A Queer Writing Center: Part Two

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Part two: QUEER INVISIBILITY IN WRITING CENTERS

The first section of this series, Invisibility of Queer People in the Writing Center, delved into the absence of queer students in centers, specifically how that absence stems from the roots of fear. Fear that they, their queer identity, may be ostracized in a typically heteronormative space that claims to promote inclusivity. This anxiety surrounding how their gender or sexuality may be perceived pressures some queer students into masking themselves under a guise of a ‘normative,’ cisgender, heterosexual person. In turn, the student’s masking of their identity distracts from two of the primary goals of the writing: improvement of the student’s writing and the fostering of inclusivity. These issues directly affect the experience of the student writer but also hinder the diversity of perspectives that are crucial in the discourse-based nature of academic writing.  However, the negatives derived from the withdrawal of LGBTQ students in the writing center can be avoided through the creation of a queer writing center.

A queer writing center is one that, as Harry Denny describes, realizes that a student writer comes to the center as an “intricately woven tapestry, rich in the authenticity and texture of identities” that “often requires something extra to be legitimated in the academy” (103). Specifically, a queer writing center is one that not only vivaciously supports writers and the many facets of their identities but also amplifies their diverse voices, fresh perspectives. Most of all, it is a safe space for queer students, a space free from the idea of rejection and where their writerly attitudes may be further developed. These benefits, along with methods as to how one may create a queer writing center, are explored in the later sections of this text. The implementation of the ideas described would lead to the betterment of inclusivity in writing center practices and the advocation of queer students who feel invisible.

BENEFITS OF A QUEER WRITING CENTER

Continuing to adhere to the heteronormative origins of the writing center does not allow for proper exploration into the nuances of identity and the wider world. Rather, traditional perspectives and exclusionary conventions undermine the academic community that writing centers attempt to cultivate. With attention focused on reproducing popular ideas in new texts and media, the alienation of students in the academic writing community is preserved (Goshert 22).  By implementing more inclusive tutoring practices to foster a queer-friendly space, writing centers could shift that focus. In changing the emphasis from normative, exclusive ideas in media and language, writing centers could pioneer a more expansive, accepting, academic discourse.

Creating a more inclusive writing center and amplifying the voices of LGBTQ student-writers would directly benefit the wealth of ideas exchanged between tutors and tutees. Elizabeth Meyers tags this expanded discourse and knowledge under the concept of queer theory (15). Meyer stresses that queer theory not only highlights the queer experience of student-writers but also “seeks to explode rigid normalizing categories into possibilities that exist beyond the binaries of man/woman, masculine/feminine, student/teacher, gay and straight” (15). By creating a queer writing center and including the voices of LGBTQ student writers, writing centers would offer another lens through which lifetime learners could traverse, celebrate, and understand more the many perspectives present in the wider world; thus, enriching the experiences of all.

CREATION OF A QUEER WRITING CENTER

While the benefits of creating a queer writing center are clear, the path to inclusion is more winding. What constitutes a 'safe space' for one individual may still be precarious for a queer student-writer. Sending out surveys to marginalized groups and asking students who identify within the queer community how writing center practices could better cater to their identities would allow for a more developed perspective straight from the source. However, while garnering an understanding of the needs of LGBTQ writers is important, a writing center consultant should never ask a student to disclose any aspect of their identity unless the student initially prompts the topic (Herrmann). A careful touch is required so that students are not inadvertently ‘outed’ to their peers, placing them in more danger. A queer writing center, even in the stages of its creation, should be a fear-free space for all students, especially those whose identities are too often discriminated against to a fearful degree.

An optional prompt on writing center intake forms, filled out to schedule a tutoring appointment, regarding the student writer's pronouns would give queer student-writers a more contained, controlled chance to share in their identity, specifically their gender. A text field with the prompt akin to “Important information a tutor may need to know before your appointment” would allow a student to elaborate on their identity further. These cues would also supply ample opportunity for tutors to decide on their level of comfortability and provide queer student writers with a first, positive experience regarding the writing center’s level of inclusivity. While questions on forms would be a step towards fostering a more inclusive space, providing LGBTQ resource training to writing center staff would be ideal. Listening to queer student-writers regarding their past writing center experiences would allow for a more nuanced, beneficial discussion on how to implement more inclusive practices. Training would also set a standard for writing center conduct regarding LGBTQ student-writers and make referring appropriate resources a more accessible practice. Overall, there is no one set way to create a safe, queer writing center, but there are many methods that must be discussed and further researched to enhance the level of inclusion.

AMPLIFICATION OF A QUEER WRITING CENTER

The inclusion of queer voices in the writing center is a discussion in need of repetition. While invisible, LGBTQ writers have enriched the world with their existence and deserve not only recognition in writing center discourse but also amplification. To achieve that feat, that celebration, a safe space for queer student-writers must be fostered in every college writing center. There is no certain practice for maximizing inclusivity, only general ideas that need to be practiced, researched, and refined to create an idealized queer writing center. However, one thing is certain: the existence and nuances of LGBTQ identities should not be confined to the table of contents, a chapter overlooked in one of many writing tutoring textbooks. Our identities deserve to be read, remembered, and written in spaces that were once marred by academic exclusion.

WORKS CITED

Denny, Harry. “Queering the Writing Center.” The Writing Center Journal, vol. 30, no. 1, Temporary Publisher, 2010, pp. 95–124, http://www.jstor.org/stable/43442335.

Goshert, John. “Reproductions of (Il)Literacy: Gay Cultural Knowledge and First-Year Composition Pedagogy.” Composition Studies, vol. 36, no. 1, 2008, pp. 11–27. 

Herrmann, Jacob. “Brave/r Spaces Vs. Safe Spaces for LGBTQ+ in the Writing Center: Theory and Practice at the University of Kansas.” The Peer Review, 16 Feb. 2018, thepeerreview-iwca.org/issues/braver-spaces/braver-spaces-vs-safe-spaces-for-lgbtq-in-the-writing-center-theory-and-practice-at-the-university-of-kansas/. 

Ianetta, Melissa, and Lauren Fitzgerald. The Oxford Guide for Writing Tutors: Practice and Research. Oxford University Press, 2016. 

Meyer, Elizabeth J. “‘But I'm Not Gay’: What Straight Teachers Need to Know about Queer Theory.” Queering Straight Teachers: Discourse and Identity in Education, Peter Lang, 2007, pp. 15–32. 

North, Stephen M. “The Idea of the Writing Center.” College English, vol. 46, no. 5, Sept. 1984, pp. 433–446. 

AUTHOR BIO

As a recipient of the Golden Key Scholastic Award and winner of the College of DuPage’s Budilovsky Literary Scholarship, Nina DeBoni is better known for their poetic exploits. When they’re not putting their Associates of Arts to use in penning another Ode to My Hometown, they’re applying their degree to their work at their university’s writing center. DeBoni’s passion for language has evolved into a fervor. As a tutor, they advocate accessibility and diversity in writing practices. To better support the growth of inclusivity within writing centers, they are currently working towards a bachelor’s degree in English-Writing. They hope to use their study of language to endorse queer expression in academia and dismantle anti-LGBTQIA+ sentiment.