ABSTRACT
A uniquely American idea, community colleges have offered open access to students from a wide range of backgrounds and with diverse experiences, perspectives, and goals. In fact, community colleges enroll larger percentages of students from minoritized groups than do four-year institutions. Given this, and that there are, and have been, a significant number of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) individuals in our nation and around the world, it would make sense that community colleges have and continue to serve LGBTQ+ students and have faculty and staff who identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community. While literature about LGBTQ+ college students, specifically, and creating LGBTQ+ affirming campuses, generally, has been on the sharp rise over the last two decades, most of this literature is rooted in discussions of 4-year institutions. Using the Minoritized Identities of Sexuality and Gender model, this chapter explores the literature that does exist and presents aspects of quality practice associated with operating from an LGBTQ+ affirmative space in community colleges. Suggestions to practitioners and scholars for how the overall understanding of LGBTQ+ experiences in community colleges might be expanded in the future are also offered.
