Research and Overall Process

Research Process

Step one in the assessment of the EvCC Pride Center was the research process. The importance of this could not be overstated as the research would heavily inform the survey questions. Several scholarly articles all had similar findings. Those with intersecting identities found themselves at odds with their campus queer spaces. Queer people of color felt that the excessive use of the rainbow flag was most commonly associated white gay men. Trans and nonbinary people also felt a lack of representation as well. Overall, those experiencing intersectionality had the most trouble feeling comfortable in queer safe spaces. Personally, I felt that the size and location of the EvCC Pride Center was insufficient. This space was created for people of the queer community, and if I, a gay man, had no desire to utilize this space, then what purpose was it serving? Furthermore, the location is also concerning. Currently, it’s located in a high traffic area where hundreds of people pass by daily. For those new to their sexuality, etc., may not like being so visible to a majority of the campus population. While I had no idea what my survey would find, I had to discover how the queer community on campus felt about the Pride Center.

Creating the Survey

Creating the survey was a very crucial part of this project. I had the goal of reaching at least 50 respondents. In the end, we actually reached 60. Since most people feel indifferent to surveys, it was important that it was short, sweet, and succinct. The length was the most important part, in my opinion. I aimed for less than 10 questions, because I didn’t want it to be overwhelming, and have people give up before they even began. I started the survey by asking people how they identified. This was important, because it made the respondents feel seen, but it also made their identities the central point of this project. Because the research commonly mentioned People of Color and those that didn’t identify as gay, it was important that I collected that data as part of the survey. Using inclusive language was also important. I tried to include the common identities, while leaving an “Other” option where those that didn’t fit in the aforementioned categories could fill in how they identified. My end goal was to discover the identities and ethnicities of the queer community on campus, and how those relate to their ideas and opinions on the Pride Center.  

Reaching 60 Survey Respondents

College staff was pivotal in reaching the 50 respondent threshold. I used multiple avenues and outlets on campus. One, I reached out to Eugene McAvoy, Associate Dean of Student LIFE, who had the survey advertised on Canvas. Two, I emailed the Student 411, and had the survey put out in their weekly email. Third, I contacted Sam Case, from the Gender & Sexuality Alliance, who posted the link in the group Discord. I also had help from Shelli Jordan-Zirkle and Christina Sampson. Reaching over 50 respondents was difficult, but with the help of the DESJ instructors and fellow college administrators, we were successful! 

What We Discovered

While the findings didn’t completely mirror the research, we still uncovered some interesting data about the queer community on campus and their thoughts regarding the Pride Center. One, I learned that there is a myriad of ways one can identify. It never occurred to me that people could be both trans and gay, etc. Also, I learned that many people in the queer community have intersecting identities, which makes writing a survey and analyzing the data difficult. I also learned new ways of identifying, such as demisexual and sapiosexual. Second, 62 percent of the respondents identified as white, with the bulk identifying as bisexual. Over half of the respondents were aware we had a Pride Center on campus, and felt having one was very important. Regardless, 78 percent of those respondents reported never visiting the Pride Center in the past year, with size being the one thing they would change about the center. While this survey was merely a conversation starter, it would be tough to argue that there is not a disconnect somewhere between the queer community on campus and the Pride Center. Overall, they see the importance in having one, and found it somewhat inviting, but still chose not to visit it once in the past year.