research overview
- My research spans the areas of sexualities, gender, geography, and rural studies. More specifically, my research is motivated by my understanding of the urban/rural divide that is often present in current scholarship on queer communities. Rural spaces have often been considered less welcoming locales for queer individuals, while urban spaces are often lauded as ideal locations for building queer communities. The goal of my research is to challenge dichotomous understandings of how geography shapes queer and trans experiences, and to improve our overall understanding of queer and trans lives in rural spaces. I find that while there are many challenges for rural queer women, including struggles relating to poverty, addiction, relationships, and families, these women are often able to overcome these, and other, difficulties and find ways to not only survive, but also, in many cases, to thrive in these spaces.
