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Using Strayhorn’s framework of belonging, the authors analyze current support systems and advocate for systemic transformation beyond passive acceptance. The essay calls for active institutional change that centers LGBTQ+ experiences, addresses othering bureaucratic systems, and challenges traditional power structures to create truly inclusive campus environments.  \nKeywords: LGBTQ+, rural higher education, Bible Belt, sense of belonging  \nPlease direct inquires about this manuscript to: Evan W Faidley Ph.D., efaidley@[uca.edu.ORCID](uca.edu.ORCID) iD: [https://orcid.org/0000-0002-](https://orcid.org/0000-0002-)[ ](https://orcid.org/0000-0002-)0097-023X  \nCollege Student Affairs Journal, Volume 43(2), pp. 52-57 ISSN 2381-2338  \nCopyright 2025 Southern Association for College Student Affairs All rights of reproduction in any form reserved.  \n53 College Student Affairs Journal Vol. 43, No.2, 2025  \nA  \ngrowing body of research has examined the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) students in higher education, primari-  \nly in urban or more progressive areas (e.g., Renn, 2017). However, less of that research examines the experiences of LGBTQ+ students in rural areas, particularly in the rural South, often referred to as the “Bible Belt.” The region’s cultural, religious, and political characteristics lean conservatively and frequently alienate LGBTQ+ individuals from their queer identity. Administrators, faculty, and staff in higher education can actively support these students in building a sense of belonging and fostering inclusive campus environments. Todo so, understanding the intersection of rurality, religiosity, and sexuality is critical for contextualizing the experiences of LGBTQ+ students and assessing the effectiveness of current supportsystems within higher education. As co-authors representing a diverse range of identities, individually and culturally connected to this reflexive essay—domestic and international, heterosexual and queer, cisgender men and women, White American and Black African, and rural and metropolitan origins, with limited to extensive time in the Bible Belt—we draw on scholarship and our sense-making throughout the writing process. By synthesizing both context and current strategies, this essay aims to examine the factors that shape the experiences of belongingness among LGBTQ+ students in Southern higher education institutions.  \nRurality andReligiosityin the Bible Belt Context  \nThe Bible Belt moniker refers to “the almost perfect rectangle from the Georgia coast to Northern Kentucky to the western border of Texas”(Pollack, n.d., p.1).The Bible Belt carries a reputation for its web of allegiance between evangelical religiosity, racial angst, patriarchal norms, and political power.Identity development primarily falls to the Christian Church (Goetz, 2012), which has long  \nmaintained the political and racial status quo, leaving LGBTQ+ Southerners caught in the cultural crossfire. The tale of evangelical allegiance begins with Elazar’s (1972) theory of political cultures, categorizing each pre-revolution American colony into one of three political cultures and then tracked broad-scale immigration patterns from that colony as the nation expanded. Each of the three political cultures (Moralistic, Individualistic, and Traditionalistic) defines both the politic","cbCaiuLyVj2ZVddf","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaiuLyVj2ZVddf","pdf",154661,"English","# Abstract\n# Rurality and Religiosity in the Bible Belt Context\n## Political Cultures and Traditionalism\n## Evangelical Allegiance and the Southern Way of Life\n## Challenges for LGBTQ+ Communities in Rural Religious Spaces","[{\"question\":\"What setting does the essay focus on?\",\"answer\":\"The essay focuses on LGBTQ+ students in rural higher education institutions in the Bible Belt, where conservative cultural and evangelical religious forces intersect.\"},{\"question\":\"How does the essay analyze belonging?\",\"answer\":\"It applies Strayhorn’s framework of belonging to evaluate existing support systems and their impact on LGBTQ+ students’ sense of inclusion.\"},{\"question\":\"What change does the essay call for?\",\"answer\":\"The authors advocate for active institutional transformation that centers LGBTQ+ experiences, addresses othering bureaucratic systems, and challenges traditional power structures.\"}]","REIMAGINING RURAL LGBTQ+ STUDENTS’ SENSE OF BELONGING IN THE BIBLE BELT | PDF",1792030323,15]