Methodological Issues in Conducting Community-based Health and Social Services Research Among Urban Black and African American LGBT Populations 1

The health and social service utilization experiences of disenfranchised groups have recently gained renewed public attention in the United States, where eliminating health disparities has become a major issue on the policy agenda. The growing concern for the health and social wellbeing of the American populace across the racial and ethnic spectrum translates into a need to develop effective and efficient mechanisms for delivering services that produce desired outcomes. While a fairly substantial literature on Black and African American ² health outcomes and social service utilization does exist (e.g., Clark, Anderson, Clark, & Williams, 1999; Coates, 1990; Marin, 1996; Smith, 1999; Williams, 2000), a comparable literature examining the experiences of Black and African American lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons does not. One reason for this situation is the social stigma associated with LGBT issues in Black and African American communities, and in America in general. A second reason is that researchers have not gained entry, support, or trust in these communities. A third reason is the extent to which investigators have considered research among Black and African American LGBT persons unimportant.