(In)tolerance and (in)visibility: LGBTQ+ sense of place in the Stratford area
Abstract
In this thesis, I draw on a thematic analysis of 23 interviews with white LGBTQ+ participants in the Stratford area to examine factors affecting participants’ sense of place. The research questions guiding this work are: How do participants make sense of their place in the Stratford area? How and where do participants experience a sense of belonging and not belonging in the Stratford area? And how does a sense of belonging or not belonging affect participants’ experiences within these spaces? My approach to this research is informed by feminist and queer methodologies. When possible, interviews for this research were conducted as walking interviews and I reflect on the significance of walking with participants in this thesis.
My analysis of participants’ accounts suggests that their sense of place is affected by the heteronormative nature of the environment in which they live. While the majority of participants express a general sense of comfort in the area, the ways in which they talk about their sense of comfort suggests that it is the result of sustained work, strategies, and negotiations of (in)visibility and (in)tolerance. Thinking about what makes the area liveable or less liveable for participants, I use the concept of comfort zones to illustrate the importance of support networks and to draw attention to the affective work that participants engage in on a regular basis. Finally, I consider how the concept of vulnerable recognition opens up possibilities for thinking about (in)visibility that addresses rather than mitigates ambivalent recognition and misrecognition.
My findings reveal that sense of place is meaningfully affected by gender and sexuality. Notably, trans and non-binary participants express a sense of being less at ease in the area compared to cis participants. Further findings indicate that participants express a desire for more consistent and supported community in the area. Finally, I suggest that dominant coming out discourses inadequately encapsulate participants’ experiences, which involve continually negotiating their (in)visibility and (in)tolerance in a heteronormative society, and that vulnerable recognition may offer a more fruitful approach. By focusing on an area surrounding a small, rural adjacent city, this research contributes to efforts to study LGBTQ+ folks outside of major urban centres.