Colonial mentality describes how oppressed groups internalize the colonial narratives that have dehumanized them and made them subject to extreme physical, economic, and psychological violence rooted in racism and White supremacy. Beyond lacerating individuals’ identities, colonial mentality could also function as a mechanism to create intragroup conflicts. This exploratory study investigated how colonial mentality manifests through fragmentation and horizontal oppression among 13 Puerto Rican adults living in the United States. To do this, I examined the differences between their perception of the self and their perceptions of other Puerto Ricans. A thematic analysis yielded three themes: (a) fragmentation, (b) horizontal oppression, and (c) cognitive dissonance. Each theme had several subthemes portraying participants’ perceived differences in what makes an exemplary Puerto Rican juxtaposed with undesirable portrayals of being Puerto Rican. Results also portrayed how colonial mentality’s insidiousness is associated with ruptures, antagonization, and reproduction of oppression at the intragroup level. Within the last theme, however, participants’ language and narratives conveyed resistance to colonial mentality and an oasis for hope when battling coloniality at the interpersonal and relational levels. Findings from this study help expand the understanding of how colonial trauma also has significant effects on Puerto Ricans’ intragroup dynamics.

Despite the growing nonbinary population and their unique experiences, nonbinary people of color specific research remains scarce as most studies were done with predominantly white samples and failed to disaggregate transgender men and transgender women from nonbinary people. While parental acceptance and support (PAS) serve as protective factors for distal and proximal stressors-induced negative mental health outcomes among TNB youth, more research is needed to examine whether PAS play a role in nonbinary young adults of color’s mental health. Additionally, PAS may lead nonbinary young adults to internalize negative messages toward their gender identity, impacting mental health. This study aimed to examine whether PAS received by nonbinary young adults of color vary by race, whether PAS are associated with depression and suicidality, and whether these associations are mediated by internalized nonbinary negativity (INN) among nonbinary adults of color. Cross-sectional data from 174 nonbinary young adults of color were analyzed. Only parental support (PS) but not parental acceptance (PA) differed across racial groups. PAS were found to be negatively associated with depression and suicidality, but INN did not mediate the association between PS and negative mental health outcomes. Findings of this study reiterate the mental health disparities seen within the nonbinary community and serve as a call for attention to the effects of PAS in the lives of nonbinary young adults of color. Future research should inquire about the cultural values that influence PAS, ways to cultivate PAS among parents using existing cultural strengths, and the benefits of helping nonbinary young adults of color to maintain integral social support from parents.

Black individuals and transgender and nonbinary (TNB) populations encounter daily microaggressions that negatively impact their mental health. Identity pride has been shown to moderate this association for Black and TNB populations separately. Unfortunately, research has not examined the impacts of simultaneously experiencing race-based and gender-based microaggressions in populations such as Black nonbinary individuals. Given this, there remains a significant gap in understanding the mental health impacts of racial and gender microaggressions and potential buffers for Black nonbinary individuals. The current study (N = 65) aimed to evaluate the association between intersectional microaggressions (IM) and depression and anxiety in Black nonbinary adults and the potential moderating effects of Black pride and nonbinary pride. A sample of Black nonbinary individuals was obtained from a larger longitudinal study with nonbinary adults. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were run to examine the association between intersectional microaggressions and mental health outcomes and the interactions of Black pride and nonbinary pride. Results showed that intersectional microaggressions did not significantly predict depression or anxiety. Neither Black nor nonbinary pride were significant moderators of the association between IM and depression. For anxiety, results showed that Black pride was a significant moderator, such that those with higher levels of Black pride showed a stronger association between IM and anxiety. Further research is needed to investigate the impact of Black pride on anxiety and identify additional protective factors outside of pride for Black nonbinary individuals.

Transgender and nonbinary (TNB) people experience elevated rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to transphobic violence, discrimination, microaggressions, and minority stress. Oppression against TNB people could also contribute to complex post-traumatic stress disorder (c-PTSD) symptoms, which arises due to exposure to prolonged and repeated trauma from a state of subordination. Nonbinary people in particular experience unique chronic minority stressors (e.g., misgendering, interpersonal invalidation) because of the assumption that gender is inherently binary. These chronic minority stressors threaten nonbinary people’s psychological and interpersonal senses of safety. This study aims to examine how misgendering and invalidation can predict PTSD and c-PTSD symptoms among nonbinary people and whether this association is moderated by pride and community connectedness. Cross-sectional data from 611 nonbinary people were analyzed using hierarchical linear regressions. Misgendering and invalidation were found to be significant predictors of PTSD and c-PTSD symptoms. However, pride and community connectedness were not significant moderators of these associations. Findings from this study contribute to the conceptualizations of traumatic stress among nonbinary people and provide considerations for more affirming trauma-informed care. Future research should explore how additional resilience factors may promote resilience and healing for nonbinary people coping with trauma.