Queering sex and romance: Considerations of gender diversity, sex, and relationships

People of color, women, and trans and gender diverse (TGD) people have often been overlooked in the literature on queer relationships. Eurocentric and heteronormative biases of sexuality have rendered various forms of intimacy among marginalized communities invisible. Research on TGD people of color is generally lacking, and like the bulk of research on men who have sex with men, often focuses on pathology. This chapter will begin with an overview of research on LGBTQ+ people of color's sexual romantic relationships, and then shift to focus on TGD individual's sexual and romantic relationships as a way of exploring issues in relationships for populations that have been underrepresented in the literature on queer relationships. We consider challenges faced by those who have been historically marginalized even within LGBTQ+ communities in navigating sexual and romantic relationships, and we also highlight the creative ways individuals negotiate their identities and cultivate sources of strength within the contexts of these relationships.