Re-Understanding Intersectionality From a Dynamic Ecological Contextual Standpoint: Lived Experiences of Minoritized Asian Gay, Bisexual, Queer and Men-who-have-sex-with-Men (GBQMSM) Communities in Canada

Intersectionality research emphasizes the importance of social context in understanding the experiences of marginalized communities. While Bronfenbrenner’s Social Ecological Model is often used, it overlooks the dynamism of interactions between systems over time, limiting its effectiveness for intersectionality studies. Chong, Goh, Lye, and Queer-lleagues introduce the Dynamic Ecological Context framework as part of the SPLICE framework in 2025, which considers these interactions more comprehensively. This paper applies the Dynamic Ecological Context to a case study investigating the Lived Experiences of Gay, Bisexual, Queer, and Men-who-have-sex-with-Men (GBQMSM) communities in Canada before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. I argue that when applying the model, intersectionality researchers should incorporate (i) ongoing interactions between systems, (ii) stakeholders’ autonomy, (iii) the existence of multiple physical and virtual ecologies, and (iv) how changing circumstances affect system interactions, influencing the empowerment or disempowerment of marginalized individuals.