“No Pumps Allowed”: The “Problem” With Gender Expression and the Morehouse College “Appropriate Attire Policy”

Abstract

ABSTRACTWithin higher education literature, historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have been lauded for their exceptional ability to provide African American students with culturally engaging academic and social environments. While the aforementioned may be true, much of this literature has presented HBCU students and these institutions as monolithic entities, with little regard to the ways social identities (e.g., gender, gender identity, sexual identities) shape students’ undergraduate experiences. This investigation uses critical discourse analysis to explore the media’s coverage and reactions to the Morehouse College appropriate attire policy in order to examine how their campus stakeholders problematized gender expression within this HBCU context. Implications for this research provides insights into how HBCU communities can both recognize and respond to the needs of their diverse queer student populations. This study concludes with highlighting new advancements being made on HBCU campuses that illustrate how they are making their campuses more inclusive of queer students.