“The now is a whole make-up of the past”: intersectionality and Black sexual minority men within social work contexts

Lance Keene

Chapter 13 in Handbook on Intersectionality and Social Work, 2026, pp 169-186 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: LGBTQIA+ organizations deliver a range of services for sexual and gender minority youth and young adults. This chapter presents findings from a qualitative study conducted with Black sexual minority men residing in Chicago, examining factors influencing their engagement with affirming LGBTQIA+ organizations. The study utilized thematic analysis of interviews with 30 Black sexual minority men, aged 18–25, who participated in such organizations in Chicago. Four primary themes emerged: (1) persistent homelessness and housing instability, (2) support for sexual violence-related trauma, (3) limited benefit of survival sex work for life prospects, and (4) support for mental health and trauma. Participants reported ongoing housing instability and homelessness, experiences of sexual violence and trauma, engagement in survival sex work, and the pursuit of support for mental health and trauma-related concerns as key motivators for involvement in affirming LGBTQIA+ organizations. The results underscore the importance of providing interventions that are both culturally sensitive and trauma-informed for Black SMM facing early life stressors as they seek services within these organizations.

Keywords: Black Sexual Minority Men; LGBTQIA+ Social Work; Intersectionality; Trauma-Informed Interventions; Culturally Responsive Practice (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035324453
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.elgaronline.com/doi/10.4337/9781035324460.00022 (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:elg:eechap:22930_14

Ordering information: This item can be ordered from
http://www.e-elgar.com

Access Statistics for this chapter

More chapters in Chapters from Edward Elgar Publishing
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Jack Sweeney ().