Openly gay undergraduate men in student government: Out, visible, and elected.

Abstract

This hermeneutic phenomenological study explores the lived experiences of eight openly gay undergraduate men involved in elected student government. While all of the men in this study identified with coming out, there were differences in their experiences with being out. As themes illuminated visibility, internalized homophobia, expectations of working harder than their peers, and a sentiment that they "just so happen to be gay," this study affirms the idea that there is not one single story of what it means to be gay or elected (or gay and elected).

Former student government officers navigating multiple/minoritized identities in collegiate and post-college public office

“…Involvement in student government leadership positions is not a race-neutral endeavor, and there are power discrepancies that create barriers for Black students in particular (Jones, 2020). In Goodman (2021a), one participant saw a previous gay student government president, which helped him also to believe he could serve in that role. Letting the leaders be themselves is not entirely a radical act -it has only become one due to the nature of and politicization of identity in U.S. politics.…”

“…Still, there was a layer of internalized homophobia experienced by participants, in that they were conscious of how they appeared in public spaces (e.g., one participant thought his voice and gestures were, in one example, "unprofessional") (Goodman, 2021a, p. 6). The intersection of sexuality and race was particularly noteworthy for Participants of Color in Goodman's (2021a) study. Each shared that they felt they had to work harder because of their race, leadership, and sexuality.…”

“…Over time, several scholars have sought to capture the experiences of People of Color, women, and queer individuals in student government (e.g., Goodman, 2021a, Goodman, et al, 2021Miller & Kraus, 2004;Smith, 2020;Workman et al, 2020). This article illuminates the experiences of 17 individuals and their experience(s) in elected student government and post-college public office (running or serving).…”

Untitled

“…One student government president in Smith's (2020) study shared navigating campus politics with legislation that would have had a negative impact on the transgender community (Smith, 2020). Next, Goodman (2021a) studied the experiences of openly gay undergraduate men in elected student government and found an 'it is what it is' sentiment as the men reflected on their experiences with being out in this leadership capacity. The visibility of being gay and the work of/in student government captured their experiences and was coupled with a "just so happen to be gay" attitude (Goodman, 2021a, p. 5).…”

“…Each shared that they felt they had to work harder because of their race, leadership, and sexuality. There were multiple ways that 'being gay' was racialized for these men, who saw and experienced student government as a predominately white space (Goodman, 2021a).…”