Date of Award

6-26-2026

Date Published

August 2026

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Sociology

Advisor(s)

Rebecca Schewe

Keywords

benefits;LGBTQ+;Poverty;Queer;Transgender;welfare

Subject Categories

Social and Behavioral Sciences | Sociology

Abstract

Social welfare provision in the United States is neoliberal, punitive, and more about controlling people than alleviating poverty. Poor people are highly regulated by the state through welfare provision, with social welfare supports reserved for “the deserving poor” (Soss et al. 2011; Katz 2013; Hughes 2019; Purser and Hennigan 2019). Poverty is viewed as a personal moral failing and those seeking benefits must demonstrate their deservedness to be approved. Simultaneously, LGBTQ+ individuals in the US are at higher risk of experiencing poverty than the general US population (DeFilippis 2016; Badgett 2018; James 2016). Queer and trans people are more likely to need welfare than the overall population due to high rates of poverty. However, poor LGBTQ+ people face different challenges in accessing those benefits due to cis-heteronormativity. Queer theorists define heteronormativity as the presumption that heterosexuality is the normal and preferred sexual orientation (Grzanka 2019; Kerpen and Martson 2019; Warner 1991) and have argued that the state is a major agent in perpetuating cis-heteronormativity (Canaday 2009; Duggan 2020; Grzanka 2019; Robinson 2020; Whitehead 2012). My project brings neoliberal poverty governance and queer theory into conversation to consider the impacts of heteronormative and gender conforming ideals in state regulation of poor queer people. This project examines government assistance programs as a case of cis-heteronormativity enforcement by the state. I explore how the state enforces cis-heteronormativity through social welfare programs. Specifically, I ask: in what ways do poor queer and trans individuals experience cis-heteronormativity within social welfare programs? I explore the experiences of poor queer people who interact with these programs, specifically cash benefits, through in-depth, semi-structured interviews. I focus specifically on cash benefits because cash programs have been shown to be the most helpful, and most scrutinized, for people experiencing poverty. This dissertation will use three specific empirical questions to answer the broader theoretical question: 1. When neoliberal poverty governance and cis-heteronormativity meet, what are the experiences of poor queer and trans people accessing or attempting to access social welfare programs (cash benefits)? How does cis-heteronormativity show up once poor queer and trans people gain access to benefits? 2. What are the impacts of the mechanisms of neoliberal poverty governance on poor LGBTQ+ people? 3. How do the interlocking systems of disability, poverty governance, and cis-heteronormativity influence the experiences of poor queer and trans people with disabilities? I use in-depth interviews to argue that intersectionality is necessary to understand the experiences of LGBTQ+ people, in particular poor LGBTQ+ people. I find that poverty and navigation of benefits present particular challenges for LGBTQ+ people. Neoliberal poverty governance informs this intersection of poor and queer people. The experiences of LGBTQ+ people interacting with benefits programs exemplify neoliberal poverty governance in the United States. Poor queer and trans people are also fundamentally poor people, so this is one essential component of understanding how neoliberal poverty governance functions. Disability also must be considered in the lived experience of LGBTQ+ people, especially poor LGBTQ+ people. Disability is integral to understanding neoliberal poverty governance.

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