As activist June Jordan reminds us, “We’re the ones we’ve been waiting for.”
The Washington LGBTQ+ Survey, led by Washington State University’s Murrow College of Communication and sponsored by the Washington State LGBTQ Commission, stands as a landmark initiative in understanding and supporting our state’s diverse Two-spirit — an umbrella term for third genders in Native America — and LGBTQIA+ communities.
It is a first-of-its-kind statewide survey aimed at raising the voices of queer adolescents and adults living in Washington to state policymakers. While the survey has successfully gathered insights from more than 5,400 Two-spirit and LGBTQIA+ community members across every Washington county, a crucial demographic gap has emerged that demands our immediate attention and action before the survey closes on January 31, 2025.
Communities of color know all too well that without information about us we can’t make the case for the social and political changes needed. Two-spirit and LGBTQIA+ communities of color face additional barriers and exclusions that the Washington LGBTQ+ Survey aims to provide context for.
The survey has achieved proportional representation of Black, Indigenous, and multiracial communities relative to Washington state demographics. However, Latine/x and Asian communities are underrepresented compared to U.S. Census data from Washington state (though the representation is comparable to prior surveys of LGBTQ+ Washingtonians), highlighting a critical need for increased participation from these groups.
BIPOC leaders understand, that there should be nothing about us without us.
The imperative for increased representation of Latine/x and Asian communities in this survey extends far beyond mere statistical validity. Research has consistently demonstrated the compound effects of intersectional marginalization on Two-spirit and LGBTQIA+ individuals of color. Racial and ethnic biases have created persistent discriminatory practices that disproportionately affect communities of color, particularly those who also identify as Two-spirit and LGBTQIA+.
These intersecting identities often result in the following: Heightened exposure to violence and victimization, increased risk of mass incarceration, elevated rates of trauma, disparate health outcomes, greater experiences of isolation in the aging population, and greater social and economic disadvantages.
The urgency of inclusive representation becomes particularly acute when examining the experiences of transgender individuals of color. Recent research by the National Center for Transgender Equality reveals that more than 90% of transgender and gender non-conforming individuals who faced fatal violence in 2023 in the U.S. were people of color, underscoring the devastating impact of intersectional marginalization.
Increasing participation from Latine/x and Asian LGBTQIA+ communities is essential for several reasons because of research justice and methodological integrity, it centers the knowledge and expertise of people of color, it challenges dominant cultural narratives, it promotes strength-based understanding of community, it advances principles of data equity and justice. Increased participation also influences policy impact and service implementation, ensures policy recommendations reflect diverse community needs, enables more effective resource allocation, strengthens connections between state government and marginalized communities, and facilitates the development of culturally responsive services.
This groundbreaking research initiative represents a crucial step in addressing the gaps in national census data regarding LGBTQIA+ communities. Let’s share our realities to get real solutions. The Washington LGBTQ+ Survey can ignite the solutions we crave, directly informing state policy and service improvements. Take the survey to help make a Washington for all of us. It is available in English, Spanish, and Mandarin. We welcome participation from Two-spirit and LGBTQIA+ people ages 11 and older living in Washington state.
Learn more at https://www.walgbtqsurvey.com.
References
Andrasik, M. P., et al. (2023). “Intersectionality and Health Disparities in BIPOC LGBTQIA+ Communities.” Journal of Infectious Disease Clinics of North America, 37(1), 45-62.
García-Ramírez, M., et al. (2024). “Community-Based Participatory Research with LGBTQIA+ Communities of Color.” American Journal of Community Psychology, 73(1-2), 156-171.
National Center for Transgender Equality. (2023). “Violence Against Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming People: 2023 Report.”
Washington State LGBTQ Commission. (2024). “LGBTQ+ Community Needs Assessment Framework.”
