Communicating Ourselves: Erasure and Counter Discourse of Queer Christians of Color

Author

Janine Armstrong, Southern Illinois University CarbondaleFollow

Date of Award

5-1-2025

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Department

Communication Studies

First Advisor

Pensoneau-Conway, Sandy

Abstract

Queer Christians of color are rendered invisible in dominant discourse. European colonization and the entanglement of Christianity, racism, and cisheteropatriarchy throughout the past can still be felt across the world. These intersecting power structures reinforce the erasure of queer Christians of color. Using an intracategorical intersectional approach, I interviewed queer Christians of color to better understand the ways that queer Christians of color are erased from cultural discourse, the effects of the erasure, and ways to counter that erasure through communication. I grounded my research in current literature from identity studies, paying specific attention to literature about identities of race and ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and faith. Additionally, I used erasure, counter discourse, and intersectionality as conceptual frameworks. Furthermore, I shared how virtual interviewing functioned in this research, creating the opportunities for dialogue with participants. Using thematic analysis with coding informed by the phronetic iterative approach, I draw themes and implications to address how identity, power, and agency function in the lives of participants. The findings show that queer Christians of color struggle with the effects of erasure – questioning their existence, confronting the moral implications thereof, dealing with strained relationships, and discrimination. However, the participants reveal their resilience through finding and creating safe spaces, having hope for a better future, and engaging in social activism. This research presents real-world applications for scholars and activists working with identity, erasure, counter discourse, and intersectionality. Also, this research builds upon and extends scholarship in communication studies.