African Americans have had a long history of oppression. They were forced to be slaved and kept under the white man’s control. They were segregated so that Blacks and Whites do not mix. Today, police brutality on the African American community led to the “Black Lives Matter” movement. The LGBTQ community has also been oppressed. They were described as ‘sinners’ by dominant groups. They were stereotyped to more likely molest and rape heterosexuals. There was also a devastating shooting in an Orlando LGBT night club, killing 49 individuals and injuring countless. Homosexual African Americans are denied access to resources due to their sexual orientation. Resources such as housing, employment, fostering, and other services. They also experience …show more content…
They can be punished for having same-sex intimate interest and interaction. This hostile environment can lead to suicidal or homicidal behaviors. It can increase homelessness, unemployment, and runaway rates. Most importantly, these issues have serious affects on mental health. African American LGBT are more likely to be exposed to HIV/AIDS. “HIV Infection rates are high among black men who have sex with men (Rountree & Peebles, 2014, para. 19).” Also, discrimination against the LGBTQ community can discourage and scare individuals from seeking testing, prevention, and treatment services, relating to HIV. Nurses may not feel comfortable attending and servicing LGBT individuals. There are also health insurance issues that raise a concern. One in every African American do not have access to health services nor insurance to get medical attention. African Americans are also less likely to trust medical treatments. Furthermore, the individuals who cannot afford insurance are more valuable to illnesses, including sexual health issues. LGBTQ African Americans also experience mental health …show more content…
I am culturally competent of African American communities. Since I work at a shelter, I interact with all cultures and races. However, I noticed that African American women seem to avoid speaking to me. I am the only Hispanic worker; majority of my coworkers are African American. I have had some African American clients talk down to me, get in my face, call me all types of names, and have attitudes with me. I try to have constant meetings with my supervisor regarding these issues and trying to see if I’m doing anything wrong. My supervisor didn’t have any negative feedback and stated that some clients have their preference, but I cannot do anything about it. I can say that I understand because I see that with Hispanic clients who come into the shelter. Finally, I have worked with a couple of lesbian African American women and they did not strike me as difficult. They were kind and pleasant. I don’t have any personal bias towards LGBT African American communities. Some challenges that I might face is the “Coming Out” milestone. There might be certain resources and services I can provide to LGBT African Americans and they decline because they feel uncomfortable to share they are LGBTQ. Also, there is so much sensitivity in this milestone that is crucial to clients. The fear of hatred and judgement from their close family and friends. What might happen if their family and friends