Negotiating belonging and agency: LGBTQ students’ identity construction and inclusivity in diverse cultural and intercultural contexts

Purpose In contexts where heteronormativity remains deeply embedded in educational environments, LGBTQ students often encounter significant challenges in expressing their identities and exercising agency. This qualitative study aims to explore how three Thai LGBTQ university students navigate their identities within intercultural communication settings shaped by cultural expectations, power asymmetries and normative discourses. Design/methodology/approach Grounded in Positioning Theory and a poststructuralist view of agency, the research draws on snake interviews and semi-structured interviews to capture participants’ evolving narratives. Findings Findings reveal how participants engage in both self-positioning and interactive positioning to assert their identities and negotiate belonging in school, university, online intercultural exchanges and international student camps. Students’ agency is expressed through subtle resistance to binary gender norms, strategic self-disclosure and inspiration drawn from LGBTQ role models. While constraints persist, especially in culturally conservative encounters, university spaces and peer support emerged as enabling contexts for identity affirmation and agentive action. Originality/value This study contributes to a deeper understanding of how discourse, identity and agency intersect in intercultural experiences, and calls for more inclusive practices that empower LGBTQ students to participate fully and authentically in global learning environments.