New research establishes the need for Queer World's work with queer minorities

Queer World has been part of the panel in the collaboration between Bufdir and SINTEF its research project on minorities. The project has resulted in the report "Experiences with minority stress"which emphasises the importance of working with minorities.

The research is based on Ilan Meyer's "Minority Stress Model" from 2003, which is one of the best-known methods for conceptualising the unique negative experiences and social stressors faced by stigmatised or minoritised people. The experience of minority stress negatively affects both mental and physical health, and is linked to a number of biological and psychological changes in the individual. The aim of the research has been to look at how minorities such as queer people or people with an immigrant background experience stress, and how the stress affects them. The research has found that minorities experience particular stress by virtue of being a minority, and that this stress is cumulative, resulting in a more difficult everyday life.

For those with two or more minority identities (e.g. lesbian and Muslim) it's particularly challenging, and the cumulative stress of constantly having to find ways to manage minority stress in the face of the Norwegian majority population is an added challenge.

Following on from this, the report argues that there is still some way to go before Norwegian society is a society in which everyone, regardless of their ethnic or religious origin, can live out their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression without experiencing discrimination.

Despite the fact that much of the research on minority stress initially focused on lesbian, gay and bisexual people, the model has proved useful for examining and explaining the stress experienced by other minoritised groups. This includes people who are minoritised due to gender, ethnicity or disability. The Norwegian context shows that there are still challenges for queer minorities, also in Norway. There is therefore still a need for more research on the experience of minority stress in light of the country's demographic changes.

The report presents three studies on minority stress at different regional levels:

1. 1. A review of international research (a so-called meta-review) on minority stress comprising 68 literature reviews that include more than 2,400 original studies. The research documents the negative psychological, biological, relational, occupational, interpersonal and social consequences of minority stress for individuals. The study identifies both common and unique experiences among different minority groups, highlighting how individuals with intersectional identities face additional challenges. The findings show that minority stress can occur in different social contexts and emphasises the need for societal measures, such as anti-discrimination laws, to reduce stress.
2. 2. A review of Scandinavian research on minority stress that examines 14 identified studies from Scandinavia as well as 28 relevant publications found through Norwegian Google Scholar searches. Many minoritised people in these studies report good lives in open societies, but also experience minority stress in the form of stigmatisation, prejudice and invisibility. The study shows how minority stress is experienced in close relationships, in the workplace and in society in general, with negative effects on mental and physical health. The Scandinavian research also emphasises different coping mechanisms and resilience, and points to the importance of supportive networks and environments.
3. 3. An empirical study of the experience of minority stress among sexual minorities, gender minorities, ethnic minorities, indigenous peoples and/or refugees and asylum seekers in Norway, utilising the photo-voice method to explore minority stress among people with minority backgrounds in Norway. Ten participants from different minority groups shared photos, artworks, videos and notes that illustrated their experiences. The study identifies four main themes: characteristics of minority stress, contexts and circumstances in which it is experienced, effects of minority stress, and coping mechanisms used by minority groups. The findings show that minority stress is ubiquitous and has significant negative consequences for both mental and physical health. Participants describe various strategies for dealing with the stress, including seeking support in communities and networks, as well as raising awareness of minority issues.

Not surprisingly, participants report poor mental and physical health, relationship problems and strong feelings of isolation, fear and alienation. Many have a lifelong history of minority stress that colours their current life experiences. The findings emphasise the importance of recognising and understanding these experiences in order to provide better support and services. This includes, among other things, a greater focus on information dissemination and skills development in society, both at individual and group level.

The report emphasises the importance of organisations working to represent the rights of queer people and minorities. For more than 20 years, Queer World has worked to reduce the effects of minority stress through important measures that are professionally supported and practised with a high level of expertise. We facilitate meeting places, provide individual support, and are a strong voice against social stigma and pressure. We work extensively with skills development and dissemination of information through courses, workshops and seminars, in order to learn, create understanding, be visible and engage. We hope that the report leads to increased support and understanding of the situation of queer minorities, and the importance of socially engaged organisations' efforts to highlight challenges and issues, as well as increase understanding and reduce prejudice.

The report shows that we already know that minority stress is something that burdens many minorities, and that measures and services offered by Queer World help to relieve and provide important help and support to vulnerable people.

We support the report's concluding call for more research and advocacy work, and would like to emphasise the need for increased support and assistance to organisations such as Queer World and others that represent minority rights.

In addition, it is clear that improving the skills of frontline services is crucial to creating a society that better understands and addresses the unique challenges faced by minority groups. With more knowledge and understanding, we can better meet the needs of those experiencing minority stress and continue to work towards a more inclusive society and future for all.

We hope as many people as possible will read and familiarise themselves with the report, and don't hesitate to contact us at Queer World if you want someone to talk to or want to support us in our work towards a society where everyone, regardless of their ethnic or religious origin, can live out their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression without experiencing discrimination.

References: Meyer IH. Prejudice, social stress, and mental health in lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations: conceptual issues and research evidence. Psychol Bull. 2003 Sep;129(5):674-697. doi: 10.1037/0033-2909.129.5.674. PMID: 12956539; PMCID: PMC2072932.