A Mixed-Methods Examination of LGBTQ College Students' Experiences in the Deep South

• In Event: Learnings About Queer and Trans Issues Across Educational Setting

Abstract

Recent scholarship on higher education has highlighted the disparate experiences of LGBTQ students on college campuses. Scholars have called for increased focus on those experiences. Existing campus climate research points to issues of chilly climate, harassment and discrimination, and questions of disclosure and outness. This study involved data from LGBTQ college students from the Southeastern U.S. who attended public universities. A multi-method analysis began with factor analysis, identifying four factors in the quantitative data: Witnessing negative behavior, experiencing negative behavior, outness/disclosure, and overall sense of the campus climate for LGBTQ students. Cluster analyses showed three profiles, suggesting three basic patterns of responses. Finally, using open-ended survey data, we qualitatively analyzed patterns of responses within each cluster.

Authors

• Kamden Strunk, Auburn University

• Wilson Scott Lester, Auburn University