Spotlight on SOTL: From Visibility to Belonging: Supporting LGBTQ+ Students in Higher Education

This article is based on the following research article:

Raja, A., Lambert, K., Patlamazoglou, L., & Pringle, R. (2024). Diversity and Inclusion Strategies for LGBTQ+ Students from Diverse Ethnic Backgrounds in Higher Education: A Scoping Review. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 28(14), 3585-3605. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2023.2217814

LGBTQ+ students from diverse ethnic backgrounds experience unique barriers in higher education, often navigating multiple, overlapping forms of marginalization related to sexual orientation, gender identity, race, and ethnicity. This scoping review examined institutional strategies to support these students, including inclusive spaces, mentorship programs, and policy initiatives. While these supports exist, many fail to address intersectionality effectively. This research underscores the need for more comprehensive, evidence-based approaches that acknowledge and respond to the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ students from diverse backgrounds.

What did the researchers do and find? 

The researchers conducted a scoping review of 28 studies exploring diversity and inclusion efforts for LGBTQ+ students from diverse ethnic backgrounds in higher education across the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Australia, and New Zealand. The review examined strategies aimed at supporting these students and assessed their effectiveness.

Key findings include:

• Queer-Inclusive Spaces: LGBTQ+ resource centers exist, but many do not fully consider the experiences of racialized students, thus leading to feelings of exclusion.
• Mentorship and Support Services: Peer and faculty mentorship can foster belonging, but many programs remain siloed and fail to address the experiences of students navigating multiple marginalized identities.
• Institutional Policy Gaps: While universities often have diversity and inclusion policies, many remain symbolic rather than actionable, which leads to inconsistent implementation.
• Curriculum Inclusion: LGBTQ+ representation in course content can help students feel seen, but many efforts fail to incorporate perspectives from LGBTQ+ scholars of diverse ethnic backgrounds.

Intersectionality matters. Universities often address LGBTQ+ inclusion and racial/ethnic inclusion separately, rather than considering how the two intersect. The researchers call for more intentional, research-driven strategies to support students who experience multiple layers of marginalization.

How might you use this research in your teaching?

Creating an inclusive classroom means taking intentional steps to support all students, including those navigating multiple marginalized identities. This research offers practical ways for educators to make meaningful changes.

• Integrate Intersectionality into Course Content – Representation matters. Including scholarship (e.g., research articles, commentaries, perspectives, videos etc.) from LGBTQ+ academics of diverse ethnic backgrounds ensures students see their identities reflected in academic discourse.
• Foster Inclusive Discussion Spaces – Structured, open dialogue about race, gender, and sexuality can help students feel safer contributing to discussions without fear of alienation.
• Recognize and Address Microaggressions – Small biases—like assuming all LGBTQ+ experiences are the same—can add to students’ sense of un-belonging. Acknowledging and actively addressing these can help foster a more welcoming classroom environment.
• Advocate for Institutional Change – If policies or initiatives feel performative rather than impactful, educators can push for more meaningful action, such as faculty training in intersectional support or increased funding for student-led diversity initiatives.

Taking small but intentional steps can have a big impact. By embedding inclusive practices into our teaching, we can create learning environments where LGBTQ+ students from diverse backgrounds feel seen, valued, and supported.