Race

Race is a way societies sort people into groups based on physical features such as skin color, along with ancestry and shared history. Scientists widely agree it is a social and political construct rather than a biological fact, yet it carries very real consequences for power, safety, and opportunity. Race shapes LGBTQ+ life at every turn, including who feels welcome in queer spaces, who is represented in media, and who can safely access healthcare. Queer and trans people of color have long helped lead movements for liberation while also confronting racism inside LGBTQ+ communities. The framework of intersectionality, coined by legal scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989, explains how race, gender, and sexuality overlap to create distinct experiences of privilege and disadvantage.