"It's Like Having a Superpower": Reclaiming Creativity and the Intersectional Experiences of Trans Young Adults of Color.

Trans young adults of color experience systemic harm that contributes to negative health outcomes and hinders their ability to live freely. The present study used a grounded theory qualitative methodology rooted in a critical–ideological paradigm to understand the intersections of racial and gender oppression. Trans young adults of color from across the United States (N = 15; ages 20–29; majority racial identities: Asian, Black, and multiracial; majority gender identities: nonbinary and transmasculine) participated in a semistructured interview. Analyses identified a six-category empirical framework explaining major dimensions and processes of intersectional experiences of trans people of color. The core category, Reclaiming Creativity, reflected how trans communities of color use creativity to build their identities and communities beyond intersectional oppressive societal norms and imagine a better, more liberated world. The remaining five categories were Creating and Recreating Identity, Experiencing Discrimination and Its Impacts on Wellness, Surviving Oppression and Compromising Authentic Self, Embracing Identity Strengths, and Finding Liberation. They provided insights into the role of creativity within the intersectional experiences of trans young adults of color. In doing so, they provided directions to address structural injustice, pursue liberation, and allow creativity to flourish. Public Significance Statement: Interviews with a diverse sample of young adults found that trans people of color have complex experiences navigating the overlap of social stigma and harm from transphobia and racism. Participants used creativity to construct their identities, survive oppression, and create strength and joy. Particularly in the context of antitrans legislative attacks across the United States, these experiences should be recognized and honored by efforts to address structural injustice and inequity, promote rights and dignity, and create environments where the creativity of trans people of color can thrive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]