LGBTQ+ Matters and the Community College

Category is, supporting BIQTPoC at community colleges: A systematic literature review to aid community college leaders in advocacy

“…Many studies found were other literature type articles (Leider, 2012;Sanlo & Espinoza, 2012) or content analyses (Cataño & Gonzalez, 2021;Gonzalez & Cataño, 2020;Ottenritter, 1998) with few new additions to research that dove into interviewing and documenting the experiences of queer and trans community college students and professionals (Taylor, 2015;Zamani-Gallaher & Choudhuri, 2011, 2016. Consequently, we echo Whitehead and Gulley (2019), who stated that while "many conceptual works have called for increased scholarly attention to this population, only a handful of empirical works have been published" (p. 121). Key to this call was the special issue of the Community College Journal of Research and Practice published in 2012 and contributions from the New Directions for Community Colleges Volume 199 that explicitly focused on Representation, Space, and Place: Creating Access and Support for LGBTQIA+ Students.…”

“…This is important to note as until now, most literature lumped the LGBTQIA+ experience into a monolith that does not account for the unique challenges faced by the wide range of the BIQTPoC community. In the review, we only found a select number of empirical studies that addressed the experiences of BIQTPoC in community colleges from the vantage point of these individuals (Whitehead & Gulley, 2019); the remaining were studies who had participants in the broader pool who were BIQTPoC.…”

“…Related to the previous theme, one major finding was the evident lack of empirical research on BIQTPoC. More recent studies suggested recommendations for further research should include BIQTPoC (Cataño & González, 2021; Leider, 2012; Rockman, 2013; Samoff, 2018; Whitehead & Gulley, 2019; Zamani‐Gallagher & Choudhuri, 2016). Existing articles, both empirical and conceptual, that used intersectional analysis (i.e., describing how intersecting systems of power and oppression shape the lives of individuals) were focused on examining LatinX students’ experiences and contexts (Cataño & Gonzalez, 2021; Gonzalez & Cataño, 2020; Magallanes, 2012; Salinas et al., 2020).…”

“Whenever I see those little rainbow stickers, I know that there is a place you can go”: Visibility and sense of belonging for queer and/or trans community college students.

“…The first prominent finding was the direct tie to how cocreators named the influence between the visibility of QT images and their psychosocial state of belongingness to their campus community (Garvey et al, 2015; Museus et al, 2017; Renn, 2010; Strayhorn, 2012, 2019; Whitehead & Gulley, 2019). They explicitly noted that rainbows were symbols for them as QT students that tended them toward a sense of belonging, comfortability, and validation both in and out of the classroom (Ahmed, 2006b; Rendon, 1994; Strayhorn, 2012, 2019).…”

“…The lack of spaces for students to feel valued, safe, validated, and seen has a direct impact on QT students’ sense of belonging and academic success (Garvey et al, 2015; Rendon, 1994; Strayhorn, 2012, 2019; Wagh, 2023). As a response to the scantiness of inclusive QT spaces, Whitehead and Gulley (2019) noted how to counter the lack of sense of belonging; QT community college students used social capital and navigational capital to foster community, create support, and share resources among themselves. These aspects of campus climate such as community space and adequate support contribute to how a sense of belonging manifests in practice Rankin (2005).…”