Queer activist leadership: An exploration of queer leadership in higher education.

Abstract

Higher Education has witnessed an increase in support of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) communities on college campuses. Despite this slow growth, many colleges and university climates remain largely unwelcoming to LGBTQ students, faculty, and staff. Student activism has largely been responsible for this growth, supported by staff and faculty advocates. This qualitative case study explored the tactics and strategies staff and faculty leveraged in advancing LGBTQ equity at Rural Public University in the Midwestern United States. The study advances a conceptual framework for queer activist leadership in higher education. Findings reveal how a small network of campus leaders engaged in queer leadership strategies through queer centered activism to advance LGBTQ equity in institutional policy and practice. Findings reveal rich implications for college administrators and higher education leaders advancing change for LGBTQ equity.

Entre Ser y No Ser: Identity development negotiations of queer Latinx/a/o college student activists.

“…Therefore, future research studies should intimately contend with space and time as a focus of queer Latinx/a/o identity and sociopolitical consciousness development. Specifically, centering the ways local and regional politics inform campus climates for this queer and trans communities and the spaces created for sites of resistance and queer kinship (Lange et al, 2019; Pryor, 2021).…”

#MeToo and LGBTQ+ Salvadorans: social and leadership challenges

“…LGBTQ+ leaders combine grassroots, queer and social change leadership (Brubaker et al , 2011; Komives and Wagner, 2017; Pryor, 2017; Thompson, 2018). These approaches are based on collective action, shared power and a strong commitment to social justice.…”

“…Grassroots leaders are those who operate from the bottom-up without having formal positions of authority and who challenge the status quo by collectively navigating oppressive bureaucracies (Pryor, 2017). Grassroots leadership is “collective, and not an institutionalized process, where structure, networks, and support systems are individually created efforts” (Pryor, 2017, p. 8).…”

“…Grassroots leaders are those who operate from the bottom-up without having formal positions of authority and who challenge the status quo by collectively navigating oppressive bureaucracies (Pryor, 2017). Grassroots leadership is “collective, and not an institutionalized process, where structure, networks, and support systems are individually created efforts” (Pryor, 2017, p. 8). Queer leadership is “the intentional process to advance equity for sexual and gender minoritized communities through grassroots leadership strategies; specifically championing social change through institutional policy and practice” (Pryor, 2017, p. 8).…”

“…Grassroots leaders typically use tactics, strategy and power to achieve their goals (Brubaker et al , 2011; Pryor, 2017). As tactics, LGBTQ+ Salvadorans use consciousness raising, relationship building, organizing and participating in marches.…”