ERIC Number: EJ1463296
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0897-5264
EISSN: EISSN-1543-3382
Available Date: 0000-00-00
"Other Queer People Are My Entire Sense of Belonging": Plurisexual Undergraduates' Sense of Belonging at a Regional University
Olivia M. Copeland; David J. Nguyen; Luvina D. Cooley
Journal of College Student Development, v66 n1 p17-32 2025
Of the research examining undergraduate students' belongingness, monolithic approaches to LGBTQ+ student studies are common. Bisexual, pansexual, and other multi-gender attracted students (also known via umbrella terms such as plurisexual, bisexual+, or multi-sexual spectrum) are relatively understudied, despite calls for a more thorough understanding of the unique experiences of LGBTQ+ student sub-populations. This study addresses this gap by examining 19 plurisexual undergraduate students' sense of belonging at a regional university, utilizing rich qualitative interviews. Findings evidenced simultaneous acceptance of bi+ identity and a permeation of monosexist stigma, ignorance, and erasure on campus. These factors contribute to a fluid sense of belonging, marked by peer interactions, LGBTQ+ resource contention, and faculty tensions. These findings have significant implications for inclusive practice/ research focused on the nuance of m-spec experiences.
Descriptors: LGBTQ People, Sexual Orientation, Undergraduate Students, Universities, Sense of Belonging, Student Experience, Student Subcultures, Student Attitudes, Predominantly White Institutions, Social Attitudes, Peer Relationship
Johns Hopkins University Press. 2715 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218. Tel: 800-548-1784; Tel: 410-516-6987; Fax: 410-516-6968; e-mail: jlorder@jhupress.jhu.edu; Web site: https://www.press.jhu.edu/journals/list
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A