Queer + Rural Dream-spaces in Higher Education

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 9:50 am Four Seasons Ballroom 2-3
  In Roundtable Session: Navigating College Access and Rural Identities in Higher Education (Table 10)

Abstract

Intersectional rural and queer identities require further study into the needs, wants, and lived experiences of these populations. Many institutions of higher education report having safe and supportive environments for queer students. However, given the interaction between queer and rural spatialized identities, this study analyzes the disconnect between the institutional systems of support queer students and rural, queer students in higher education. We use rural critical policy analysis to develop dream-spaces for an institution supportive of Queer + Rural students. We engage our positionalities by making relevant slices of our own lived experiences and glimpses of our desires for support while building and proposing a dream-space for institutionalized support for Queer + Rural students.

Authors

• Boni Richardson, Pennsylvania State University

• Jessica Magness, Pennsylvania State University

• Thomas G. Iacovino, Pennsylvania State University