Celebrating Pride: Understanding Disparities in Intersectional Population Health

To celebrate Pride Month in June, a Utah State Today series is highlighting university employees and students who are conducting research, academic pursuits and other projects related to or that benefit the LGBTQIA+ community.

Guadalupe Marquez-Velarde

• Assistant Professor of Sociology

Area of focus:

• Intersectional population health

Why is this work important?

“Generation Z, those born after 2002, are identifying are nonbinary or transgender at a much higher rate than previous generations. We are seeing these populations grow. … Understanding these dynamics and how support and discrimination affect them, in terms of their health, is going to be vital in the years and decades to come.”

Summary of research:

Marquez-Velarde researches issues in intersectional population health. In other words: how the relationships between individuals of different backgrounds and identities can affect health.

Marquez-Velarde is dedicated to understanding how the combination of multiple racial and sexual identities can impact mental health.

She has released one research paper that analyzes mental health in United States transgender workers. She currently has another research paper under review that considers racial and sexual discrimination as well as social support as factors in mental health.

Marquez-Velarde was recently named a Career Enhancement Fellow by the Institute for Citizens and Scholars. This award is highly sought after and will provide her with funding to research full time for one year. She looks forward to continuing her research in these subjects.

Learn more about Marquez-Velarde’s research on transgender workers and mental health:

• Cis-normativity at work: Exploring discrimination against US trans workers
• Read more about Marquez-Velarde on Liberalis:
  • Considering Health Disparities Amongst LGBTQ+ Individuals