Journal of College & University Student Housing Vol 49, No. 1 - 90

Given their holistic nature and their capacity to address the learning needs
of specific student populations, LLCs can play a role in positively shaping
college students' experiences and can serve as affirming, communal spaces
for LGBTQ+ students in particular.
campus environments " operate in a way that continues to sustain and reaffirm traditional
hierarchies of gendered and sexual oppression, regardless of the various policies,
regulations, and diversity programs in place to support LGBTQ students, faculty,
and staff " (Preston & Hoffman, 2015, p. 65). For example, some institutions frame
LGBTQ+ students as vulnerable and as being needy for services such as suicide prevention
and mental health support, rather than serving their holistic and multifaceted
needs (Preston & Hoffman, 2015; Pryor, 2018). Such framing marginalizes the
learning and development of LGBTQ+ students, making them feel as if they do not
belong on their campuses (Preston & Hoffman, 2015; Pryor, 2018; Pryor & Hoffman,
2020). As a result of this heteronormativity, LGBTQ+ students have experienced
bullying and harassment (Evans et al., 2017; Pryor, 2018; Pryor & Hoffman, 2020);
microaggressions by other community members, faculty, and staff (Evans et al., 2017;
Tetreault et al., 2013; Vaccaro, 2012); and feelings of isolation or withdrawal (Evans
et al., 2017). Experiences and perceptions of campus climate also vary across identities
within the LGBTQ+ community. For example, rather than inclusive and welcoming
environments, transgender students have faced hostile campus environments that
lacked support services and resources and were staffed by employees who were discriminatory
and lacked knowledge about transgender identity and issues (McKinney,
2005; Nicolazzo, 2016; Pryor, 2015).
Higher education institutions can effectively address LGBTQ+ inclusion through
campus resource and support centers. There are presently about 275 LGBTQ+
resource centers on college and university campuses across the country (Campus
LGBTQ Centers Directory, 2020), and they are an important source of support,
community, affirmation, and advocacy (Pitcher et al., 2018; Self & Hudson, 2015).
Although some studies demonstrate that these intentional spaces are critical for
facilitating inclusion and belonging for LGBTQ+ students, other studies counter this
assertion. For example, Self and Hudson (2015) found that some LGBTQ+ campus
centers and staff focus on Whiteness and homonormativity in a manner that alienates
LGBTQ+ students with various intersecting identities, and Ortiz and Mandala (2021)
note that LGBTQ+ resource centers were not built to address issues of racism. Ultimately,
campuses should not only provide intentional spaces for LGBTQ+ students
but should also support intersecting identities within the LGBTQ+ community. The
present study builds on this scholarship by presenting important considerations for
designing an LLC that centers LGBTQ+ students' needs and provides more inclusive
environments for them.
Volume 49, No. 1 * 2022 87
Journal of College & University Student Housing Vol 49, No. 1

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Journal of College & University Student Housing Vol 49, No. 1
