Running head: IDENTITY OF LGBTQ STUDENTS OF COLOR

Identity of LGBTQ students of color & campus climate

Jesus Romero
Western Michigan University

IDENTITY OF LGBTQ STUDENTS OF COLOR

Identity of LGBTQ Students of Color and Campus Climate

Each individual is born with certain identities that are automatically applied to them such
as their race/ethnicity and in most cases gender. However, eventually individuals begin to
develop their own identities in addition to learning how to manage multiple identities that they
possess. Identity development is influenced by an individuals environment, which includes
family, friends, and community. By the time an individual gets to college, they more or less have
a sense of who they are but college is also a time for exploration and discovery. That being said,
many students develop a new sense of identity in college. For the most part, these are identities
that they had already formed but some students also develop identities that are completely new to
them. Students of color are often faced with culture shock when they attend predominantly white
institutions (PWI) because they do not see many people that look like them. This makes them
more aware of their ethnic/racial identity and they then must either choose to embrace that
identity or mask it in order to fit in. When a student identifies as both LGBTQ and a student of
color, they must wrangle with both of these identities but it is the campus climate at an institution
that affects how LGBTQ students of color choose to express their identities.
Students of color are already a minority group on most college campuses. This often
comes with feelings of alienation, exclusion, and invisibility. In addition to being a student of
color, LGBTQ students of color must also contend with their sexual orientation which makes
them part of another minority group. As stated in Harper & Quaye (2009), Lesbian, gay,
bisexual, transgender, and questioning students of color experiencing the weight of this double
oppression often feel the pressure to chose one identity over another depending on the social
context of the setting. The social context can be the university itself or student groups. For
example, an LGBTQ student of color at a religiously affiliated institution might decide to

IDENTITY OF LGBTQ STUDENTS OF COLOR

express their racial/ethnic identity while choosing not to acknowledge their sexual identity. If an
LGBTQ student of color decided to join an LGBTQ student organization at a predominantly
white institution, they might feel the need to put their racial/ethnic identity off to the side
because their way of belonging in the student organization is through their sexual identity.
LGBTQ students of color deal with issues of rejection and disapproval even within their
own racial/ethnic group. For LGBTQ students that are part of the African American community,
religion plays a big role in their community (Evans and Wall, 1991). Religious teachings
condemn homosexuality and these students feel a lack of support from their community. Since
their families value religious beliefs, most students choose not to come out to others except their
close LGBTQ friends. Asian Americans LGBTQ students come from a culture that sees
homosexuality as shame put upon the family (Evans and Wall, 1991). The role of women in
Asian American culture is to be a wife and mother while men must be a father and carry on the
family line. Thus, being Asian American and LGBTQ often means these students will be rejected
by their culture. For Hispanic/Latino LGBTQ students, the problem is usually with Catholicism,
which rejects gay lifestyles (Evans and Wall, 1991). This community is very religious and
coming out would most likely mean that the student will be ostracized. Hispanic/Latino culture
also has very defined gender roles where men must be masculine and show no emotion while
women are to be feminine and pure. All three of these cultures are also very family-oriented.
Therefore when coming out to ones family, LGBTQ students of color risk the chance of losing
an important part of their lives. In some instances, the families might know or have suspicions
about their children being LGBTQ but it is something that simply is not talked about. It also
becomes difficult to find a support network among other LGBTQ students of color on campus
because most choose not to reveal their sexual identity.

IDENTITY OF LGBTQ STUDENTS OF COLOR

To look at LGBTQ students of color solely on the basis of race/ethnicity would be a

disservice to the diversity of experiences among this community. In order to further understand
the experiences of gay and bisexual Latino men, one needs to analyze the culture. These cultural
elements include familismo, respeto, buen hijo, macho and buenos sentimientos (Wall and Evans,
2000). Familismo refers to being close to the extended family, respeto means respecting ones
elders, and a buen hijo would never embarrass his family. The notion of being macho is a man
who is very masculine in behavior and buenos sentimientos represents a man who would do
anything for his family. These cultural elements shape the lives of Latino men and thus make it
difficult to talk about homosexuality. If Latino homosexuality is not talked about, then it is likely
that there is little awareness about this community and in turn less acceptance. Joseph Beam
expresses:
I cannot go home as who I am. When I speak of home, I mean not only the familial
constellation from which I grew, but the entire black community: the black press, the
black church, the black academicians, the black literati, and the black left. I cannot go
home as who I am and that hurts me deeply. (as cited in Dumas, 1998, p.79)
This mirrors the experience of black gay men on college and university campuses. In college,
they are finally able to express themselves for who they really are or perhaps have their first
chance at exploring their sexual identity. However, when these students go home they must hide
their sexual identity because they are not out to their families. The experiences of LGBTQ male
students of color are still different from those of women in this community.
Women of color that are part of the LGBTQ community share a unique experience in that
they must also deal with their identity as a female. As women, these students belong to three
oppressed groups with their gender identity, racial/ethnic identity, and sexual identity.

IDENTITY OF LGBTQ STUDENTS OF COLOR

Sometimes the lesbian and bisexual woman of color is both visible and invisible on college
campuses. Most individuals will only see one or two of their social identities, which will most
likely be their race/ethnicity or gender. At the same time, lesbian and bisexual woman of color
are invisible in that others will minimize or ignore their sexual identity (Evans and Wall, 2000).
For lesbian and bisexual African American women, there is a pressure to follow social
expectations. Some even decide to marry and have children since the African American
community is seen as very homophobic and rejecting of homosexuality (Evans and Wall, 2000).
This commitment to traditional gender roles by lesbian and bisexual African American women
can be seen as an attempt to remain a part of their cultural and ethnic community in contrast to
feeling excluded because of their sexual orientation. LGBTQ women of color must wrestle with
three social identities on college campuses, which makes it even more difficult to express
themselves.
Identifying as LGBTQ students of color, these individuals do not share the same privilege
as their white counterparts. Systems identified with privilege are dominated, identified, and
centered on privileged groups (Johnson, 2006). When looking at institutions of higher education,
one must recognize that they were built for white students. Students of color have only recently
become a presence on most college campuses. LGBTQ students of color feel this oppression
when they do not feel welcome both as students of color and LGBTQ students. White LGBTQ
students do not have to worry about a sense of belonging due to their race. In some cases, the
only oppressed identity they have is that of identifying as LGBTQ. In contrast, LGBTQ students
of color might feel like everything is against them and they have to work twice as hard to feel
accepted on campus.
There are several strategies that the university and individuals themselves can take to

IDENTITY OF LGBTQ STUDENTS OF COLOR

make LGBTQ students of color feel comfortable on campus. Perhaps the most important is to
recognize the multiple identities of LGBTQ students of color. This includes their racial/ethnic
identity, sexual identity, and also their gender identity since males and females have different
experiences. If a student is female, lesbian, and Latina, she may be confused about whether she
should to go to the Multicultural Center, LGBTQ Center, or Womens Center. A strong
relationship between these three centers would help this student develop a healthy identity
because then she would not feel the need to choose one identity over another. The university
itself can make sure that all of its policies and initiatives are inclusive of both LGBTQ students
and students of color. Student organizations also can do a lot to make LGBTQ students of colors
feel more accepted in their organizations. Racial/ethnic and cultural student organizations can
make sure to talk about LGBTQ issues in order to offer a space for LGBTQ students of color.
LGBTQ student organizations should recognize that not all LGBTQ students share the same
experience by addressing the issues that LGBTQ students of color face. Another idea could be to
create a student organization specifically for LGBTQ students of color in which both of their
identities can be given equal attention.
For an LGBTQ student of color, their sense of belonging on campus can go a long way.
Not only will this help students feel comfortable being themselves, but it will also give them
more of a chance to persist towards graduation. By recognizing that students have multiple
identities, individuals will not be faced with the decision of having to choose one identity over
another. LGBTQ students of color are not a homogenous group and their experiences can be
affected by a number of factors including religion, socio-economic status, and gender. More
research needs to be conducted specifically on bisexual and transgender students of color so that
their stories can be shared giving institutions a better idea on how to help those communities.

IDENTITY OF LGBTQ STUDENTS OF COLOR

References
Dumas, M.J. (1998). Coming Out/Coming Home: Black Gay Men on Campus. In Sanlo, R. L.
(Ed.) Working with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender College Students: A
Handbook for Faculty and Administrators (pp. 79-85). Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.
Evans, N.J., & Wall, V.A. (1991). Beyond Tolerance: Gays, Lesbians and Bisexuals on Campus.
Alexandria, VA: American College Personnel Association.
Harper, S. R., & Quaye, J. Q. (2009). Student Engagement in Higher Education: Theoretical
Perspectives and Practical Approaches for Diverse Populations. New York, NY:
Routledge.
Johnson, A. G. (2006). Privilege, power, and difference. (2nd ed.) New York, NY: Mcgraw-Hill.
Wall, V.A., & Evans, N.J. (2000). Toward Acceptance: Sexual Orientation Issues on Campus.
Lanham, MD: University Press of America, Inc.