Unpacking racism during COVID-19: narratives from racialized Canadian gay, bisexual, and queer men

International Journal for Equity in Health

Research

David M. Moore¹  Jordan M. Sang²  Jody Jollimore³  Ben Klassen⁴  Joseph Cox⁵  David Lessard⁵  Shayna Skakoon-Sparling⁶  Jad Sinno⁷  Amaya Perez-Brumer⁷  Ian Liujia Tian⁷  Mark Gaspar⁷  Daniel Grace⁷  Emerich Daroya⁷  Trevor A. Hart⁸  Nathan J. Lachowsky⁹  Cornel Grey^1,10 

[1] BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, Canada;BC Centre on Substance Use, Vancouver, Canada;Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange (CATIE), Toronto, Canada;Community-Based Research Centre, Vancouver, Canada;McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, Canada;Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, Canada;University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada;University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada;University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada;Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, Canada;University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada;Western University, London, Canada;University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada;

关键词: Critical race theory;    Racism;    Sexuality;    Anti-asian racism;    Anti-black racism;    Gay and bisexual men, COVID-19;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12939-023-01961-z

 received in 2022-09-20, accepted in 2023-07-13,  发布年份 2023

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

ObjectiveEpidemics impact individuals unevenly across race, gender, and sexuality. In addition to being more vulnerable to COVID-19 infection, evidence suggests racialized gender and sexual minorities experienced disproportionate levels of discrimination and stigma during the COVID-19 epidemic. Drawing on Critical Race Theory (CRT), we examined the experiences of gay, bisexual, queer, and other men who have sex with men (GBQM) of colour facing discrimination during COVID-19.DesignEngage-COVID-19 is a mixed methods study examining the impact of COVID-19 on GBQM living in Vancouver, Toronto, and Montréal, Canada. We conducted two rounds of qualitative interviews (November 2020 to February 2021, and June to October 2021) with 93 GBQM to explore the evolving impact of COVID-19 on their lives. Transcripts were coded using inductive thematic analysis. Data analysis was conducted using Nvivo software.ResultsFifty-nine participants identified as Black, Indigenous, and/or a Person of Colour (BIPOC). These GBQM of colour described multiple experiences of discrimination during COVID-19. Although participants did not report experiences of discrimination based on their sexual identity during COVID-19, we found that experiences of racism affected how they were treated within their sexual networks. Experiences of racism were most often reported by East Asian and Black GBQM. These participants faced racism in public and online spaces, primarily in the form of verbal harassment. Several participants were also harassed because they wore face masks. Verbal abuse against GBQM of colour was largely prompted by racist discourses related to COVID-19.ConclusionRacism remains a pernicious threat to the well-being of GBQM of colour. CRT highlights the importance of assessing how sexualized and gendered discourses about race shape the experiences of GBQM of colour navigating multiple epidemics like COVID-19 and HIV. These pervasive discourses unevenly affect racial and sexual minorities across multiple epidemics, and negatively impact health outcomes for these populations.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature 2023