Same Gender Loving (SGL):When Ethnicity & Sexual Orientation Intersect
“I find I am constantly being encouraged to pluck some one aspect of myself and present this as the meaningful whole, eclipsing or denying other aspects of myself.”
~ Audre Lorde, a Black, lesbian, feminist
Ñ Sexual orientation is just ONE aspect of a person’s identity. As with heterosexuals, LGBT students have multiple aspects of identity, such as ethnicity, culture, and nationality.
Ñ “Same-Gender Loving” is a term frequently used by African-American and Latino/Latina minority group members as an alternative to the labels of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered. To many, these latter labels are associated with the White majority.
“I love to read, and through research I found out that the term ‘gay’ was coined by homosexual White men back in the sixties. That is another reason I cannot and will not identify with it.” ~African-American Worchester Polytechnic Institute student
Ñ To many minority group members, the acronym “SGL” (same-gender loving) reflects the love and affection is that frequently overlooked in same-sex relationships, while the term “homosexual” is downplayed, since it is seen as connoting merely sexual acts between two persons of the same sex.
Ñ Being a same-gender loving person of color frequently means that the person has to deal with racism and homophobia at the same time.
Ñ For many ethnic groups, homosexuality is seen as a White phenomenon, problem, or disease.
“Most of my Korean and Asian friends referred to homosexuality as a thing that only existed in non-Korean and non-Asian groups.” ~Korean WPI student
Ñ The phrase “a minority within a minority” often refers to SGL people of color.
“Having a non-traditional sexual orientation can be hidden (by most of us) when we choose, if we are forced to do so, but the color of skin is not concealable and is a more constant variable in life.” ~ LaHeem Jordan, Univ. of Penn.
Ñ In addition to the dual aspects of ethnicity and sexual orientation in SGL individuals,triple identity formations occur simultaneously for lesbians, female bisexuals, or female-identified transgendered persons of color. These people are frequently forced to deal with sexism, racism, and homophobia at the same time. Similarly, other self-characteristics such as immigration status, nationality, SES, etc. can add a fourth element to identity, and a fourth source of societal pressure.
Sources: BiLaGA website. Worchester Polytechnic Institute; LGBT Equity website, Univ. of Maryland; Chante’ DeLoach, personal correspondence.