This article provides a framework for understanding and supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered students in community colleges. It should be noted that many of the understandings and structural supports often apply to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) faculty and staff as well. The study is based upon several assumptions: First, environments play a key role in supporting attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors; therefore, attending to environmental influences is critical in institutional life and change. Second, people possess unique and diverse identities at the same time. Understanding the range of a student's identities, as well as the depth of them, is core to understanding students and their behavior. Also, there is a common core set of beliefs, generally acknowledged to be true, concerning student retention in higher education. By examining the community college environment, identity, human development over time, and retention, this article provides not only a theoretical basis for LGBTQ inclusion, but a source of practical information for those wishing to craft a more inclusive environment on community college campuses. (Contains 1 note.)