“I think I take on the whole system”: Experiences of intersectional proximal minority stressors among queer, transgender, and nonbinary people of color.

OBJECTIVES: Queer, transgender, and nonbinary people of color (QTNB-POC) are situated within intersecting systems of racism, cissexism, and heterosexism. Such intersecting systems of oppression co-create distinct forms of proximal minority stressors (e.g., internalized oppression and other stress-inducing responses to oppression); however, the majority of proximal minority stress research often focuses on single-axis of oppression frameworks (e.g., racism or heterosexism). The present study uses an intersectional framework to identify and explore QTNB-POC's experiences of intersectional proximal stressors. METHOD: = 7.73). We utilized interpretative phenomenological analysis to critically examine and identify various manifestations of intersectional proximal stressors among QTNB-POC. We then utilized member-checking to verify our findings with participants. RESULTS: We identified five broad thematic categories with subthemes: (a) internalized oppressive narratives; (b) stressors of navigating interpersonal contexts and managing safety; (c) internal stress when balancing dialectic of collective and self; (d) emotional burden from educating others and advocacy; and (e) vicarious stress and worries about marginalized communities. QTNB-POC described the ways intersecting systems of oppression became integrated into their sense-of-self as well as the various "either/or" dynamics and collective stressors that negatively impacted their well-being. CONCLUSION: Our study aids in developing targeted clinical interventions and research initiatives that seek to reduce intersectional proximal stressors. Consistent with an intersectional framework, our study also offers ways to engage in systemic change that seeks to dismantle systems of oppression. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).