Are Queer Safe Spaces Always “Safe”? A Content Analysis of College Pride Resource Center Websites

• In Event: Student Forum Roundtables Session
  In Refereed Roundtable (90 minute): Roundtable 4: LGBTQ+ Studies and Sexuality

Abstract

Previous research has increasingly shown that bisexuals experience a sense of exclusion from both the queer community as well as from heteronormative communities. In addition, new research has been conducted on the relative ‘safety’ of queer spaces on college campuses, specifically looking at school-sponsored community hubs known as Pride Resource Centers. However, very little research has centered on the experiences of bisexuals in ‘straight-passing’ relationships with regards to their perceptions of safety and comfort towards Pride Resource Centers on their campuses. As an exploratory study, the purpose of the following research is to examine any outward indicators of bisexual exclusion/inclusion from campus Pride Resource Centers in Northern Colorado. To do this, this research utilizes a qualitative content analysis method to examine the language, events, and structuring of the websites of Pride Resource Centers to determine how they portray bisexuality and who they might present as welcoming towards. The preliminary coding scheme I developed to guide further qualitative coding includes the following themes: Center Identity and Representation, Target Communities, Event Purposes, (Un)Welcoming Language, and Bisexuality Representation. While I expect these themes to cover the majority of data, I do also expect further themes to emerge as data analysis continues. This research serves as a first step towards investigating the experiences of bisexual people in straight-passing relationships with their respective Pride Resource Centers.

Author

• Emma Rose Ellison, Colorado State University