Dissertation: I’m Fully Myself and You Are Too: Developing a Continuum of Queer Trans Sexual Safety in Nightlife Contexts

Researchers have found that negative sexual experiences occur in nightlife settings, and have sought to identify the drivers of these experiences as well as preventive solutions. This body of inquiry overwhelmingly focuses on the experiences and needs of young women who are assumed to be cisgender and heterosexual, and does not consider potentially differing needs of gender and sexuality minorities. The purpose of this descriptive qualitative study was to include gender and sexuality minority voices in this conversation and surface identity-specific experiences, needs, and ideas for how to support sexual safety in nightlife contexts.

Data collection was conducted using semi-structured interviews with 40 gender and sexuality minorities who went out in New York City nightlife an average of at least once per week. Through reflexive thematic analysis, a three-part Continuum of Sexual Safety in Nightlife was developed: (a) as long as bad things don’t happen, (b) consent is mandatory, and (c) I’m being myself and you are too. Ideas for how nightlife operators could alter their establishments to improve feelings of sexual safety for gender and sexuality minority patrons were identified across physical venues, policies, and staff hiring and training. Implications of the findings are discussed. Future studies should extend this preliminary research to better understand the needs and experiences of gender and sexuality minority nightlife patrons and evaluate the economic case for implementing these suggestions in nightlife settings.

Download the full document here: https://academiccommons.columbia.edu/doi/10.7916/yzsn-ds31