Conversations With the High School Longitudinal Study 2009: Reflections on College-Going by Black Queer and Trans Scholars

• In Event: Using Large-Scale Education Data to Advance Intersectional Policies and Practices for Queer and Trans Students

Abstract

Purpose & Scholarly Significance
As education research continues to make significant strides in exploring the experiences of Black QT (queer and trans) students, there is limited literature that explores the journeys of Black QT students transitioning from high school to college (Squire & Mobley, 2015; Sewell, 2019). Further research is needed as schools continue to create inclusive and enriching educational environments for Black QT students. While exploring HSLS:09, we reflected on our experiences in college preparation. We aim to contribute to the literature by engaging with the following research question: How do Black QT scholars recollect and reflect on their college-going trajectories?

A Frame: HSLS:09
Using data from the second follow-up of HSLS:09, our sample included Black QT students (n = 284). We conducted descriptive statistics for variables concerning college enrollment and the engagement with various supports about attending college. Descriptive statistics revealed that 69.4% of Black QT students in our sample attended college. The 30.6% of Black QT students who did not attend college indicated personal and family problems as their primary reason for not enrolling (52.9%, Table 1). Our results demonstrated significant relationships for Black QT students between college enrollment and whether the student talked to their father (r = 0.30, p < 0.05), mother (r = 0.14, p < 0.05), or friends (r = 0.14, p < 0.05) about attending college (Table 2).

Theoretical Framework
For this work, we utilized Johnson’s (2001) quare theory. E. Patrick Johnson (2001) pushes for a critical and more nuanced understanding of queer studies as it “is often unable to accommodate the issues faced by gays and lesbians of color who come from ‘raced’ communities” (p. 3). Quare theory helps to situate and normalize the experiences of nonwhite and non-middle-class queer people without using the lens of whiteness as the lens of examination.

Methods and Preliminary Findings
Through collaborative autoethnography (CAE), we center our narratives as Black queer people by threading our commonalities and differences to highlight what connections emerged from our experiences with the college-going process. CAE collectively explores multiple autoethnographic stories by making meaning through individual and group efforts to connect emerging themes of the researchers' narratives (Chang et al., 2013; Hernandez et al., 2017).

Reflections
Through our reflections, several themes emerged. As high-achieving students, we all reflected on how our experiences often led to information being available but not always attainable. Our families expected us to go to college, but, interestingly, we all encountered hurdles from our school environments, specifically school counselors, in our need to find the necessary information around college matching and choice. A second theme that emerged was the idea that while we all were aware of our sexual orientation, not being out impacted our choices around where we would choose to attend college, whether far from home or someplace where we felt that we could explore who we might be. A third and final theme that emerged is using outside help and mentorship through programs like Gear Up that filled in the gaps we experienced.

Authors

• Dion Tremain Harry, North Carolina State University
  Presenting Author

• Christopher J.P. Sewell, Talladega College
  Presenting Author

• Quortne R. Hutchings, Northern Illinois University
  Presenting Author

• Lorae Bonamy-Lohve, University of Maryland
  Presenting Author

• Taylor Lewis, University of Michigan
  Presenting Author