Their Own Received Them Not: Black LGBT Feelings of Connectedness

Over the past decade, social progress among LGBT Americans has been impressive. However, are all subgroups experiencing that process equally? More specifically, for example, how connected to the larger/majority (White) LGBT community do Black LGBTs feel? Using a national sample of LGBT Black people (N=1,350), this article examines the relative importance of a variety of characteristics in understanding connectedness to the larger LGBT community. Hierarchical regression modeling reveals that racial salience and comfort in LGBT community, LGBT activism, gender, age, and sexual orientation identity all have a significant impact. The implications of these findings are discussed regarding future research with Black LGBT populations.