TY - JOUR
T1 - #ProjectPresence
T2 - Highlighting black LGBTQ persons and communities to reduce stigma: A program evaluation
AU - Fields, Errol L.
AU - Long, Amanda
AU - Silvestri, Francesca
AU - Bademosi, Kehinde
AU - Benton-Denny, John
AU - Granderson, Ricky
AU - Schumacher, Christina
AU - Chandran, Aruna
AU - Greenbaum, Adena
AU - Jennings, Jacky
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021
PY - 2022/2
Y1 - 2022/2
N2 - Etiologies of HIV disparities are multifaceted; anti-LGBTQ stigma and social marginalization are contributory factors. A city health department developed a program, #ProjectPresence, exhibiting professional photos of Black LGBTQ persons in public spaces. An academic partner explored the relationship of the program to visibility, anti-LGBTQ stigma and social marginalization of Black LGBTQ persons, i.e. models, directly involved in the program and their perceptions of these relationships more broadly for community members. Brief self-administered surveys and semi-structured, in-depth interviews with #ProjectPresence models (n = 15) were conducted after the program to gather their experiences before, during and after the program. Descriptive analyses of survey responses were conducted using Stata 15.1. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and analyzed in NVivo10 using categorical analysis. Surveys indicated prevalent experiences of enacted stigma (73 %) and perceptions of poor local acceptance of LGBTQ people (53 %). Interviews suggested that the program may have influenced positive individual- and community-level changes by increasing visibility of LGBTQ communities and improving acceptance among non-LGBTQ persons, inspiring personal growth and self-acceptance among models, and providing opportunities to foster new connections among LGBTQ subpopulations. Our findings suggest similar programs may present promising approaches for the reduction of stigma and social marginalization affecting LGBTQ persons and communities.
AB - Etiologies of HIV disparities are multifaceted; anti-LGBTQ stigma and social marginalization are contributory factors. A city health department developed a program, #ProjectPresence, exhibiting professional photos of Black LGBTQ persons in public spaces. An academic partner explored the relationship of the program to visibility, anti-LGBTQ stigma and social marginalization of Black LGBTQ persons, i.e. models, directly involved in the program and their perceptions of these relationships more broadly for community members. Brief self-administered surveys and semi-structured, in-depth interviews with #ProjectPresence models (n = 15) were conducted after the program to gather their experiences before, during and after the program. Descriptive analyses of survey responses were conducted using Stata 15.1. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and analyzed in NVivo10 using categorical analysis. Surveys indicated prevalent experiences of enacted stigma (73 %) and perceptions of poor local acceptance of LGBTQ people (53 %). Interviews suggested that the program may have influenced positive individual- and community-level changes by increasing visibility of LGBTQ communities and improving acceptance among non-LGBTQ persons, inspiring personal growth and self-acceptance among models, and providing opportunities to foster new connections among LGBTQ subpopulations. Our findings suggest similar programs may present promising approaches for the reduction of stigma and social marginalization affecting LGBTQ persons and communities.
KW - Black/African American
KW - Community-based research
KW - HIV
KW - Health disparities
KW - Homosexuality
KW - LGBTQ
KW - Qualitative research
KW - Stigma
KW - Transgender
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85110284723&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85110284723&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2021.101978
DO - 10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2021.101978
M3 - Article
C2 - 34275640
AN - SCOPUS:85110284723
SN - 0149-7189
VL - 90
JO - Evaluation and Program Planning
JF - Evaluation and Program Planning
M1 - 101978
ER -