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Abstract
Contemporary scholars use resiliency as a framework to present an anti-deficit perspective of the experiences of Black students and other historically minoritized groups attending colleges and universities (Kim & Hargrove, 2013; Morales, 2010; Morales, 2014). However, Black gay, bisexual, and same gender loving men (BGBSM) exhibit nuanced resiliency experiences given their social location at the intersection of their racial, sexual, and gender identities. Unfortunately, current research on resiliency in higher education presents a narrative that does not reflect a diversity of experiences among Black students. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the resiliency experiences of BGBSM, considering how their socialization experiences and institutions contextualize their perceptions of risk factors and vulnerabilities and the compensatory strategies they utilize. This study used Johnsons (2005) Quare Theory as a framework to design the study, collect, and analyze data. Data collection involved interviews and visual elicitation through the development of life history timeline diagrams. The life history timelines informed the development of the life history interview, while the interview data were analyzed utilizing a Quare Theory lens to inform the development of a composite resiliency counterstory. Major findings included: (1) there is diversity in the ways in which Black students access sources of resilience throughout their life course; (2) depending on current social location and past socialization experiences, BGBSM may have perceptions of risk and protective factors that are distinct from their Black peers; (3) compensatory strategies employed among BGBSM are contextualized by the intersection of their racial, gender, and sexual identities and the ways in which they were socialized across their life span; and (4) universities can provide viable resources and support that facilitate resiliency among BGBSM by showing a genuine effort and individualizing their method of support, taking into consideration the individual lived experiences of BGBSM and their own personal biases and experiences as providers and support systems. The significance of the findings has implications for practice, theory, and future research.