the intersection of class and the lgbtqia+ experience
It’s time to talk about something that hits close to home for too many of us – the intersection of class oppression and the oppression of LGBTQIAP2S+ folks. 🏳️🌈 Being queer or trans in Appalachia isn’t just about dealing with discrimination for who you love or how you identify; it’s also about facing some serious economic challenges and how these experiences work together to make it extra hard to survive and thrive. It’s no accident that these various shapes of oppression work so well together… take it from us: these issues are totally inseparable. 🏠💔
Living Paycheck to Paycheck
All across Appalachia folks are all too familiar with the struggle of finding and keeping a job. Add being LGBTQIA+ to the mix, and it gets even harder. Ever been judged at an interview for how you look or the pronouns you use? Yeah, us too. 😒 Many of us face discrimination in hiring, get paid less, and have to deal with hostile work environments. According to the Williams Institute, LGBTQ+ people are more likely to live in poverty compared to their non-LGBTQ+ counterparts.1 For trans folks, and for our neighbors that are Black, Indigenous, or other marginalized races, it’s even worse. Struggling to find stable work means living paycheck to paycheck, and often not knowing where your next meal is coming from.
No Place to Call Home
Too many LGBTQ+ folks, especially youth, end up homeless. If you haven’t been through this yourself, just imagine being kicked out of your home just for being yourself. It’s happening all the time — in 2023, we joined other neighbors in raising funds for youth who have been turned away by their families right here in Haywood County. In fact, that experience is what catalyzed our decision to launch a mutual aid fund to address similar situations that come up. It’s not just here: in general, LGBTQ+ youth are 120% more likely to experience homelessness than youth who do not identify as Queer or Gender Queer. 🌧️ Without a roof over your head, you’re exposed to all sorts of dangers, from violence to exploitation. It’s a vicious cycle that feeds itself.
Healthcare hurdles
Let’s not even get started on healthcare. It’s already expensive, but if you’re anything other than cis, heterosexual, and white, then finding a doctor who respects you can feel impossible. Many of us can’t afford the treatments we need, even if we have insurance coverage, and this is especially true for trans folks who need access to the gender-affirming care that’s been under constant attack by our elected leaders.2 This essential care is referred to as “elective,” but we know that it literally saves lives.💊❌ Yet another reason that we decided now was the time for HayCo Pride to step up and get to work creating a reality where we can all access the care we need to thrive. If you, or someone you know, is looking for gender affirming healthcare services (or any kind of services), you can check out our Safe Spaces Directory for Haywood County and beyond.
Breaking the Cycle
So, what can we do? First, we need to honor and amplify the stories of resilience and strength embodied by the ancestors of the LGBTQIA+ movement and those who came before us, including those who still walk among us, and those who have passed on from this realm. The cycle is allowed to perpetuate itself in part because it silences and erases the lived experiences and struggles of our communities. HayCo Pride is excited to do our part to break the cycle through the LGBTQ+ History Archive Project that we’ll be launching in October.
Second, we need to cultivate connection and actively co-create a new culture, a new way of living instead of waiting for the people in power to give us what we deserve. In order to thrive, we need access to health care, to legal support, to nutrition, housing, and most importantly: a safety net. All these things exist within our community, and HayCo Pride is weaving the web that brings these things together to create the Haywood County we want to live in. The Free Market at the Queer Culture Festival in October will offer a taste of this — providing essentials at no cost — from consultations and notaries for name changes, to free produce and health check-ups, and even free gender-affirming haircuts and other personal care services. 🩺✂️
Let’s Stand Together
Classism, homophobia, transphobia — they are all leaves on the same invasive plant (a plant we call “Supremacy Culture”). When you go after one, it doesn’t stop another from growing back — the roots of the plant are left in place, to grow and take over the whole garden. When we stand together, share our stories, and see our liberation as inherently intertwined, we can create a new culture and a new reality.
Join the fun at HayCo Pride. Together, we can shape a community where everyone has a chance to thrive. 🌈🤝
1. National-LGBT-Poverty-Oct-2019.pdf (ucla.edu)
2. The Latest Must-Pass Bill Barreling Through Congress is an Attack on Gender-Affirming Care | ACLU