is a time to pause, a time for self-reflection
The study also provides a peek into Black lesbians and and stocktaking, a time to re-envision the future.”4 Erikson
issues of aging. The research literature focuses primarily on said it is a time for “focus on family” and “giving back to the
White gay and lesbian groups and paints a bleak vision of next generation.”5 This group of Black lesbians is strategically
aging in the gay/lesbian community. The focus group data positioned in their careers and lives to make significant
collected revealed that long-term health insurance coverage political and economic differences in the United States.
and residing in retirement communities with other Black Their voices and experiences add a missing and necessary
lesbians were among the most important concerns for aging piece to current literature examining Black lesbian lives. The
Black lesbians. The recommendation is that additional respondents to this survey dispel myths and reshape the
quantitative data be collected specifically focusing on perceptions of who Black lesbians are in this nation.
older Black lesbians. At this time, no conclusions can be
summarized about their specific needs. This is an area for The literature quoted throughout this document was
further investigation. chosen because of accessibility. The studies compare Black
lesbian experiences to the greater Black population and to
This study shows that advocacy needs of Black lesbians that of the White lesbian communities and occasionally
persist in the areas of financial security, healthcare, access to to statistics that reference Black gay men. By collecting
education, and marriage equality. these descriptive statistics the survey provides a baseline to
measure one aspect of the Black lesbian experience.
A. Survey Demographics
III. Methodology
According to the results of the National Black Lesbian
There is little data that adequately addresses the specific Needs Assessment, the modal age category for respondents
experiences of Black lesbians in the United States; the Zuna is 40-49 (30.2%), followed by 50 and over (25%), 31-39
Institute conducted a series of focus groups in Atlanta, (22.1%), 25-30 (15.5%), and 18-24 (7%) — see Figure 1.
New York, Denver, and Chicago. Participants in each group
varied in age and affiliation with LGBTQ communities and Southern respondents account for the majority of
organizations. Each focus group had an average of twelve participants in the study (37.8%), followed by those from
participants. The information gathered from these groups the West (29.8%), Midwest (18%), and North East (14.4%)
was a follow-up to the initial questions in the National Black — see Figure 2.
Lesbian Needs Assessment – a national electronic survey
of same-gender loving Black women. These focus groups Of these respondents, 71% reside in a “big city” and
provided rich qualitative data. The focus groups revealed that 21.8% in a “big metropolitan suburb,” as defined by the US
Black lesbians are primarily concerned with issues relating Census Bureau.9 As such, a sizable majority of the sample
to family, health, identity, access to financial and community either resides in a large urban area or lives in communities
resources, and community activism. with access to a large urban area (See Figure 3).
The National Black Lesbian Needs Assessment was According to 2004 US Census figures, 18% of Black
disseminated in partnership with regional, statewide, and women 25 and older have completed at least a bachelor’s
local organizations that support Black lesbians. A total of degree, as compared to 84.4% of Zuna online respondents10
1,596 Black lesbians completed the survey. (See Figure 4).
7.0% 1.6%
18-24 25-30 31-39 40-49 50+ Big City Small City Big Metro Sub Other
Source: National Black Lesbian Needs Assessment, Zuna Institute Source: National Black Lesbian Needs Assessment, Zuna Institute
OR
WA
MT ND
MN
MA 15.0%
SD WI NY RI
ID
35.5%
MI CT
WY
NE IA PA NJ
NV IL IN OH
UT DE
CA CO KS MO MD
KY WV
VA DC
AZ TN NC
NM OK AR SC
MS AL
TX
LA
GA
48.9%
AL FL
HI
West East South
South Central South Central Atlantic
of childrearing have also been ignored in research and I currently co-parent with a I plan to have children and
advocacy. As those who bear the brunt of childrearing same-sex partner raise them with a same-sex
partner
activities among same-sex couples, Black same-gender
loving women may be disproportionately affected by policies I am currently a single parent I have been a co-parent in
but plan to co-parent with a the past, but am no longer
which limit benefits for same-sex partners, as well as anti- same-sex partner in the future involved in the child’s life
gay parenting policies. For example, under the George W.
Bush administration, government officials moved to extend I do not plan to have children
certain monetary benefits only to married couples, a status Source: National Black Lesbian Needs Assessment, Zuna Institute
unattainable to same-sex partners at the time. Additionally,
states such as Florida have effectively banned gays from
In many violent relationships, lesbians are hesitant to file
adopting children.19 This action not only harms LGBTQ
charges of domestic violence or rape because police officers
communities but also the entire Black population, for Black
are not as likely to identify violence between members of
children are greatly overrepresented in the foster care system
the same sex.
and are most likely to be adopted by Black women20.
Accordingly, 41.9% of Survey Respondents report having
2. Domestic Violence been in a domestic violence situation. More specifically,
14.1% report having been involved in a domestic violence
Black lesbians may face additional family obstacles in situation with a man, while 27.8% report having experienced
terms of reporting, or leaving violent relationships. In the domestic violence with a woman (See Figure 8).
report “Black, Lesbian and Speaking Out,” authors Kewsi
and Webster write, As previous scholarship and the National Black Lesbian
Needs Assessment indicate, the needs of Black women in
A lesbian seeking help is at risk of further victimiza- violent same-sex couples have been overlooked on the local
tion because of her sexuality, whereas heterosexual wom- and national level. While domestic violence is prevalent in
en, with the exception of prostitutes, do not experience both heterosexual and homosexual relationships, police
this. Lesbians are less likely to turn to family members and advocacy groups are likely to ignore the experiences of
for support, particularly if they are not out and even if Black lesbians, as domestic violence is generally construed
they are, they may fear reinforcing stereotypes of the ‘im- as a heterosexual issue.
morality and sickness’ of lesbian relationships.21
B. Health
1. Mental Health
“I would also like to mention an issue that might come
under mental health: internalized homophobia. If people
think they’re less than, that they’re going to hell, or whatever,
then they don’t have it within themselves to really join a
community and try to get something achieved.” (Survey Accordingly, lack of access to affordable, or culturally
Respondent) competent mental health services can discourage Black
women and Black lesbians in particular, from seeking
On most health outcome indicators, Black women formal mental health services. According to the National
evidence more negative health status and riskier Black Lesbian Needs Assessment, 16.9% of the respondents
health behaviors than do their White counterparts.22 were uninsured compared to 24% of Black women
Research has shown that, irrespective of physical and nationwide (See Figure 9).28 Moreover, the odds that Blacks
emotional stress, racial minorities in the United States are underinsured are almost three times that of their White
underuse formal systems of mental health services.23 counterparts. As one might assume, rates of insurance and
More specifically, Black lesbians are less likely to seek out economic class are highly correlated. Survey Respondents
traditional professional mental help than are their White earning less than $30,000 were significantly less likely to
counterparts, even when combating grave mental health have insurance than those in all other income brackets,
concerns.24 For example, there is a pattern of higher particularly those earning $101,000 and up.
suicide rates among Black lesbians, and particularly higher
rates among those from economically disenfranchised 2. Physical Health
communities.25 Scholars have primarily associated
these higher suicide rates with one’s ability to deal with “As a breast cancer survivor, I’ve had lesbians contact me
‘coming-out’, and the social construction of the ‘strong who have been recently diagnosed who don’t want anybody to
Black woman.’ know that they have cancer. And I’m just astounded at that.
24%
respondents with higher incomes were also more likely
to have a regular gynecologist. In total, nearly 35% of
respondents did not see a gynecologist regularly (at least
Zuna Sample Nationally
once a year, see Figure 10).
Source: National Black Lesbian Needs Assessment, Zuna Institute; US Census,
2002
Figure 10: Do You Have A Regular Gynecologist?
74.4%
53.9%
71.4%
get AIDS.”36 This threatens Black lesbian communities in
particular “[s]ince most WSWs (women who have sex with
women) of color are disproportionately affected by other
HIV risks such as drug use and homelessness.”37 Lesbian Bisexual Overall
Respondants Respondants
Although some epidemiological data have argued that
Source: National Black Lesbian Needs Assessment, Zuna Institute; US Census,
lesbians are not in a high risk group for HIV, we need to 2002
think more broadly. For many years, organizations on the
forefront of the battle against the disease have proclaimed
In terms of being “out” to wider communities (outside
the need to be inclusive in public health education and
of medical professionals), a majority of Survey Respondents
services. Black women, regardless of how they identify their
reported coming out – to varying degrees – when they
sexual orientation, may or may not have sex with men. They
were under 25 years old (63.7%) — see Figure 12. On a
may or may not fall into other high-risk groups. Thus, to
scale of how “out” one is, only 26% of the sample were out
the extent public policy officials cast a wider net, the more
to “all groups” (groups defined as extended family, work
effective they can be in providing comprehensive public
colleagues, your boss, religious community, friends, and
health to all.
immediate family).
Lesbians are present in every community and experience
Additionally, about half of the respondents (48%)
where women are present. Therefore, whatever happens to
reported that at some point in their lives, they had been
Black women happens to lesbians; whatever happens to poor
rejected or discriminated against based on their sexual
people happens to poor lesbians. If HIV is over-represented
orientation (See Figure 13).
among poor black women, then it is over-represented
among poor Black lesbians. Whether they number ten
Overall, Black lesbians face invisibility on two
thousand, one hundred thousand, or a million, they deserve
fundamental levels: coerced invisibility to protect jobs or
information, and their lives need to be protected.
other social relations and absence from formal discourses.
12.9% there are places in the world that some of us live where that’s
okay, because my mother, who is very comfortable with me as
15.4% a lesbian—well, that might be an exaggeration—has accepted
that I’m lesbian, loves my partner, and has probably been to
more LGBT events than many lesbians in the world.” (Survey
16.6% Respondent)
50.8% *****
11.5% 7.2%
3.8%
7.3%
11.5%
1.5%
7.3%
2.8%
1.5%
44.5% 35.7%
North Midwest West South
Source: National Black Lesbian Needs Assessment, Zuna Institute
40% 40%
34%
26%
24% 23%
20% 20% 19% 18%
15% 15%
13%
5%
40%
40%
34%
26%
24%
23%
20%
20%
19%
18%
15%
15%
13%
Jobs/Financial
Security
Health Care
Education
Marriage
Mental Health
Medical
Proxy
Hate Crimes
Employment
Discrimination
Housing
HIV/AIDS
Aging
Adoption
Domestic
Violence
Immigration
Source: National Black Lesbian Needs Assessment, Zuna Institute
The National Black Lesbian Needs Assessment was funded by a generous grant from the Arcus Foundation.
With additional support from: Gill Foundation, and Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice
www.zunainstitute.org