Assessing Progress: An Integrated Review of LGBTQ+ Faculty Experiences in Higher Education 2010-2025

The objective of this review was to synthesize and assess the empirical research about experiences of LGBTQ+ faculty in higher education published between January 2010 and March 2025 to evaluate progress made in addressing research gaps identified in a seminal 2010 review. Researchers have made notable progress by conducting more studies and increasingly using critical theoretical frameworks to examine the experiences of LGBTQ+ faculty. Through our analysis we identified three core themes: (1) Influence of work climate on LGBTQ+ faculty experiences: How institutional environments influence LGBTQ+ faculty well-being and success; (2) Discrimination affects LGBTQ+ faculty work experiences: Persistent homophobia, heterosexism, sexism, and racism impact LGBTQ+ faculty; (3) LGBTQ+ faculty responses: LGBTQ+ faculty use strategies for resilience and advocacy to navigate their work climates. Our findings indicate a greater need for academia and its leaders to value and support research about experiences of LGBTQ+ faculty. We also found that despite DEI initiatives, institutional climates often remain a source of discrimination for LGBTQ+ faculty, suggesting these efforts are symbolic rather than effective. Amid rising anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and a backlash against DEI efforts, we underscore the need for organizational leaders to urgently implement meaningful, systemic change.