The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 36, No. 2 - 34

Michael L. Fanucce • Deborah J. Taub

students (allies and non-allies alike), which was not hypothesized. Preliminary analyses revealed that responses from allies of LGBT students were statistically different from those of LGBT students and not statistically different from those of non-LGBT/non-Ally students. Therefore, the allies were not treated as a separate group but were included with the other non-LGBT students. For the LGBT students, as levels of homonegativity increased, the perception of their residence hall climate became more negative. Similarly, heterosexual students exhibited the same type of negative relationship, albeit a weaker one, with perceptions of residence hall climate becoming more negative as perceived levels of homonegativity increased. Prior to collapsing Ally and non-Ally groups into a single non-LGBT group, significant differences were found among the three groups— LGBT students, Ally students, and non-Ally students—on homonegativity, social support, group cohesiveness, personalization, crowding, cleanliness, and safety. The perceptions that heterosexual allies in this study had about homonegativity and the residence hall climate were found to be more similar to those of the heterosexual non-allies, rather than similar to those of the LGBT students, and were therefore included with the heterosexual student sample for analyses. Significant differences were found between the LGBT students and the collapsed group—non-LGBT students—on homonegativity, social support, group cohesiveness, personalization, crowding, cleanliness, and safety. As was predicted, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students found their residence hall environments to be homonegative, with
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a moderate-to-high mean score on the LGBTRHCI. The LGBT students’ mean score was 56.41 (with the possible range of scores of 2080). The homonegative environment for LGBT students was moderately related to negative impressions of residence hall climate. The strongest negative, significant correlations between

For the LGBT students, as levels of homonegativity increased, the perception of their residence hall climate became more negative. Similarly, heterosexual students exhibited the same type of negative relationship, albeit a weaker one, with perceptions of residence hall climate becoming more negative as perceived levels of homonegativity increased .

scores on the LGBTRHCI and the RHCS were found in group cohesiveness, noise, safety, conflict, and social support for LGBT students. These results are consistent with the findings of Hughes (1994), Evans (2002), Evans and Broido (1999), Evans and Wall (1991), Slater (1993), Robison (1998), and Sanford and Engstrom (1995) in regard to LGBT student perceptions of residence hall climate. These findings make sense given how community develops in a residence hall and how often, when LGBT students perceive their

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The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 36, No. 2

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