New Article on Lesbian, Queer, Bisexual(LQB) Sorority Women
A new article has been published with my frequent writing colleagues Kimberly R. Davis (Penn State University), Shelley Price-Williams (University of Northern Iowa), Kim E. Bullington (Old Dominion University) and my former graduate research assistant Lacey Ketchum (Texas Women’s University). It is entiled “Negotiating Femininity: Lesbian, Queer, and Bisexual Women Navigating Gender, Sexuality, and Identity in Sororities and appears in the Journal of Diversity in Higher Education which is published by the American Psychological Association.
This article reports a descriptive phenomenological qualitative study of 20 lesbian-, queer-, and bisexual-identified sorority members across culturally based, NPHC, and NPC sororities at predominantly White institutions. The study examines how these women negotiated their sexual and gender identities within sorority spaces that often remain heteronormative, even when they present themselves as inclusive. Using Dillon et al.’s unifying model of sexual identity development as a framework, the authors found that participants often experienced stigma tied to stereotypes about queer women, especially assumptions that they should appear masculine or fit narrow labels. In response, many participants emphasized femininity, carefully managed how visible their sexuality was, and separated their sexual identity from their sense of womanhood in order to maintain acceptance and navigate sorority life.
At the same time, the study shows that sororities also served as important sites of belonging, affirmation, and sisterhood. Many participants described finding trusted “secret sisters” who provided emotional safety, support, and validation, even when the broader chapter climate pressured them to conform to hyperfeminine norms. The authors argue that these women were not simply hiding; rather, they were strategically negotiating identity in environments shaped by homophobia, compulsory heterosexuality, and gender policing. The study concludes that sororities can be both affirming and constraining spaces in which they may help LQB members feel connected and validated as women, while also pressuring them to camouflage aspects of themselves. The article recommends that practitioners and sorority organizations strengthen authentic belonging, expand visible LGBTQ+ support, and provide education that reduces stigma and allows members to express their identities more fully.
The article is available in the Journal of Diversity in Higher Education (see link).
