"Other Queer People Are my Entire Sense of Belonging": Plurisexual Undergraduates' Sense of Belonging at a Regional University

Abstract

Of the research examining undergraduate students’ belongingness, monolithic approaches to LGBTQ+ student studies are common. Bisexual, pansexual, and other multi-gender attracted students (also known via umbrella terms such as plurisexual, bisexual+, or multi-sexual spectrum) are relatively understudied, despite calls for a more thorough understanding of the unique experiences of LGBTQ+ student sub-populations. This study addresses this gap by examining 19 plurisexual undergraduate students’ sense of belonging at a regional university, utilizing rich qualitative interviews. Findings evidenced simultaneous acceptance of bi+ identity and a permeation of monosexist stigma, ignorance, and erasure on campus. These factors contribute to a fluid sense of belonging, marked by peer interactions, LGBTQ+ resource contention, and faculty tensions. These findings have significant implications for inclusive practice/ research focused on the nuance of m-spec experiences.