Queering Food Access: A Qualitative Analysis of Intersectional Lived Experiences of LGBTQIA2S+ University Students with Food Insecurity in the American South

• Author / Creator

  Lumens, Eli G.

• Food insecurity affects 29% of adults (2.4 million people) annually in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, agender, asexual, and Two-Spirit (LGBTQIA2S+) community (Gates, 2014). The college and university student population has a similarly high rate of food insecurity with 39% of students reporting experiencing 30-day food insecurity in 2020 (Baker-Smith et al., 2020). However, little research has examined food insecurity amongst the LGBTQIA2S+ community or the college and university student population in detail. To address this, this research examines food access at the intersection of the LGBTQIA2S+ community and the university and college student population, as told by the community itself. A qualitative, community-based approach and methods of PhotoVoice and semi-structured interviews with eight self-identified LGBTQIA2S+ university students studying at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) were used to explore how food access was impacted by participants’ individual LGBTQIA2S+ identities, in addition to physical, socio-cultural, and political environmental factors. Data were analyzed using thematic decomposition analysis guided by intersectionality and queer theories. Findings show that both LGBTQIA2S+ identities and university student status are correlated with increased risk of food insecurity. The research also identifies additional factors such as income and employment, support systems, and the socio-cultural environment, that influence food security for LGBTQIA2S+ university students. Individuals’ lived experiences of food insecurity highlight the importance of an in-depth understanding of intersectionality and the complexity of identities in developing strategies to improve food access and thus decrease food insecurity. To my knowledge, the findings of this study represent the first evidence of community-based food studies research conducted with the guidance of both intersectionality and queer theories. Therefore, the findings of my thesis provide novel insights into experiences with food insecurity, a relevant issue that is increasingly influencing the health and well-being of LGBTQIA2S+ university students.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Food insecurity
  • LGBTQIA2S+
  • Food access
  • university students
  • health
  • intersectionality theory
  • queer theory
  • PhotoVoice
  • thematic analysis

• Graduation date

  Fall 2022

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Arts

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/r3-2kd1-he89

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Library with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.