Queer-free majors?: LGBTQ + college students’ accounts of chilly and warm academic disciplines

Abstract

Once enrolled in college, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) students may have to navigate heterosexism within higher education. In doing so, they might deem some fields of study as more accepting of queer discussions and queer people than others. This article uses in-depth interview data from 20 queer college students to describe the process by which respondents constructed some majors or disciplines, especially STEM fields, as queer-free and others, especially the social sciences, as queer-friendly. The discussion highlights how the academic tracking of queer students into queer-friendly fields reproduces inequalities both on campus and beyond, such as in later careers. Several policy suggestions for educators and administrators geared at reducing the “chilly” environment for queer students are noted in the conclusion.