Layered Identities: Queer Students of Color

1. Layered Identities: Queer Students of Color Tuesday, March 13 12:45 PM - 1:45 PM 226C - Convention Center Presenter: Khristian Kemp-DeLisser

2. Session Goals 1) Present the results of the qualitative study on perceptions of campus climate of queer students of color 2) Demonstrate how qualitative research can be used to understand complex issues such as climate and identity salience 3) Promote discussion among workshop attendees about the ways existing student services can meet the needs of queer students of color

3. Research Problem & Questions • Literature reviewed: • LGBT Identity Development • LGBT Students of Color in K-12 • LGBT Campus Climate • LGBT Students of Color in Higher Ed • Research demonstrated a dominance of white lesbian, gay, bisexual and queer youth or students in its sampling and reporting that produced a gap in the literature. Most studies contained a small enough sample of students of color to prompt areas for further study but that further study wasn’t taking place.

4. Researcher Full Participant University Employee Queer-identified Gay man African American

5. Sample & Setting Interviewees: Garcon: 25-year old Gay Central American Latino graduate man Linde: 22-year old Pansexual Asian-American senior woman Nadine: 19-year old Pansexual Caribbean Multi-Racial sophomore woman Reggie: 21-year old Gay Ghanaian Black junior man Sinath: 22-year old Lesbian African-American senior woman Simon: 26-year old Gay Asian-American graduate man Theresa: 23-year old Queer Filipino graduate woman Not all the students shared how long they had been out but of the ones who did, the length of time ranged from six months to eight years. Recruited from a PWI mid-sized New England research university.

6. Findings Thematic analysis produced seven major themes: Campus Safety Queer identity Visibility & Identity Salience Self-Advocacy Involvement as Safety Family Pressures Off Campus Climate

7. Findings Campus Safety ●Queer Identity ●Visibility & Identity Salience ●Self-Advocacy ●Involvement as Safety ●Family Pressures ●Off Campus Climate • Campus Safety • Perceptions of physical safety • Perceptions of classroom climate • Climate for queer students of color

8. Findings Campus Safety ●Queer identity ●Visibility & Identity Salience ●Self-Advocacy ●Involvement as Safety ●Family Pressures ●Off Campus Climate

9. Findings Campus Safety ●Queer identity ●Visibility & Identity Salience ●Self-Advocacy ●Involvement as Safety ●Family Pressures ●Off Campus Climate

10. Findings Campus Safety ●Queer identity ●Visibility & Identity Salience ●Self-Advocacy ●Involvement as Safety ●Family Pressures ●Off Campus Climate

11. Findings Campus Safety ●Queer identity ●Visibility & Identity Salience ●Self-Advocacy ●Involvement as Safety ●Family Pressures ●Off Campus Climate

12. Findings Campus Safety ●Queer identity ●Visibility & Identity Salience ●Self-Advocacy ●Involvement as Safety ●Family Pressures ●Off Campus Climate

13. Findings Campus Safety ●Queer identity ●Visibility & Identity Salience ●Self-Advocacy ●Involvement as Safety ●Family Pressures ●Off Campus Climate

14. Findings Campus Safety ●Queer identity ●Visibility & Identity Salience ●Self-Advocacy ●Involvement as Safety ●Family Pressures ●Off Campus Climate

15. Research Problem & Questions dup • The stories of QPOC college students can offer a unique lens through which to view the development of multiple dimensions of LGBT identity. • Primary research question: • How do the LGBQ students of color perceive their identities and the support on campus for those identities • Secondary questions : • How does race and sexual orientation impact the way LGBQ students make sense of their queer identity? • How do LGBQ students describe the impact of college on their identity development? • How do LGBQ students of color reconcile their queer identities? • In what ways do other dimensions of identity intersect with sexual orientation and the college environment?

16. Research Problem & Questions dup • The stories of QPOC college students can offer a unique lens through which to view the development of multiple dimensions of LGBT identity. • Primary research question: • How do the LGBQ students of color perceive their identities and the support on campus for those identities • Secondary questions : • How does race and sexual orientation impact the way LGBQ students make sense of their queer identity? • How do LGBQ students describe the impact of college on their identity development? • How do LGBQ students of color reconcile their queer identities? • In what ways do other dimensions of identity intersect with sexual orientation and the college environment?

17. Research Problem & Questions dup • The stories of QPOC college students can offer a unique lens through which to view the development of multiple dimensions of LGBT identity. • Primary research question: • How do the LGBQ students of color perceive their identities and the support on campus for those identities • Secondary questions : • How does race and sexual orientation impact the way LGBQ students make sense of their queer identity? • How do LGBQ students describe the impact of college on their identity development? • How do LGBQ students of color reconcile their queer identities? • In what ways do other dimensions of identity intersect with sexual orientation and the college environment?

18. Research Problem & Questions dup • The stories of QPOC college students can offer a unique lens through which to view the development of multiple dimensions of LGBT identity. • Primary research question: • How do the LGBQ students of color perceive their identities and the support on campus for those identities • Secondary questions : • How does race and sexual orientation impact the way LGBQ students make sense of their queer identity? • How do LGBQ students describe the impact of college on their identity development? • How do LGBQ students of color reconcile their queer identities? • In what ways do other dimensions of identity intersect with sexual orientation and the college environment?

19. Research Problem & Questions dup • The stories of QPOC college students can offer a unique lens through which to view the development of multiple dimensions of LGBT identity. • Primary research question: • How do the LGBQ students of color perceive their identities and the support on campus for those identities • Secondary questions : • How does race and sexual orientation impact the way LGBQ students make sense of their queer identity? • How do LGBQ students describe the impact of college on their identity development? • How do LGBQ students of color reconcile their queer identities? • In what ways do other dimensions of identity intersect with sexual orientation and the college environment?

20. Research Problem & Questions dup • The stories of QPOC college students can offer a unique lens through which to view the development of multiple dimensions of LGBT identity. • Primary research question: • How do the LGBQ students of color perceive their identities and the support on campus for those identities • Secondary questions : • How does race and sexual orientation impact the way LGBQ students make sense of their queer identity? • How do LGBQ students describe the impact of college on their identity development? • How do LGBQ students of color reconcile their queer identities? • In what ways do other dimensions of identity intersect with sexual orientation and the college environment?

21. Research Problem & Questions dup • The stories of QPOC college students can offer a unique lens through which to view the development of multiple dimensions of LGBT identity. • Primary research question: • How do the LGBQ students of color perceive their identities and the support on campus for those identities • Secondary questions : • How does race and sexual orientation impact the way LGBQ students make sense of their queer identity? • How do LGBQ students describe the impact of college on their identity development? • How do LGBQ students of color reconcile their queer identities? • In what ways do other dimensions of identity intersect with sexual orientation and the college environment?

22. Research Problem & Questions dup • The stories of QPOC college students can offer a unique lens through which to view the development of multiple dimensions of LGBT identity. • Primary research question: • How do the LGBQ students of color perceive their identities and the support on campus for those identities • Secondary questions : • How does race and sexual orientation impact the way LGBQ students make sense of their queer identity? • How do LGBQ students describe the impact of college on their identity development? • How do LGBQ students of color reconcile their queer identities? • In what ways do other dimensions of identity intersect with sexual orientation and the college environment?

23. Research Problem & Questions dup • The stories of QPOC college students can offer a unique lens through which to view the development of multiple dimensions of LGBT identity. • Primary research question: • How do the LGBQ students of color perceive their identities and the support on campus for those identities • Secondary questions : • How does race and sexual orientation impact the way LGBQ students make sense of their queer identity? • How do LGBQ students describe the impact of college on their identity development? • How do LGBQ students of color reconcile their queer identities? • In what ways do other dimensions of identity intersect with sexual orientation and the college environment?

24. Research Problem & Questions dup • The stories of QPOC college students can offer a unique lens through which to view the development of multiple dimensions of LGBT identity. • Primary research question: • How do the LGBQ students of color perceive their identities and the support on campus for those identities • Secondary questions : • How does race and sexual orientation impact the way LGBQ students make sense of their queer identity? • How do LGBQ students describe the impact of college on their identity development? • How do LGBQ students of color reconcile their queer identities? • In what ways do other dimensions of identity intersect with sexual orientation and the college environment?

25. Research Problem & Questions dup • The stories of QPOC college students can offer a unique lens through which to view the development of multiple dimensions of LGBT identity. • Primary research question: • How do the LGBQ students of color perceive their identities and the support on campus for those identities • Secondary questions : • How does race and sexual orientation impact the way LGBQ students make sense of their queer identity? • How do LGBQ students describe the impact of college on their identity development? • How do LGBQ students of color reconcile their queer identities? • In what ways do other dimensions of identity intersect with sexual orientation and the college environment?

26. Research Problem & Questions dup • The stories of QPOC college students can offer a unique lens through which to view the development of multiple dimensions of LGBT identity. • Primary research question: • How do the LGBQ students of color perceive their identities and the support on campus for those identities • Secondary questions : • How does race and sexual orientation impact the way LGBQ students make sense of their queer identity? • How do LGBQ students describe the impact of college on their identity development? • How do LGBQ students of color reconcile their queer identities? • In what ways do other dimensions of identity intersect with sexual orientation and the college environment?

27. Research Problem & Questions dup • The stories of QPOC college students can offer a unique lens through which to view the development of multiple dimensions of LGBT identity. • Primary research question: • How do the LGBQ students of color perceive their identities and the support on campus for those identities • Secondary questions : • How does race and sexual orientation impact the way LGBQ students make sense of their queer identity? • How do LGBQ students describe the impact of college on their identity development? • How do LGBQ students of color reconcile their queer identities? • In what ways do other dimensions of identity intersect with sexual orientation and the college environment?

28. Research Problem & Questions dup • The stories of QPOC college students can offer a unique lens through which to view the development of multiple dimensions of LGBT identity. • Primary research question: • How do the LGBQ students of color perceive their identities and the support on campus for those identities • Secondary questions : • How does race and sexual orientation impact the way LGBQ students make sense of their queer identity? • How do LGBQ students describe the impact of college on their identity development? • How do LGBQ students of color reconcile their queer identities? • In what ways do other dimensions of identity intersect with sexual orientation and the college environment?

29. Session Goals Lessons learned: I was forcing the students to put themselves into a box The literature review and questions asked focused on students whose primary identity was LGBT but most of the students felt their racial identity was most frequently salient

30. Thanks for attending. See you in Orlando! Khristian Kemp-DeLisser Ed.D. Candidate, Educational Leadership & Policy Studies University of Vermont kkempdel@uvm.edu