The “traditional queer safe space” or “kinda, not really?”: Experiences of transgender, nonbinary, and androgynous college students in the creative arts.

Abstract

While earlier studies on the experiences of transgender students in college suggest that those majoring in the arts, humanities, and social sciences have more positive college experiences than those in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields (Garvey et al., 2019; Maloy et al., 2022; Nichols, 2013; Renn, 2020; Taylor et al., 2020), the specific experiences and needs of transgender students majoring in artistic disciplines are largely unexplored. In this qualitative exploratory study, six participants were interviewed about their experiences as transgender students studying music, art, or theater at four different postsecondary institutions. Data analysis via thematic coding drew upon Z. Nicolazzo’s (2017) framework of resilience-as-practice, revealing two major themes across participants’ experiences as transgender college students in the arts: (a) barriers, including exclusionary social norms and oppressive performance standards, and (b) resiliency, through academic relationships, performance, and activism. The findings of this study complicate the enduring perception that arts spaces are consistently inclusive and supportive of transgender identities and expressions. The study concludes by providing novel recommendations based on these findings to help faculty, staff, and administrators in artistic fields to better support their transgender students’ success.