First Comes Marriage, Then Comes the Election: Macro-level Event Impacts on African American, Latina/x, and White Sexual Minority Women

Riggle, E. D. B., Drabble, L. A., Matthews, A. K., Veldhuis, C. B., Nisi, R. A., & Hughes, T. L. (2021). First Comes Marriage, Then Comes the Election: Macro-level Event Impacts on African American, Latina/x, and White Sexual Minority Women. Sexuality Research and Social Policy, 18(1), 112–126. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1007/s13178-020-00435-z

Introduction: Sexual minority women (SMW) may have different experiences of macro-level events, such as changes in marriage laws or election outcomes, related to their multiple identities. African American, Latina/x, and White identities intersect with gender/sex and sexual identity to influence experiences at the intrapersonal, interpersonal, social, and political levels of the socio-ecological environment. Methods: Participants include 100 African American, 35 Latina/x, and 164 White SMW (N=299) in wave 4 (2017–2019) of a longitudinal study of SMW’s health conducted in the USA (Chicago Health and Life Experiences of Women Study). Responses to nine open-ended survey questions about marriage equality and the 2016 Presidential election were examined. Results: Thematic analysis noted similarities across groups and focused on group differences in four areas: (1) personal well-being (including fear and anxiety about discrimination; risk associated with masculine presentation; and religion as stress and support); (2) interpersonal relationships (including relationships with partners, family, and in a community); (3) societal discrimination and prejudice (including harassment in public spaces and concerns about travel); and (4) civil rights, government harassment, and police-state violence. Conclusions: Emerging differences emphasized the impact of race/ethnicity and the intersection of race/ethnicity and gender on experiences of marriage equality and the 2016 election. Policy Implications: Findings suggest that a more nuanced understanding of the experiences of individuals with different racial/ racialized identities and the intersection of race/ethnicity with sexual identities is essential to creating culturally competent and effective supports for SMW.