Queer Students’ of Color Sense of Inclusion Inside Community College Classrooms

Abstract

ABSTRACT The purpose of this paper is to describe queer students’ of color (QSOCs) sense of inclusion inside community college (CC) classrooms. This study was conducted using qualitative methods and utilized narrative inquiry as its research design. Data from 29 semi-structured individual interviews (17 initial interviews and 12 follow-up interviews) serve as the primary data source. After conducting thematic analysis, four themes emerged from the data: (1) Visibility, (2) Affirmation of Identity, (3) Importance of Curriculum, and (4) Isolation and Discrimination. The findings indicate that supportive structures and having relatable and inclusive curricular content are imperative to QSOCs’ sense of inclusion and that there are many ways in which QSOCs feel alienated in their classrooms. These findings indicate that there are many experiences inside CC classrooms in which QSOCs feel a strong sense of inclusion, but there are also many experiences that reduce QSOCs’ sense of inclusion. The primary implications of this study to higher education will help faculty, staff, and administrators in CCs create inclusive environments inside their classrooms so that their QSOCs feel visible, safe, and accepted for who they are and the multiple identities that they embody.