Beyond Bathrooms: Exploring the Negative Impact of Hostile Campus Climates on Queer Students

Abstract

Anti-Queer violence is a form of systemic oppression that exists on a global level. This paper focuses on anti-Queer violence in higher education, how hostile campus climates impact Queer students, and what communities can do to reduce anti-Queer violence at their institutions. Queer students who deal with hostile campus climates, experience anti-Queer violence from their fellow students, staff and faculty, and their institutions. Students who experience anti-Queer violence can experience emotional distress. This emotional distress can result in students preforming poorly academically, silencing their Queer identities to feel safer on campus, and can result in students leaving their academic institutions. However, with effort, students, staff and faculty, and institutions can build a community of hope and create healing for their Queer students. Anti-Queer violence hurts Queer students, but through a community effort hope and healing can be created for Queer students, and violence can be reduced. Students, staff, faculty and institutions can make efforts from challenging their language to Queering the school curriculum to create more inclusive studies. With community effort Queer students can finally see that they belong and can succeed in higher education.