Asian-Canadian gay youth face double discrimination

By Tara Carman
Source: Vancouver Sun

Gay, lesbian and bisexual Asian-Canadian teenagers in B.C. face a "double whammy" of discrimination that some-times leads to higher rates of substance abuse, says a study released Wednesday. These teenagers face harassment not only because of their sexual orientation, but also because of their race, said Elizabeth Saewyc, lead author of the University of B.C. study and professor of nursing and adolescent medicine at the UBC School of Nursing.
"It's already a double-whammy in a way, but it's really kind of startling that they're not just experiencing the same amount of racism, but they actually are more likely to experience it than heterosexual Asian-Canadian youth."

The study by Saewyc and her colleagues is the first in Canada to take an in-depth look at sexual minority Asian-Canadian youth, she said. The researchers used a sample of 5,423 youth aged 12-19 who completed the 2003 B.C. Adolescent Health Survey and indicated that they were of East Asian or southeast Asian descent. The study did not include South Asian youth.

Gay, lesbian and bisexual students who experienced bullying and discrimination were 10 times more likely to report problems associated with drug or alcohol abuse than their heterosexual peers, the research found.

This was especially true of girls who identified them-selves as lesbians or bisexual who had experienced both discrimination and sexual abuse; 90 per cent of those surveyed reported at least one incidence of substance abuse resulting in a problem such as a car accident or conflict with family or friends within the past year.

Higher rates of discrimination were not related to problem substance abuse in gay or bisexual boys, but this finding may have been the result of the small sample size, the report said.
However, another of the study's key findings was the extent to which a higher degree of school and family connectedness cut the risk of problem substance abuse, Saewyc said.

For the highest-risk group - sexual-minority girls who had experienced both stigma and sexual abuse - strong family relationships cut the risk of problem substance abuse by 35 per cent. Being involved in extracurricular activities such as sports or music also cut the risk of substance abuse substantially, Saewyc said.

"It really suggests to me that even when some people are being mean to you, having adults that care about you, having a sense of a place at school, an environment that welcomes you no matter who you are, makes a difference."

Culture also plays a role in the difficulties faced by sexual minority Asian-Canadian youth, said Jason Chan, youth services coordinator and family counsellor at immigrant out-reach agency S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Because discussing sex and sexuality is a taboo in some Asian cultures, it often takes years for these youth to accept that they are gay and during that time they are reluctant to discuss it, Chan said. "In that searching period of time, actually they are already quite [stressed]," he said.

Chan recalled one client who told him he spent years dating women, trying to "correct" him-self. It was only at university, when he was living away from his parents, that he accepted his sexual orientation.

Once people have accepted that they are not straight, the next decision is whether to tell their parents, Chan said, adding that for many parents this is a shock.

Chan said it took another of his clients, a single mother, about two years to be able to relate to her son after he came out of the closet.

"But at the same time, in her heart, she still wants that one day her son ... will change back. I think it's not an easy thing for my clientele."

Asian-Canadian youth struggling with their sexuality may be reluctant to seek counselling at gay and lesbian outreach organizations, Chan said, adding that there are even fewer resources for the parents of such youth.

This is why it is so important for teachers and school districts to create safe, welcoming and culturally appropriate class-room environments for sexual minority youth, Saewyc said.