Entanglements of sexualities and genders within higher education employees and policies

This qualitative doctoral inquiry explored the intra-actions, entanglements, and lived materialities of university policies and LGBTQIA+ employees. At a public university located in the Deep South, three university-wide policies and interviews from twenty-seven queer and trans-spectrum employees were collect from October 2014 through January 2015. The data acquired during that timeframe was analyzed by thinking with Karen Barad’s (2007) new material feminisms. The multimethod framework operationalized new material feminisms concepts alongside qualitative research interviews and policy analysis as the methodological tools. Through methodological mapping, three assertion rose from the findings that made the following claims: 1) a university façade existed and was constructed through policies that require, reward, and hide the subjugation and compliance of its employees; 2) policy attempted to homogenize queer and trans spectrum identities and in doing so made gender and sexuality identities matter; and 3) policy language produced material implications and cloaked information relevant to LGBTQIA+ employees’ lives. These assertions provide evidence of material realities in organizational policies and everyday experiences of employees.