HBCUs are a safe haven, but LGBTQ+ students don’t feel like they have a space on campus
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When Rykki Lide arrived at North Carolina A&T State University, a historically Black university, in 2022, the campus culture was not what they expected.
“You know, when you come to these institutions and do the research on them, you expect them to be this safe space for all Black people,” Lide said. When you arrive, it’s not what you expected. I think my expression of being queer really affects how others perceive me on campus. I think my expression of being queer really affects how I am perceived by others on campus.”
Lide’s experience at NCAT wasn’t unique: Devin Pryor, a recent Florida A&M University graduate, told Rewire News Group that as a queer student, he didn’t feel like he could fully be part of the student community.
“Being queer on campus isn’t frowned upon per se, but it makes it pretty difficult to go for more prestigious roles on campus, such as Mr. FAMU, or join Divine Nine organizations,” Pryor said. “We kind of have these stigmatizations that we cannot be part of the community to access those kinds of opportunities.”
Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have long been a haven for many of their students. Their campuses provide an outlet for Black students to express themselves freely without judgment and allow them to be in an environment with peers of similar ethnic backgrounds.
Although HBCUs are safe for some, that’s not the case for others. LGBTQ+ students are often ignored and not given the support they need at HBCUs. They also lack many queer resources, such as LGBTQ+ medical services, a strong Pride student union, or an LGBTQ+ resource center.
Institutions’ histories influence current student culture
Ted Eytan/Flickr
The lack of queer resources at many HBCUs can be partially traced to their history. This is often intertwined in religion as Black churches and missions founded most of these universities. Claflin University and Clark Atlanta University are two of the 11 schools that were founded by the United Methodist Church between 1866 and1882 for Black people. The churches also founded other major HBCUs: Atlanta’s Morehouse College, founded in 1867 by Springfield Baptist Church, and Mississippi’s Rust College, founded in 1866 by Ashbury Methodist Episcopal Church. This has created a conservative culture at HBCUs that has suppressed identities which are not heteronormative. The effect of those values can still be felt today, which contributes to the reason why many HBCUs lack the support their LGBTQ+ students need.
According to a recent study, LGBTQ+ students at HBCUs experience conflict with a religion-backed binary gender system and an evolution of student identity and expression. This culture continues to suppress LGBTQ+ students who attend these institutions.
The lack of resources and support from HBCUs can change the environment for queer students at these institutions. The lack of support and resources can make them feel excluded, leading to them seeking out other places to find safety. Queer students may also feel pressure to suppress their identities from the lack of representation from their universities.
Some HBCUs do have resources for students, but they are not functioning properly or not well maintained, preventing students from benefiting from them and getting the support they need.
This reflects Georgette Walley’s experience as a marketing student at Savannah State University.
“On the student side of things, I feel represented but not so much from the administration side,” Walley said. “I feel that SSU is doing things to suppress queer presence on campus.” We do have a Rainbow Room, which is meant to be a safe place for queer people, but it was recently found very dirty and unmaintained like all the other student rooms.” We have a department but they do not support the queer community well. There are so many ways that they can improve.”
Charting their own path
Despite the adversity queer students face at their institutions, they are putting in the work to find and create community on their campuses. Many are making a path for themselves while being unapologetically queer in a heteronormative space.
Students at these HBCUs have created their own safe spaces, such as MOSAIC, made by queer+ Hampton University students in 2017, and Florida A&M Spectrum, the school’s Pride union, which was re-founded in 2022 after ceasing operations because of COVID-19.
“You know, when you come to these institutions and do the research on them, you expect them to be this safe space for all Black people, but when you get there, the culture is not here.”
– Rykki Lide, North Carolina A&T State University student
For some students, it can be easier to find other queer students to be in community with, while others have more difficulty and feel isolated. Evan Stevenson, a Florida A&M senior, said he’s had his fair share of both feelings.
“The queer community here is very welcoming and friendly, but I feel like it’s a lot easier to find the queer people but not the queer spaces,” Stevenson said. “There are definitely some times where I feel surrounded by the queer community, but there is some lack too.”
Progressing institutional LGBTQ+ inclusion
Despite the lack of adequate resources for queer students, progress has been made to improve their experiences. Bowie State University in Maryland is the first HBCU to establish an LGBTQ+ resource center, providing information and training to support queer students and champion inclusion on campus.
Howard University offers gender-inclusive housing that is “affirming and supportive of transgender, gender nonconforming, and ally students,” according to the student affairs website. The institution’s LGBTQ+ resource center that aims to support queer students and build an inclusive community.
Spelman College, a historically Black women’s college, started on the road to progress in 2017 by allowing transgender women to be admitted. Morehouse, an historically Black men’s college, did the same two years later. But there’s still room for improvement. Campus Pride, an organization that promotes safe college environments for LGBTQ+ students, reports that five of the 107 HBCUs offer an LGBTQ+ resource center and that at least 24 HBCUs provide a safe space or LGBTQ+ group. They provide a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community on campus but we are not able to be ourselves. We must be able feel at home here and to be accepted by all.”
