The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 46, No. 3 - 10

R. Bradley Johnson, Tony Cawthon, Zachary Blackmon

education be prepared to support these students in campus living environments.
The six articles in this special issue highlight the varied lived experiences of LGBTQ+
individuals in college and university housing.
These stories and the scholars' conclusions
help move us towards Harvey Milk's (1977)
aspiration that "all young people, regardless
of sexual orientation or identity, deserve a
safe and supportive environment in which to
achieve their full potential" (1977, as cited in
Mallon, 2010, p. 172).
To understand the lived experiences of
LGBTQ+ individuals, one should first understand the heterogendered nature of higher
education institutions. Jonathan T. Pryor
and Garrett D. Hoffman take a critical look
at the state of LGBTQ+ supportive practices
in college and university housing. Using The
Traditionally Heterogendered Institution (THI)
framework, Pryor and Hoffman examine the
ways in which heterogendered norms impact
the experiences of LGBTQ+ students. Pryor
and Hoffman present critical questions that
challenge college and university housing professionals to center LGBTQ+ students in their
practices as a way to dismantle the conditions
of the THI.
Affirming policies are also crucial as
markers of inclusion in the LGBTQ+ student
experience (Pitcher, Camacho, Renn & Woodford, 2018). In their work, David J. Nguyen, Jodi
L. Linley, Michael R. Woodford, and Kristen A.
Renn examine survey responses from the 2013
National Study of LGBTQ+ Student Success
to describe and explore students' awareness
of two types of institutional policies: LGBTQ+
housing/living spaces and anti-discrimination

on the basis of gender identity/expression and
sexual orientation. Their work highlights that
while antidiscrimination policies on the basis
of sexual orientation are common, those that
protect individuals on the basis of gender
identity/expression are far fewer. Additionally,
the authors point to limited policies around
LGBTQ+ housing that challenge housing professionals to foster more affirming environments for all.
Despite various improvements in campus
climate, LGBTQ+ students still often face
negative experiences. Microaggressions within
college and university housing is the focus of
the article by Zachary R. Blackmon, Robert
M. O'Hara, and Jordan W. Viars. Blackmon,
O'Hara, and Viars explore how LGBQ individuals are often targeted by sexual orientation
microaggressions in the residential environment and the impact those experiences can
have on their sense of belonging. This article
provides useful suggestions for housing professionals in creating welcoming spaces for
LGBQ students.
Shifting from environment and actions,
J. Michael Denton and Leia K. Cain spotlight
the residential experiences of trans students.
Through the narratives of two transitioning
students, Denton and Cain challenge institutions' reliance on the gender binary and
present both problems and possibilities in the
college and university housing context. They
argue that professionals need to go deeper
to understand the complexities of the trans
student experience and center trans voices in
both policy and practice. In doing so, practitioners can best support all residents while
beginning to dismantle the heteronormativity
inherent in institutions.

THE JOURNAL OF COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY STUDENT HOUSING

The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 46, No. 3

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 46, No. 3