Narrating the Importance and Navigation of Family Relationships Among LGBTQ+ BIPOC College Students

LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and other minoritized genders and sexualities) and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) communities contend with oppressive realities on and off college campuses. Family relationships—families of origin and chosen families—have garnered attention for how they support and/or marginalize LGBTQ+ BIPOC college students. Informed by intersectionality as a theoretical framework, this narrative inquiry study centered on nine LGBTQ+ BIPOC students as they described the influence of families of origin and chosen families during college. Findings revealed the contexts that informed their negotiation of family relationships, how they discussed connection to family of origin based on family members' adherence to oppressive beliefs, and how chosen family served as a powerful mediator to oppressive realities. Shaped by these findings, we provide implications for research and practice relevant to higher education and student affairs.