The Intersections Between Queer Trauma and Writing: An Exploration of Authors and Their Works

Public project summary

Queerness and literary arts are deeply interconnected. As of 2023, roughly a quarter of those in writing-related work in the United States identify as LGBTQ+ (Lee & Low Books et al.) Simultaneously, queerness and trauma also have deep connections. Queer people, as a marginalized population undergoing unique stressors, are at a far higher risk of experiencing clinical symptoms of trauma, such as PTSD (Valentine et al.) Due to the intersections between queerness, writing, and trauma, queer authors are often faced with the question of how they should breach the topic of trauma in regards to their works. On one hand, writing about one’s trauma has proven an effective outlet in some studies (Glass et al.) However, to some queer writers, writing about their trauma can feel reductive and repetitive (Sisley, Taylor). In an effort to shed more light on this specific demographic and analyze its output, this study explores how trauma impacts the writing of a number of queer authors, and finds common themes between their experiences.