Explore the intersections of your own LGBTQ+ identity.
Your identity is made up of many parts, which when brought together make you uniquely you. Explore the ways your intersectional identity impacts your experience as an LGBTQ+ person.
ACTIVITYReflect on your current identity.
Researchers and activists alike agree on this: identity matters. Reflecting on your identity can be challenging and emotional, as well as fun and euphoric. This journey is worth it if it brings you a clear snapshot of who you are (at least in this moment).
LEARNHear LGBTQ+ teens share their intersectional identities.
The term identity refers to the way you think about yourself, the way you are viewed by the world, and the characteristics that define you.
We all have many aspects of our identity that we have different understandings of at different times in our lives. Just a few examples of different identities we explore throughout our lives: gender identity, sexual identity, cultural identity, racial identity, socio economic identity, geographic identity, age, lifestyle, ability (physical or mental), professional identity, you name it!
A person’s identity is not always fixed. This means that it can change throughout our lives or from one situation to the next—for example, you can be someone’s sibling when you are at home, a student when you’re at school, or someone’s significant other when you’re spending time with the person you have romantic feelings for.
ACTIVITYExploring the various intersections of your identity.
The way that the multiple parts of ourselves make up who we are and influence our experiences is often called intersectionality, coined by the Black feminist legal scholar, Kimberle Crenshaw. These identities co-exist—we cannot have one without the other. In this activity, externalize the various elements of your identity, and read from others as a way to shape your own.
Here are some examples from other LGBTQ+ teens:
“I’m south-asian, bisexual, femme who is learning how to be a coder.”
“I’m a white transmasculine person from a rural background.”
“I’m a disabled, cis white man from a New York City”
“I’m a Latinx, undocumented, queer person of color”
“I’m a lesbian, Korean-american, senior who is retired from public school teaching”
ACTIVITYMapping the communities you’re apart of.
Create a map of the communities that have supported your identities, putting yourself at the center. Use shapes or letters or images to note these different communities. Don’t worry if you don’t feel like a big part of this community, just add as many as you can think of! Add the ways in which these communities have helped you grow into yourself. Mapping our communities’ strength is one way we can recognize the resilience that exists within us and those who support us.
Here are some maps made by queer teens:
Maya (she/her)
I find community in a lot of the art spaces I’m a part of at school and online. My mom, grandma, and friends also play a big part in making me feel seen when I’m struggling with my queer identity.
Alex (they/them)
A lot of the support I’ve gotten since I came out has been from my family in Hawaii. Since we moved to California, I try to FaceTime them as much as possible to talk through how I’m doing. I’m also obsessed with the lovely people I’ve met online who are queer and Asian! It helps me see that the world is so much bigger than my school and neighborhood.