Microaggressions

Microaggressions are everyday comments, questions, or behaviors, often subtle and unintentional, that send negative or demeaning messages to people in marginalized groups, including LGBTQ+ people, people of color, disabled people, and others. Examples include asking a transgender person their 'real' name, assuming someone is straight, or telling a gay couple not to 'flaunt' their relationship in public. Any single instance may seem small, but their cumulative, day-to-day nature is linked to real harm, including stress, lower self-esteem, and worse mental and physical health. The concept traces to psychiatrist Chester Pierce in the 1970s and was expanded by psychologist Derald Wing Sue, whose work catalogued microaggressions across race, gender, sexuality, and disability.