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Meaningfully engaging with LGBTQIA+ persons is a continuous and necessary process to disrupt systems of oppression
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. – The LGBTQIA+ community is a strong, resilient and diverse population with unique concerns and experiences, that is often excluded from and stigmatized in research. A new article, “To whom it may affirm: Considerations for advancing LGBTQIA+ equity in research,” examines some actionable priorities for meaningfully engaging LGBTQIA+ populations in research to shift research narratives and inform evidence-based policies.
“By using these strategies, researchers can help dismantle systems of oppression that drive outcomes and opportunities for LGBTQIA+ persons and communities,” said Vincenzo Malo, co-author and public health analyst at RTI. “This article presents several considerations for researchers to engage in equity-centered research that meaningfully characterizes, protects and celebrates the joy of LGBTQIA+ communities.”
The article highlights eight actionable steps including meaningful LGBTQIA+ data, safety, granularity, evolving identities, construct relevance, community-based research, intersectionality and equity-centered research.
Malo co-authored the article, published by RTI Press, a global publisher of peer-reviewed, open-access publications, with Sunnie Hodge, public health analyst at RTI and Marcel Foster, a research public health analyst at RTI. They are all members of a working group within the RTI Global Gender Center that aims to advance LGBTQIA+ equity in research. For this manuscript, the authors reviewed journal articles and grey literature from LGBTQIA+ advocacy organizations to identify equity-centered approaches to LGBTQIA+ research. The eight considerations were selected based on consensus of the authors using their expertise.
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Learn more about the RTI Global Gender Center
