Gay Men’s Engagement with a Gay Campground Community in the Rural Southern United States

Abstract

Despite changing societal attitudes and acceptance of sexual minority individuals, gay men continue to seek out sexual minority-specific spaces. These spaces are often assumed to primarily consist of gay venues or neighborhoods in urban and metropolitan areas, but there is also a desire for less traditional gay spaces. To better understand the experiences of contemporary gay men forming connections in one such space and how these connections promote their well-being, the current study used a qualitative approach to provide an in-depth examination of the experiences of 41 gay men at a gay campground in the rural Southern United States. Results revealed six primary themes related to participants’ experiences of the campground: (1) general community, social, and interpersonal connections; (2) gay-specific community, social, and interpersonal connections; (3) feelings of isolation and loneliness; (4) well-being; (5) representation and acceptance; and (6) external stigma. These findings identify some commonalities with more traditional gay spaces and also reveal several experiences, benefits, and drawbacks unique to engagement with a gay campground community. A better understanding of a diversity of gay communities is needed.