Collective Trauma in Queer Communities

Building on previous scholarship theorizing collective trauma in communities of color, we assess experiences of collective trauma in queer communities, drawing on qualitative interviews with 80 queer people in Portland, Oregon. Most common in participant narratives were discussions of external trauma inflicted upon the queer community, such as trauma from political battles over queer rights, hate crimes, and cissexism. Yet, participants also mentioned trauma that originated from within the community, such as racism in the queer community, as having a significant impact on their lived experiences. Collective trauma in queer communities differs from trauma in communities of color in a variety of ways; most notable is the lack of intergenerational transmission of community history in queer communities.