Promoting Wellness at the Intersections of Gender, Race and Ethnicity, and Sexual–Affectional Orientation Identities

Abstract

Gender identity intersects with racial and ethnic identities, sexual–affectional identities, and other salient aspects of personal identity to create distinct experiences of health and well-being. Gender identity minorities experience minority stress across the life span that results in persistent health and wellness disparities exacerbated by hostile social and political environments. Strategies for achieving wellness are impacted by intersecting minority stress factors, often resulting in diminished likelihood of multiple-minority populations receiving wellness-based health promotion and intervention. This article presents an overview of wellness informed by intersectional gender, racial and ethnic, and sexual–affectional identity considerations based on critical synthesis of the literature. A case scenario is presented to demonstrate how to conduct wellness-oriented assessment and treatment through an intersectional gender identity lens.