Beyond Compliance and Institutional Silence: Examining the Impact of SB 17 on LGBTQIA+ Student Support

Texas Senate Bill 17 (SB 17) required public higher education institutions to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) offices and programs, reshaping how equity work occurs in community colleges (CC). This qualitative case study examines how one large Southern CC navigated SB 17’s implementation and its effects on support for LGBTQIA+ students. Drawing on interviews with staff and faculty, the study finds that although formal DEI structures were dismantled, equity work persisted through informal networks, personal advocacy, and student-led initiatives. These adaptive practices reveal how educators and students reimagined belonging under restrictive political conditions, reflecting broader patterns of compliance, resistance, and adaptation. The findings contribute to scholarship on higher education policy and equity by demonstrating how care, advocacy, and relational practices sustain marginalized student communities amidst anti-DEI legislation while identifying strategies for supporting LGBTQIA+ students despite legal constraints.