Blackness preferred, queerness deferred: navigating sense of belonging in Black male initiative and men of color mentorship programs

Abstract

This research focused on Black gay, bisexual, and queer men (BGBQM) and addressed the nuanced ways BGBQM experienced a sense of belonging within mentorship program settings, given their intersecting identities. Utilizing a novel research design that blended aspects of phenomenology and arts-based research, this study explored the following research questions: (1) How do BGBQM experience a sense of belonging in Black Male Initiatives (BMI) and Men of Color (MoC) mentorship programs? (2) What formative experiences do BGBQM develop in belonging to these mentorship program environments? Findings revealed approaches to how BGBQM experienced Blackness and queerness within mentorship programs in higher education settings. Being immersed in traditionally heteronormative enclaves, these men found solace in racial belonging yet experienced isolation due to their sexuality. This work provides key insight into addressing the pervasive ways mentorship programs need to dismantle heteronormativity and hypermasculine norms and ideals.

Keywords:

• Black gay
• bisexual
• and queer men
• BMI
• men of color mentorship programs
• podcast
• sense of belonging

Disclosure statement

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

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Quortne R. Hutchings

Quortne R. Hutchings is an Assistant Professor of Higher Education at Northern Illinois University. Their research primarily focuses on Black gay, bisexual, queer, and non-binary undergraduate and graduate students' academic and social experiences in higher education, student affairs professionals' experiences in student and academic affairs.