Williams Institute’s study highlights discrimination, financial challenges, and academic vulnerabilities of LGBTQ+ students with intersecting identities.
By Staff Writer
The Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law and the Point Foundation released a report that sheds light on the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ students of color in higher education. The report compiled data from a nationally representative sample of 1,079 adults aged 18 to 40 and found that LGBTQ+ students of color experience higher rates of harassment and discrimination compared to white LGBTQ+ students. The report also reveals that LGBTQ+ students of color face financial barriers and lack of familial support.
The report highlights the need for greater funding and awareness to support students who face academic vulnerabilities. Margaux Cowden, the Chief Program Officer of the Point Foundation, emphasized the need to recognize the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ students and increase awareness of LGBTQ+ issues among faculty, students, and administrators. The report is significant because it provides insights into the unique barriers that LGBTQ+ students of color face.
Kerith Conron, the Williams Institute research director, noted that significant change can only be achieved through collective efforts to advance awareness of LGBTQ+ issues and funding. While UCLA has designated LGBTQ+ resources in place, much more effort needs to be introduced to enact genuine progress. Reports like the Williams Institute’s are crucial because they shed light on the complex experiences that come with intersecting identities and can help facilitate the development of effective solutions.
