The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 38, No. 2 & Volume 39, No. 1 - 145

Black Gay Male Undergraduates’ Experiences in Residence Halls

major conclusions. Bgmus at predominantly White institutions face social isolation from other Black and/or male students on campus (Patton, 2007; strayhorn & scott, in press; Washington & Wall, 2006). second, apart from struggling to fit in, Bgmus face the fear of losing friends if they come out, which can be detrimental to their development (strayhorn et al., 2010). third, the weight of evidence suggests that Bgmus encounter racism, discrimination, and harassment frequently in college settings (mullins & strayhorn, 2011; strayhorn et al., 2008).

. . . publicly acknowledging one’s sexual orientation can be seriously traumatizing, especially for gay men of color who often find themselves rejected or marginalized by members of their own race—the very people and resources they tend to need to productively cope with life challenges .

RESEARCH METHODS
this study is part of a larger research program that centers on the experiences of gay men of color attending predominantly White institutions (PWis) and historically Black colleges and universities (HBcus) in the united states. the present study, however, focuses on Bgmus at PWis only. and although the larger study consists of both quantitative and qualitative components, this article reports findings from the qualitative portion of the study. this decision was made in consonance with the study’s primary objectives to reveal what the experiences of Bgmus living in campus rHs are and to give voice to their interpretations of such experiences (Patton, 1990).

upon which future research can stand (Hill et al., 2005), and its congruent positioning with our own ethics and values as researchers in terms of how invisible and voiceless people can be seen and heard without doing damage or violence to their authentic voice (lincoln & guba, 1986) also made it a logical choice.

Site and Participants
the study was conducted at six 4-year PWis located in the northeastern, southeastern, and midwestern regions of the country. these institutions could be sorted into two major categories. those in category a were public research-1 institutions. each enrolls approximately 20,000-50,000 undergraduate and graduate students, with approximately 47% being “men” and less than 10% being “african american” or “Black,” at the time of this study. those in category B were private, highly selective research-1 institutions with enrollments of 8,000-11,000 students. the proportion of male and/or Black students enrolled at category B schools was similar to that of their public university counterparts, according to the universities’ institutional research office.
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Methodology
a constructivist qualitative approach was employed in the present study. this approach was selected on the basis of its epistemic underpinnings about the very nature of knowledge and how participants in a social setting construct multiple realities (glesne, 2006). its utility in investigating unexplored or rarely explored phenomena, its potential for building a foundation

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The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 38, No. 2 & Volume 39, No. 1

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 38, No. 2 & Volume 39, No. 1