Abstract
Research on the LGBTQ+ community shows that discrimination is still highly prevalent, particularly for non-monosexual, transgender and non-binary people of the LGBTQ+ community. The discrimination faced by the LGBTQ+ community from cis-het people is shown to impact the mental health of the LGBTQ+ community. However, little research has been done on intragroup discrimination within the LGBTQ+ community, or the impact of intragroup discrimination on the mental health of LGBTQ+ people. The aim of this study is therefore to explore the types of discrimination LGBTQ+ people experience from within the LGBTQ+ community, and the perceived impact of that discrimination on their mental health and wellbeing. The research questions were: (1) What kinds of intragroup discrimination doLGBTQ+ people experience? (2) How do experiences of intragroup discrimination compare to experience of intergroup discrimination (i.e., from cis-het/non-LGBTQ+ people)? (3) What is the impact of intragroup discrimination within the LGBTQ+ community on people’s mental health and wellbeing? A qualitative focus group study design was used. A diverse group of LGBTQ+ people were recruited to form five focus group to discuss their experiences with discrimination and their mental health. A thematic analysis of the focus group transcripts based on Braun and Clarke (2006)’s six phases of thematic analysis was undertaken. The four main themes resulting from this outlined (1) the types of discrimination that LGBTQ+ people experienced, including identity erasure, experiences of negative attitudes and behaviours, and perpetuation of stigmas LGBTQ+ people themselves experience; (2) The support systems that existed for participants both in a healthcare context and university context; (3) The factors of discrimination that impact LGBTQ+ peoples’ mental health; and (4) Nuanced discussions about the evolution of the queer community, and hope for its future. What this research found was that LGBTQ+ people experience a variety of discrimination both from intergroup and intragroup sources. The intragroup discrimination from other members of the LGBTQ+ community was more impactful than intergroup discrimination from outside the LGBTQ+ community. However, the impact of discrimination on mental health and wellbeing was dependant on who was perpetuating the discrimination, what was said, why it was said, and the resilience of the LGBTQ+ person themselves. Ultimately, the experiences that LGBTQ+ people have with discrimination shape who they are and how they perceive their world. However, it is this very discrimination that opens up conversation within the LGBTQ+ community itself about evolution and acceptance of diversity. In turn, this openness and evolution gives hope to the LGBTQ+ community that current difficulties can be overcome, and movement to wider acceptance of queerness within and outside the LGBTQ+ community is possible