Date of Graduation

5-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Interior Design

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Interior Design

Advisor/Mentor

Matthews, Carl

Committee Member

McMahon, Laurence

Second Committee Member

Ward, Arley

Abstract

Queer communities located in rural Arkansas are often scarce and elusive to the public eye as a justified reaction to mass negative interpretations and understandings of these LGBTQ+ individuals from a predominantly conservative population. The few who have a more broadcasted identity are subject to potential public scrutiny, but offer queer individuals needed refuge and areas of unfiltered self-expression. This paper explores two LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and other identifying individuals) communities and their concomitant establishments: Santuario Arco Iris, an esteemed communal settlement designed specifically for BIPOC (black, indigenous, and other people of color), queer individuals in Boxley, AR, and Safe To Be, the upcoming tiny-home community in Eureka Springs created with the intention of providing affordable living to queer individuals. Queer Space precedents and theories are explained and interviews with mentioned communities are analyzed. Findings archive and offer insight to the complex similarities and differences between the investigated groups, consequently providing a comprehensive template for the design of queer space/community in rural locations and potentially broader.

Keywords

LGBTQ+; Rural Arkansas; Queer Space; Santuario Arco Iris; Safe To Be; Design Strategies

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