In Their Words: A Found Poem on the Experiences of Rural LGBTQ Youth

Abstract

This poem represents the qualitative findings from a study on the experiences of rural LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) youth. LGBTQ youth engaged in in-depth interviews with the author, sharing their experiences about what life is like growing up in small towns in a Midwestern state, with a focus on the ways in which their communities did or did not support them. From these interviews, the author created a found poem. This poem is crafted from the words of the youth themselves carefully and intentionally arranged to tell their stories and to more authentically convey the power and emotionality of these youth’s experiences.