Visualizing identity and healing among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+)+ Latine people: A photovoice study of resistance in Central Texas.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer (LGBTQ+) Latine individuals in Central Texas experience interdependent systems of oppression due to colonization and the recent rise of hostile social policies and attitudes. Despite these challenges, they continue to survive and thrive, though little is known about the population's resistance strategies. Our photovoice study employs a borderlands framework to explore resistance through visual and narrative data from 15 LGBTQ+ Latine adults living in Central Texas. Study procedures were developed in collaboration with a community advisory board of LGBTQ+ and Latine community members. Data were analyzed using reflective thematic analysis. Findings reveal how historical and contemporary forces in Central Texas produce cultural tensions that participants resist through development of a mestiza consciousness, including fostering critical consciousness (the ability to recognize, analyze, and take action against oppression), synthesizing identities, and navigating ambiguities. Positive emotions emerged as essential to resistance and healing, serving as both driver and outcome in a reinforcing cycle. Clinicians, allies, and advocates can support LGBTQ+ Latine individuals by promoting critical consciousness, nurturing compassionate connections in family and community, and advancing social inclusion through state legislation. Future research should extend these findings to other LGBTQ+ Latine communities across Texas and the United States, as the population size and visibility continue to grow. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).