A look at “Coming out(side): Challenges and supports experienced by LGBTQ+ undergraduates in field-based courses” by Sam J. Ahler, Isabella Morse, Sara Padula, Samuel Zavala, Lisa Corwin and Scott A. Taylor (2026)
Picture a week of fieldwork: sleeping in shared cabins, hiking through remote countryside, a single shower block, and long evenings with classmates and instructors you barely know. For many students, it’s the highlight of their degree. For LGBTQIA+ students, it can also come with a rucksack full of extra worries. This American study, from ecology and environmental science, asked queer students what those worries are, and what helps.
What they found
The researchers interviewed 14 LGBTQIA+ undergraduates and recent graduates who’d taken field courses with overnight stays. Eight themes emerged, five challenges and three sources of support.
The challenges:
- Hostile surroundings. Fieldwork often takes place in rural, politically conservative areas, so students felt they had to be careful about how visible they were.
- The physical environment limits expression. Remote conditions made it harder to present as themselves, for example with clothing, grooming or binding.
- Nerve-wracking rooming. Unclear or gendered sleeping arrangements caused significant anxiety, often before the trip had even started.
- Gendered bathrooms. Gender-diverse students had to juggle their identity and expression just to use the loo.
- Instructors who didn’t make space. Some staff were neglectful, naïve or unaware rather than openly hostile, but the effect was still exclusion.
The supports:
- Community among queer students. Being isolated together often helped LGBTQIA+ students find each other and bond.
- Explicit instructor support. This was the biggest factor. Clear signals of inclusion, asking about rooming needs in advance, and giving students choice made a huge difference.
- Comfort with fluidity. Many students described adapting their expression to different settings, which reduced some discomfort.
A grain of glitter ✨
This is a thoughtful study on an overlooked topic, with practical lessons for any educator running residential trips. But it’s small: 14 students, all from US universities, interviewed about their own experiences, so it can’t tell us how common these challenges are.
The theme of “fluidity” deserves a gentle second look. The authors themselves call it complicated. Being able to flex your presentation may ease discomfort, but it may also be a form of masking or self-protection that carries its own cost. It shouldn’t be mistaken for the problem being solved.
Why this matters
This study is about field trips, but its lessons apply to residential courses, retreats, work trips, festivals or any situation where you’re away from your safe spaces. If you’re LGBTQIA+ and feel anxious about such situations, that’s an entirely understandable response to genuine uncertainty. It’s okay to ask organisers about rooming and facilities in advance, to seek out allies, and to look after yourself. Therapy can help you plan for these situations, and process any that didn’t go well.
Every unicorn deserves to enjoy the great outdoors, without worrying which cabin it’ll be bunking in.