Un/belonging Identities: Relating Narratives of Queer Trauma

This Research Topic will examine the impact of trauma as it relates to the lived experiences of well-being on and in LGBTQIA+ lives in educational domains. The papers in the Topic will (re)present kaleidoscopic experiences of the social and cultural landscapes of the performative abjection of Queer gender and sexuality as experienced in and across cultural differences and intersectionality in school settings. The papers in the collection will draw on the sociology of affect as a lens for addressing how social and emotional well-being in LGBTQIA+ lives is a constant negotiation for young people. The concept of social well-being has been instrumental in bringing together a number of burgeoning disciplines across the social field sector and this Research Topic will focus on how LGBTQIA+ self-identified young people navigate historical traumas, social isolation and generate social well-being in their personal lives and communities. Researchers like Van der Kolk (2015) and Perry and Winfrey (2021) draw our attention to the impact of trauma on the body and the brain. They highlight the damaging and often long-term effect of trauma on brain development and the nervous system. Attention is also given to the ways in which trauma can inhibit, weaken and alter higher order thinking skills, concentration and neurological pathways in the brain. The body’s response to trauma can also result in a constant release of hormones such as adrenalin and cortisol that can lead to a heightened nervous system. To date there has been limited research on LGBTQI+ trauma informed narratives and their effects in Queer life worlds. The Research Topic will disseminate trauma-informed educative frameworks of practice, strengths-based resources and culturally inclusive language protocols (Greig, Bailey, Abbott, & Brunzell, 2021).