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Misrepresentation of LGBTQ+ People and Communities in Sociological Research
The majority of sociological research on LGBTQ+ people and communities has been conducted in big cities and urban areas, but understudies life for LGBTQ+ people in the south and rural areas of the United States. This has led to misrepresentation and a lack of understanding of how LGBTQ+ people from rural areas live. Misrepresentation of marginalized communities has many negative effects. These effects often leave marginalized communities left without access to proper information and resources.

Amy L. Stone goes further in her article, “The Geography of Research on LGBTQ Life: Why sociologists should study the South, rural queers, and ordinary cities” to argue that the convenience of studying larger cities has led to a misrepresentation of life and issues for all LGBTQ+ people. In her research, Stone accounts for geography and moves beyond metronormativity, to show that regional bias of sociological studies of LGBTQ+ communities (14% Midwest, 10% South, 4% southwest), which geographically have the highest amount of rural areas, is not representative of the demographics of LGBTQ+ life. “According to a Williams Institute report on the geography of LGBT Americans, over one-third of LGBT people (35%) live in America’s South, which is equivalent to the number of LGBT people in the Northeast and Pacific region combined”. Sociological studies focusing on LGBTQ+ life in larger cities, give society the impression that most LGBTQ+ people leave rural areas and head to larger cities. Sociologist D’Lane Compton reports in her studies that many LGBTQ+ people, including herself, love their hometowns and love living in rural areas. “To learn that there were queer people in Texas, that I wasn't the only one, and that some of us had a deep love for our state (enough to tattoo it on my arm) challenged many stereotypes within academia”. As shown in Stone’s research 35% of LGBTQ+ people live in the south, which is more than a third of America, but because most of the sociological research is focused on larger cities and urban areas, the understandings of the way that LGBTQ+ people live in the South are often overlooked. These misunderstandings could lead to continued bias and discrimination of LGBTQ+ people from rural communities.

Sociological studies often shed light on issues specific communities are facing. This research is often useful to policymakers of cities and towns. They use this information to pinpoint issues such as healthcare, income gaps, and gender inequalities and create new policies that can allow marginalized groups to gain access to the resources they need to succeed. Many marginalized groups don’t have access to proper healthcare, and LGBTQ+ people are among this group. Research shows that many LGBTQ+ people suffer from mental health and substance abuse issues. This problem is often worse in rural areas. Lack of proper representation of LGBTQ+ people means that many issues they are facing are overlooked when it comes to policy change. Not having access to resources can often exacerbate these issues. “When isolated from supportive social networks and unable to access LGBTQ specific resources, risks for mental distress for rural gender and sexual minorities can multiply”. While not having access to resources as an LGBTQ+ adult is a problem the issue starts in adolescents. Many schools have done their best to create an affirming environment and provide access to basic resources, but LGBTQ+ youth in rural areas often don’t have the proper resources. “While there is evidence that GSAs can facilitate safer and more affirming school contexts for LGBTQ students and allies, potentially contributing to improved psychosocial outcomes and school achievement for LGBTQ+ students, they may not be designed to provide clinical services or meet complex needs.” Proper representation for LGBTQ+ people and communities is important. If sociological researchers only study LGBTQ+ people and communities from larger cities and urban areas, the issues that LGBTQ+ people and communities face in rural areas will continue to be overlooked.