The first-year university experience for sexual minority students: A grounded theory exploration

ABSTRACT

This exploratory study used grounded theory to understand the role of minority stress on the first-year experience of lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, and questioning emerging adults attending a university in the Northeastern part of the United States. Twenty-one lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, and questioning sophomores participated in focus groups asking them to reflect on their first-year of university. Themes suggest that participants tackle multiple challenges simultaneously: the developmental task of increased independence and stressors specific to lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, and questioning adults such as encountering stigma. Furthermore, participants manifested resilience in response to minority stress. Participants joined campus organizations, expressed pride in their identities, made use of social supports, and sought out safe opportunities to disclose. The discussion concludes with implications for practice and policy.

KEYWORDS:

• Lesbian,
• gay,
• bisexual, and
• queer
• first-year university experience
• minority stress
• resilience
• grounded theory

Notes on contributors

Edward J. Alessi is an Assistant Professor at the Rutgers School of Social Work. His research aims to improve understanding of stress and trauma among LGBT populations and enhance clinical practice with LGBT and other marginalized populations.

Beth Sapiro is a clinical social worker and doctoral candidate at the Rutgers School of Social Work. Her research interests center on the impact of trauma, marginalization, and oppression on adolescent and young adult social and emotional development.

Sarilee Kahn is an Assistant Professor at McGill University School of Social Work. Her research focuses on trauma and resilience in LGBTQ forced migrants.

Shelley L. Craig is an Associate Professor at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto and Canada Research Chair in Sexual and Gender Minority Youth (SGMY). She publishes widely on affirmative interventions with SGMY and the use of information and communication technologies to enhance their resilience.