"I've Heard There's Some Sort of Underground Group": LGBTQ Activism on Evangelical Christian Campuses

Historically, most Evangelical Christians have condemned LGBTQ people, citing Biblical passages establishing heteronormative sex and gender roles. As a result, Evangelical Christian colleges and universities can be difficult places for sexual and/or gender minorities, who face hostility, harassment, and even expulsion. Yet some LGBTQ students may engage in strategic activism, even on religious campuses, as a means of survival and resistance. Drawing from queer and intersectional theoretical frameworks, with an emphasis on the period of emerging adulthood in particular, this qualitative study explored the experiences of 23 LGBTQ young adults ages 18-29 (M = 23.48, SD = 3.32) who attended an Evangelical Christian college, examining their reasons for the types of activism they were engaged in and why, the risks of engagement in activism, and why some students chose not to be activists. Findings indicate that in spite of the risks of being out and visible on campus, students were engaged in numerous forms of activism. Students who were not engaged saw engagement as too risky or did not know about the existence of other queer students. Professionals working with LGBTQ young adults in an Evangelical Christian environment should support them in resisting marginalization and finding community with other LGBTQ young adults and connect them to opportunities to enact social change.