STEM as a cover: towards a framework for Queer Emotions, Battle Fatigue, and STEM identity

Abstract

This study seeks to understand the daily violence endured by queer youth. We use Queer Battle Fatigue, Ahmed’s cultural politics of emotion, and STEM identity theories to make meaning of youth’s experience. We draw from audio recordings and transcriptions of 15 queer youth over the course of a summer and fall LGBTQ + maker camp in a rural town in the Intermountain Western part of the United States. Findings show that the maker camp environment provided queer campers casual conversations about microaggressions and violence endured at school. In this context, STEM served as a cover (concealed goals) in three ways: emotion, validation/advice, and safety. This particular environment provided them recognition and validation of both their STEM and queer identities, allowing the group to be able to casually mention these instances of violence they had endured.

Keywords:

• LGBTQ
• queer
• Queer Battle Fatigue
• maker spaces
• making
• STEM identity

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 For the purposes of this manuscript, we use the term “queer” to mean anyone who identifies as lesbian, gay, bisexual, intersex, transgender, gender nonbinary, nonconforming, among other non-cisnormative or heteronormative categories.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Mario I. Suárez

Mario I. Suárez is Assistant Professor in the School of Teacher Education and Leadership at Utah State University.

Andrea M. Hawkman

Andrea M. Hawkman is Assistant Professor in the School of Teacher Education and Leadership at Utah State University.

Colby Tofel-Grehl

Colby Tofel-Grehl is Associate Professor in the School of Teacher Education and Leadership at Utah State University.

Beth L. MacDonald

Beth L. MacDonald is Associate Professor in the School of Teacher Education and Leadership at Utah State University.

Kristin Searle

Kristin Searle is Assistant Professor of Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences at Utah State University.

David F. Feldon

David F. Feldon is Professor of Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences at Utah State University.

Taryn Sommers

Taryn Sommers is an undergraduate research assistant in the Chaos Learning Lab in the Emma E. Jones College of Education and Human Services at Utah State University.

Michael Hernandez

Michael Hernandez is an undergraduate research assistant in the Chaos Learning Lab in the Emma E. Jones College of Education and Human Services at Utah State University.