The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 38, No. 2 & Volume 39, No. 1 - 157

Black Gay Male Undergraduates’ Experiences in Residence Halls

ficult and uncertain: Black heterosexual female peers, gay or ally ras and affirming housing professionals, and an abiding personal drive to achieve, despite obstacles or setbacks, which is typically referred to in the literature as resilience. Findings from this study make clear that positive social interactions and meaningful friendships with Black heterosexual women and gay or ally housing staff positively enhanced the experiences of Bgmus living in campus rHs. Participants, on average, felt that they had more in common with Black women than they did with their same-race male counterparts. and it was that which they held in common that provided the foundation for building meaningful relationships that sustained them in college. While these findings reflect prior research on Black gay male adults (Harris, 2003; strayhorn & scott, in press), our study augments existing knowledge by demonstrating how this operates for Bgmus in campus rHs at PWis. the potential applications of this research to practice are many. the study’s findings should be of particular interest to campus constituencies who have a vested interest in improving the experiences of all students generally and Bgmus specifically in campus rHs. For example, housing professionals or ras might provide workshops or seminars that educate residents, particularly White male peers, on racism and challenge their unexamined beliefs about those who are different. Findings also suggest that promoting purposeful engagement among Bgmus and their peers can enhance their rH experiences. thus, rH student organizations and recent innovations (e.g., living-learning communities) might be effective strategies for facilitating such involvement among residents.

counseling and mental health professionals also may benefit from the results of this study. Findings from this analysis highlight the challenges that Bgmus face in campus rHs. unresolved conflicts may lead them to resign themselves to silence, thereby internalizing negative feelings and anger, which, in turn, can lead to distress, depression, and deep feelings of loneliness. recall that 100% of our participants indicated that they had contemplated suicide at least once while living on campus. counseling staff might use these results to help Bgmus anticipate the potential challenges that they may face in rHs, assist their clients in developing productive responses to negative situations, and partner with other staff such as ras and housing professionals to educate residents about living together peacefully, respecting differences in others, and talking through conflicts. Findings have implications for future research, which might proceed in any number of directions. For instance, the present study focuses exclusively on Bgmus. Future researchers might employ a similar design to investigate the experiences of gay male collegians who identify as latino, asian, or native american. it is also true that this study was limited to the experiences of Bgmus living in rHs at PWis. Future work should consider this question within the context of historically Black colleges and universities. lastly, more information is needed to understand how these challenges instigate or inhibit gay identity development among Bgmus. Future theoretical work might attempt to explain the underlying causal mechanism by investigating Bgmus’ experiences in other campus settings.

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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