Using youth participatory action research to explore the impacts of structural violence on LGBTQIA + youth health

Queerphobia is defined as society's negative attitude towards LGBTQIA + people, translating into structures that marginalise LGBTQIA + people and contribute to health inequities that cause real harm and can be understood as structural violence. The purpose of this article is to explore what historically marginalised youth in a youth participatory action research (YPAR) project characterise as the big picture issues affecting the lives of LGBTQIA + youth. We used participatory arts-based methods to conduct community and identity building, define research questions and photo prompts, conduct data collection, engage in group thematic analysis, and make recommendations at the state policy level. We also conducted individual semi-structured interviews with participants. Our findings can be grouped into three main themes: LGBTQIA + youth may feel it is safer to remain closeted; queerphobia perpetuates housing instability; and queerphobia functions as a structural barrier to social services. Youth also developed state level policy recommendations to address the structural issues causing harm to LGBTQIA + youth health. Recommendations included increasing access to affordable housing and LGBTQIA + inclusive foster and group homes, and advocating for government-funded LGBTQIA + specific healthcare practices for LGBTQIA + youth. More youth-driven data are needed that centre those directly impacted by structural violence and associated health outcomes.