Queer In & Out of Montana: Oral Histories of the LGBTQ+ Exodus from Montana

Author

Erin T. HeatonFollow

Graduation Year

2025

Graduation Month

May

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

School or Department

Social Work

Major

Social Work

Faculty Mentor Department

Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

Faculty Mentor

Elizabeth Hubble

Keywords

Queer, History, Montana, Identity, Leaving, Transgender

Subject Categories

Community-Based Research | Gender and Sexuality | Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies | Queer Studies | Social Work

Abstract

This project will summarize findings from six oral histories of LGBTQ+ people who lived in Montana, but have left or are leaving in the near future. This project will explore the questions: Why are queer and transgender people leaving Montana? What are common experiences for LGBTQ+ people living in Montana? The answer to these questions will be derived from the stories of the Narrators who provided their oral histories. The questions utilized in the oral histories covered topics of identity, “coming out,” living history, cultural observations, community experiences and perceptions, well-being, healthcare, laws, and reasons for leaving. Thematic Analysis was derived from an inductive coding process. Themes explored throughout these six oral histories include the importance of community, importance of representation, pride in identity, concern for safety, political rhetoric, and the intersection of Montana culture with queerness. It is predicted that healthcare access, resource opportunity, and queer community will be factors that pull queer and transgender people out of Montana, while state level laws and hostile environments will be factors that push LGBTQ+ people out of Montana. This project will share stories that are often untold, creating new avenues of representation for LGBTQ+ Montanans. Additionally, it will be explored the impacts on the individual leaving Montana has, and the despondent loss Montana faces when queer and transgender people leave. Overall, this project will document and discuss a historical phenomena occurring among LGBTQ+ people in Montana.

Honors College Research Project

1

GLI Capstone Project

no

Recommended Citation

Heaton, Erin T., "Queer In & Out of Montana: Oral Histories of the LGBTQ+ Exodus from Montana" (2025). Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts. 566.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/utpp/566