Nonmetropolitan GLBTQ Parents: When and Where Does Their Sexuality Matter?

Abstract

Twenty-two parents, representing 15 GLBTQ-parent families living in nonmetropolitan communities in Illinois, were interviewed about their interactions with others in community settings. A total of 345 interactions were coded by sexual orientation salience (no, yes) and setting (private, public, organizational). Roughly half of the interactions (N = 156, 45%) were those in which parents said that their sexual orientation did not matter; nonsalience was more likely to occur in private or organizational settings rather than public. Regarding salience, parents described a slightly higher proportion of interactions in which their sexual orientation did matter (N = 189, 55%). Of these, salience was most likely to occur in organizational settings rather than public or private. Parents most commonly described salience that occurred in organizational settings as negative rather than positive. Regarding desired resources, parents prioritized support and socialization for their children rather than for themselves, but they desired resources that clearly identified their children as having GLBTQ parents (i.e., resources where parental sexual orientation was salient). These findings suggest a strong recommendation for improving organizational policies related to education, health care, employment, and family services so that GLBTQ parents and their children are openly acknowledged by staff without negative overtones.

Barriers to involvement in nonmetropolitan LGBTQ organizations

“…This is likely more relevant to community-based LGBTQ organizations than campus-based organizations because the spread of a community is much wider than an enclosed campus-where distance and lack of transportation would be of minor importance. This finding is also consistent with prior research; although people can and do travel to access LGBTQ resources in small communities, travel requires time and money, which may negatively impact involvement (Holman & Oswald, 2011;Walch et al, 2006). It is important to note that the size of the community was not necessarily related to the level of hostility toward LGBTQ individuals described by some participants; rather, size was mostly related to the availability of resources and participants' access to people and activities.…”

“…Few studies have examined the experiences of LGBTQ people in communities classified as "metropolitan" by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA, 2012), but with county populations of less than 250,000, although there are some exceptions (see Oswald & Culton, 2003). Consistent with prior empirical work on LGBTQ individuals in nonmetropolitan areas (see Holman & Oswald, 2011;Oswald & Culton, 2003), this study defines "nonmetropolitan" as counties with populations of less than 250,000 located outside of major metropolitan and suburban areas.…”

“…Researchers selected key informants occupying leadership roles at the two research sites, as well as at a local HIV organization and a community college LGBTQ group. Groups and organizations beyond the research sites were included due to the fact that nonmetropolitan LGBTQ organizations may be more informal than the established research sites (Holman & Oswald, 2011;Oswald & Culton, 2003). Participants identified as female (3) or male (3); White (5) or Black (1); and lesbian (1), gay (2), queer (2), or heterosexual (1).…”

“…While LGBTQ community centers in small or midsize communities do exist, they are often too informal to be connected with Centerlink (a coalition supporting LGBTQ community centers that conducts a biannual community center report with the LGBT Movement Advancement Project, a national think tank). Such informal LGBTQ organizations tend to struggle with limited resources, minimal community support, and problems with sustainability (Holman & Oswald, 2011;Oswald & Culton, 2003). Campus-based LGBTQ organizations operate similarly to community-based organizations, but primarily serve members of campus communities: students, staff, and faculty.…”

Motivations for Involvement in Nonmetropolitan LGBTQ Organizations: A Multimethod Qualitative Exploration

“…These organizations serve over 33,000 individuals weekly throughout the United States. They are more common in major metropolitan areas (Centerlink & MAP;Hostetler, 2012;LeBeau & Jellison, 2009), however, as nonmetropolitan LGBTQ community organizations (operating in towns with populations less than 250,000) tend to struggle with sustainability due to limited civic infrastructures, resources, and community support (Holman & Oswald, 2011;Oswald & Culton, 2003).…”