A retrospective of LGBT issues on US college campuses: 1990–2020. (July 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Rankin, Susan; Garvey, Jason C; Duran, Antonio
• Is Part Of: International sociology. Volume 34:Number 4(2019:Jul.)
• Page Start: 435
• Page End: 454
• Publication Date: 2019-07
• Subjects: Higher education -- homosexuality -- sexuality -- social justice; Enseignement supérieur -- homosexualité -- justice sociale -- sexualité; Educación superior -- homosexualidad -- justicia social -- sexualidad; Sociology -- Periodicals; Social history -- Periodicals; Social change -- Periodicals; Globalization -- Periodicals; 303.482
• DOI: 10.1177/0268580919851429
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0268-5809

Abstract

In this brief retrospective of LGBT issues on US College Campuses: 1990–2020, the authors first review the extensive changes in the language used to 'define' people within these communities. Given the fluid and evolving language used in sexual and gender minority communities, it is crucial to examine how community members are named and who is centered as a result of this naming. The authors use the terms queer-spectrum and trans-spectrum to honor how individuals choose to identify themselves as opposed to placing them into socially constructed, fixed categories of sexuality and gender. Next, they explore how the climate has changed in higher education to support queer-spectrum and trans-spectrum students. Finally, the authors examine the research on how queer-spectrum and trans-spectrum students experience their campuses and the climate's influence on specific outcomes. This retrospective contends that higher education scholars must continue to examine outcomes that will facilitate success for queer- and trans-spectrum student populations.