#ProjectPresence: Highlighting black LGBTQ persons and communities to reduce stigma: A program evaluation

Errol L Fields; Amanda Long; Francesca Silvestri; Kehinde Bademosi; John Benton-Denny; Ricky Granderson; Christina Schumacher; Aruna Chandran; Adena Greenbaum; Jacky Jennings

doi:10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2021.101978

#ProjectPresence: Highlighting black LGBTQ persons and communities to reduce stigma: A program evaluation

Eval Program Plann. 2022 Feb:90:101978. doi: 10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2021.101978. Epub 2021 Jul 9.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 200 N. Wolfe Street, Suite 2015, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA; Center for Child and Community Health Research (CCHR), Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, 5200 Eastern Ave, Mason F Lord Building, Center Tower, Suite 2015, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA; Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N Broadway, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA. Electronic address: errol.fields@jhmi.edu.
² Center for Child and Community Health Research (CCHR), Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, 5200 Eastern Ave, Mason F Lord Building, Center Tower, Suite 2015, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA.
³ Department of Mental Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N Broadway, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
⁴ Bureau of HIV/STD Services, Baltimore City Health Department Baltimore City Health Department, 1001 East Fayette Street, Baltimore, MD, 21202, USA.
⁵ Indiana University Bloomington School of Education Ph.D. Student, Counseling Psychology, 201 N. Rose Ave., Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA.
⁶ Department of Epidemiology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Suite W6501, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
⁷ Center for Child and Community Health Research (CCHR), Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, 5200 Eastern Ave, Mason F Lord Building, Center Tower, Suite 2015, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Suite W6501, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.

PMID: 34275640
DOI: 10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2021.101978

Abstract

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.

Keywords: Black/African American; Community-based research; HIV; Health disparities; Homosexuality; LGBTQ; Qualitative research; Stigma; Transgender.

Publication types

Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Humans
Program Evaluation
Qualitative Research
Sexual and Gender Minorities*
Social Stigma

Grants and funding

U01 PS005115/PS/NCHHSTP CDC HHS/United States