@article{Chicago-Based:2088,
      recid = {2088},
      author = {Keene, Lance},
      title = {Young Black Gay Men's Access to Queer Space and LGBTQ  Services: A Chicago-Based Examination},
      publisher = {The University of Chicago},
      school = {Ph.D.},
      address = {2019-12},
      pages = {118},
      abstract = {This constructivist grounded theory dissertation study  investigates Chicago Black gay men’s perceptions and  experiences of the city of Chicago’s LGBTQ health  infrastructure. The study examines these men’s descriptions  and experiences of interpersonal and structural trauma  within the context of their lives as well as the myriad  challenges that men faced in their LGBTQ health seeking and  service utilization experiences. Contrary to prevailing  public health discourses, participants reported confronting  multiple and intersecting forms of risk, trauma, and  marginalization within multiple social domains.    

The  dissertation sought to answer a guiding research question:  What are the social and contextual factors that motivate or  inhibit LGBTQ health infrastructure access or engagement  for Chicago Black gay men ages 18 to 25? Consistent with  constructivist grounded theory methodology, the researcher  used a multi-method approach. These data collection methods  included: (a) in-depth interviews, (b) shadowing, and (c)  participant observation. The researcher interviewed 30  Chicago Black gay men who ranged in age from 18 to 25 with  prior and/or ongoing involvement with Chicago’s LGBTQ  organizations. The researcher shadowed 3 additional Chicago  Black gay men who were ages 18 to 25. Finally, the  researcher engaged in participant observation at two South  Side Chicago LGBTQ organizations for approximately one year  to contextualize in-depth interview and shadowing data.  

This dissertation, as both an empirical investigation and  theoretical intervention, develops two grounded theories  —intersectional trauma and spatial marginalization.  Intersectional trauma addresses the multiple and  overlapping forms of trauma that participants reported as  motivating their engagement with Chicago LGBTQ  organizations. Spatial marginalization, alternatively,  organizes and explains spatial characteristics that Black  gay men describe that may challenge their abilities to  access various LGBTQ organizations. Although the study is  limited due its focus on Black gay men who reside in one  urban context—i.e., Chicago—and these particular men’s  distinct descriptions and experiences of its LGBTQ health  infrastructure, the study does the important work of  identifying key processes and mechanisms relating to the  social and contextual factors that motivate and inhibit  access to and engagement with LGBTQ health infrastructure  for marginalized racial, gender, and sexual minority  populations.},
      url = {http://knowledge.uchicago.edu/record/2088},
      doi = {https://doi.org/10.6082/uchicago.2088},
}