Queer Kids in the Country: Challenges, Resources, and Queer Cultural Capital of Rural LGBTQIA+ Youth

• In Event: 56.080 - Roundtable Session 23
  In Roundtable Session: 56.080-16 - Queer Praxis, Performance, and Capital Across Contexts

Abstract

This qualitative study investigates the experiences of rural youth who identify as LGBTQIA+. Both rural young people and LGBTQIA+ youth are less likely to pursue higher education and more likely to report negative experiences in their schools and communities. Rural LGBTQIA+ youth face different challenges than do urban and suburban queer youth; therefore, different resources and strategies must be unveiled, developed, and employed in an effort to support rural LGBTQIA+ young people. This study found that formal resources were virtually nonexistent in rural communities. Therefore, it is vital to understand and cultivate informal mechanisms in schools and communities in order to reduce physical and psychological risks to LGBTQIA+ rural youth and increase their levels of well-being.

Author

• Michelle L. Page, University of Minnesota - Morris