Course
SOAN 450, GEOG 474
Document Type
Student Paper
Publication Date
Spring 5-16-2020
Disciplines
Gender and Sexuality | Human Geography | Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies | Place and Environment | Social and Cultural Anthropology | Urban Studies and Planning
Description, Abstract, or Artist's Statement
Cities are broadly conceived to be queer utopia when compared with rural spaces. While the Quad Cities of Illinois and Iowa fit this simplistic model in some ways, the region has several unique characteristics that warrant their own investigation. I argue that the social climate of the Quad Cities is generally perceived as welcoming and inclusive by the LGBTQ+ community. However, despite an assortment of community-building institutions, some find socialization and partner-seeking a bit difficult. Many advocate for investment in a variety of physical LGBTQ+ “third places” (public gathering places), which would yield a variety of benefits for this community. Through ethnographic accounts, I explore the experiences, assets, and needs of the Quad Cities LGBTQ+ community and find that physical community structures are still largely necessary despite improving acceptance and transformative geosocial technologies.
Augustana Digital Commons Citation
Burke, Robert. "LGBTQC: Queer Perspectives on the Illinois-Iowa Quad Cities" (2020). Anthropology: Student Scholarship & Creative Works.
https://digitalcommons.augustana.edu/anthstudent/9
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International License.
Included in
Gender and Sexuality Commons, Human Geography Commons, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies Commons, Place and Environment Commons, Social and Cultural Anthropology Commons, Urban Studies and Planning Commons