Applying as an LGBTQ student

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hey, everybody. I just thought that this thread might be helpful to LGBTQ soon-to-be high school seniors that are looking for colleges… </p>

<p>Here are some pointers: </p>

<li><p>The schools making up the Ivy League DO NOT discriminate against LGBTQ students. In fact, Columbia and Cornell marched at the NYC Gay Pride Parade in 2006.</p></li>
<li><p>Surely, NYU, Sarah Lawrence, Macalester, Brandeis, College of the Atlantic, New College of Florida, and Eugene Lang/The New School are extremely LGBTQ-friendly, but a handful of liberal arts colleges and universities are just as accepting. These include Wesleyan University, Vassar College, Stanford University, Carnegie Mellon University, UMich, USC (University of South California), Wellesley, Mount Holyoke, Bryn Mawr, Bennington, Emerson, Lawrence University, Harvey Mudd, Grinnell, Smith, Swarthmore, Hampshire College, and Reed College. Of course, this is not a comprehensive list, but it certainly shows which schools are the best-known for being accepting. </p></li>
<li><p>For a full list, feel free to go here: <a href=“http://gaylife.about.com/od/headlinesnewsstories/a/gay_university.htm[/url]”>http://gaylife.about.com/od/headlinesnewsstories/a/gay_university.htm</a></p></li>
<li><p>Look for non-discrimination statements. </p></li>
<li><p>See if any classes are offered in Gender Studies. That gives you a good idea of a school’s degree of openness to LGBTQ students. </p></li>
<li><p>Ask yourself this: Is there an LGBTQ organization? </p></li>
<li><p>Also ask yourself: What is the town/city/area like, in terms of acceptance? </p></li>
</ol>

<p>8, 9, and 10 sort of go hand-in-hand… </p>

<li><p>Check out the history and social background of a school that you wish to apply to. Has the school ever spoken out against homosexuals, bisexuals, lesbians, transsexuals, and/or questioning students? </p></li>
<li><p>Avoid Wheaton College in Illinois at all costs! Look at the Community Covenant here: <a href=“http://www.wheaton.edu/welcome/aboutus_community.html[/url]”>http://www.wheaton.edu/welcome/aboutus_community.html</a>
In case you’re wondering, yes, applicants are required to sign a statement that classifies homosexuality as sexually immoral and, consequently, makes for an ignorant and bigoted student body.</p></li>
<li><p>If the school you wish to apply to is religious in any way, look into it. You might want to place the search terms “gay” and “College X” next to one another when performing a search on google.com </p></li>
</ol>

<p>Never be afraid of who you are or of who you like! Stand strong and enjoy your college experience with people who will love you for you!</p>

2

<p>what does q mean</p>

3

<p>queer</p>

<p>It's a broader term that many individuals prefer to gay/lesbian/transgendered.</p>

4

<p>Actually, "q" can refer to both queer and questioning. Questioning refers to individuals that are uncertain about their sexual orientation.</p>

5

<p>Yeah, I thought the "q" was for "questioning."</p>

<p>I remember another thread similar to this when I think I pointed out, for lack of better phrasing, LGBTQ type 1 and LGBTQ type 2 schools.</p>

<p>An LGBTQ type 1 school has an aggressive, ever-present gay community. The kinds of students who thrive here are those who want to let their orientation be known and to bond with others over their shared orientation. Schools that have extremely outspoken gay communities are the ones that showtunesguy mentioned.</p>

<p>An LGBTQ type 2 school is a school where gay life is accepted and totally normal, and nobody seems to notice that two men or two women might be holding hands with each other on the quads, but the gay community does not not celebrate nor make itself known in the same way. I feel that my school (The University of Chicago) is a very type 2 school-- the gay people I know here prefer to integrate with the community as a whole rather than separate themselves by their orientation. As one of my best friends puts it, he's more Chicago than he is gay, and he's very happy with the community that he's found here, and would prefer to be at a type 2 school than a type 1 school.</p>

<p>For what it's worth, I think that large universities are also better for the LGBTQ group, simply because the more students there are, the more LGBTQ students there are, too, and the more likely you are to meet somebody. Also, schools that are in or near cities might be better-- most large cities have gay neighborhoods and it might be nice to have those resources as a student.</p>

6

<p>Great post.</p>

<p>unalove: are you sure that those who "want to let their orientation be known and to bond with others over their shared orientation" are necessarily "separating" themselves? I think a school like Berkeley fits both type 1 and type 2 -- they seem to be very open about it, even celebrating it, while also integrating with students normally.</p>

7

<p>just remember, the T in LGBTQ is very different from the other letters/identities in terms of friendly-ess/tolerance/support/community. while many schools/organizations will include that letter, it doesn't necessarily mean that anything is being done in regards to support, etc. for transgendered students. so if that's something you're looking for, just keep that in mind. but much of the stuff that showtunesguy mentioned is still helpful in finding schools.</p>

8

<p>Kyledavid--</p>

<p>My (straight, male) friend at an LGBTQ type 1 school told me that he felt that there was a gay/straight rift at times. He didn't like the some gay students seemed to always be mentioning their orientation, and he felt that there were more important things to life. That's not really how I think I'd feel, but then again my three best friends are all gay males, so I'm used to their feelings on their orientation.</p>

<p>And I totally agree with withinamile. Most people have gotten over the fact that some dudes like dudes and some chicks like chicks, but there's still some confusion and even hostility towards the transgendered. I think it's because for those of us who were assigned to the right sex at birth, our sex is not a problem. I believe many schools have instituted a gender-blind housing option to try to accommodate students who may not yet fit in either category completely.</p>

9

<p>I think unalove had a very good point at type one v. type two schools — for instance, I do know some gay students who feel alienated from the queer community at Wesleyan because they feel like if they aren't activists about their sexuality, they aren’t accepted by a lot of people who are. In fact, it's weirdly reversed--people who want to live type two life at a type one school sometimes find themselves more accepted by the general (normally straight) student body than by the active queer community (of course, this is only based on a couple of my friend's opinions, so take it with a grain of salt). </p>

<p>Of course, there will be some schools where both happen, but I think that will be easier at a big school like UCB, since there are just more people in general. </p>

<p>Withinamile is right, as well. I think transgendered students should definitely look for schools that offer gender neutral housing and bathrooms—although those things don't automatically mean the school will be great for a transgendered student, it does indicate that the issue is at least being approached by the school, and can serve as a starting point when researching schools.</p>

10

<p>Check out this website:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.transgenderlaw.org/college/index.htm%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.transgenderlaw.org/college/index.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>This website seems pretty comprehensive, but I'm sure it's incomplete. If gender-neutral housing or other accommodations are important to you, make sure you research housing options and accommodations on your own.</p>

<p>I would also like to point out that historically conservative schools that are probably type 2 schools (Duke, Dartmouth, Princeton) have nondiscrimination policies that include gender/ gender expression. Whether the student body as a whole is accommodating to transgendered students might be another story, but I would encourage LGBTQ students to look at colleges on their own merits first and then explore the LGBTQ scene and housing options.</p>

11

<p>I'm a gay male who will be attending Duke as a freshman in the fall--if any of you all have any questions about the atmosphere or my experiences at Duke, message me later and I'll try to be of some help.</p>

12

<p>Agreed that the situation can be very, very different for LGB students than trans students... if you're looking for a place that's accepting of your sexual orientation, you're pretty much just asking a) will I get harrassed for being openly lesbian/gay/bi? b) are there people to date and c) what kind of activist opportunities are there? (if that's your bag)</p>

<p>For transgender and transexual students, unless you're totally medically, legally, and socially transitioned before starting school, it's more like... will there be a place for me to pee safely in every building? Will there be someplace I can live comfortably? Can they legally discriminate against me? Will the health center be able to help if I decide to transition medically? Will the university counseling center be able to write a letter for hormones or surgery or refer me to someone who will? How easy will it be to change my name on my ID card, class rosters, transcripts, diploma, etc.? Will professors be respectful? Lots more every day living conundrums, plus all the issues facing an LGB student!</p>

<p>A bi, gay, or lesbian student can probably rely on general perceptions of the school and official information to guide their decision on how accepting a particular place will be. For a trans student, however, there can often be a BIG mismatch between the official university party line on acceptance and accommodation and the reality. If the school you're looking at has an LGBTQQI student group, call or email them directly to find out what the real deal is--if there's a trans-inclusive non-discrimination policy, is it enforced at all? If there are gender-neutral bathrooms, are they actually accessible from all points on campus or is it just a few token ones in remote areas? What kind of harrassment really happens, not just the stuff that's reported?</p>

<p>Unfortunately, the list of schools that are accommodating and progressive on all those fronts is exceptionally short (possibly nonexistent), so a transgender applicant is pretty much going to have to settle for something less than optimal.</p>

13

<p>I wouldn't say that transgender students necessarily have to limit themselves. If the schools aren't particularly religious or opposed to different sexual identities, then the applicant should be fine. If that's not the case within certain universities, however, the situation certainly won't go unnoticed. Many gay-oriented magazines, in addition to magazines like "Time," will place such universities under the public eye. No secular and/or open-minded university wants to be criticized for a bigoted student body or for a close-minded faculty.</p>

<p>As for UChicago, I would certainly say that it is a gay-friendly school, as one of the admissions officers is openly gay. On the same note, however, I don't feel that we should classify schools as having a predominantly gay community or as simply accepting homosexuals. There doesn't need to be a spectrum of acceptance.</p>

14

<p>I don't think a transgender student should have to limit themself, and trans acceptance may not be a trans student's highest priority when picking a school--but it's naive to think that a trans student doesn't run the risk of real, practical, basic quality of life issues at even a lot of typically progressive schools.</p>

<p>Trans issues are becoming more and more accepted, but there are still really big problems. It goes unnoticed all the time. Inclusive non-discrimination policies are becoming more and more common, but a lot of them aren't enforced properly. Lip service to the trans, genderqueer, and gender variant communities is becoming a big liberal must, but useful services are still scarce. If someone's identity doesn't match their paperwork, or their sex doesn't match their gender, it's really important to find out if at all possible before choosing a school where they'll be comfortable housing you, whether the administration will back you up meaningfully if there's a problem with a professor, what bathroom facilities are available that you'll feel comfortable using, etc. A lot of places will say they'll take care of it and that it'll be fine, but end up screwing things up majorly and putting people in unrealistic and unliveable situations.</p>

15

<p>For trans students then, it sounds like campus visits are a must.</p>

16

<p>This is a very useful thread, thanks for starting it!</p>

<p>I would add to the first list of things you should look for...maybe make sure that if there's only one LGBTQ group, it's a big one. I know of colleges that have one, but nobody really participates. Or look for multiple ones. (Cornell has 8!!!)</p>

<p>If possible, I'd recommend visiting the LGBT resource center on campus. If there isn't one...well that's not very good, now is it?!</p>

<p>also, I definitely agree that bigger schools are often better, if only because the dating pool is larger. ;)</p>

17

<p>I was just researching the LGBTQ resources at my school... I'm happy to know that we have so many, but I also know a lot of students who more or less ignore the resources available and choose to do it on their own.</p>

<p>A lot of coming out happens during college, though, and it isn't always easy, so it's good to know that there are resources and people to meet!</p>

18

<p>I agree with whoever said that campus visits for trans students are a must. I know plenty of LGB people who are not accepting of trans issues-- I don't know why, and they get a earful from me, but they're not. If you're trans and know other, older trans people, maybe a year or two out of college, it might be a good idea to ask them about their experiences. From what I've heard, Wesleyan and Mount Holyoke were pretty good places to come out as trans. Also, the sundance channel featured a show called "Transgeneration" about the experiences of different trans folks in college, and one of the people profiled, a transman, had a relatively good experience at smith. A friend of a friend started transitioning at NYU recently, and is also doing fine. these cases are all F2M, by the way. for M2Fs its probably different, and I'm not sure which one is more broadly accepted [Personally, the first trans person I met was M2F, but overall, I have met a lot more F2Ms, but I hear its the opposite for other folks, so again, acceptance all depends on who they've had experiences with].</p>

<p>As for Type 1 and Type 2 queer colleges, that really saddens me. Most of my close friends are straight girls, in fact, all but one are. That would make me a type 2 person- one who assimilates into the straight society. However, if there is a peer eduction opportunity, queer rights rally, pride march, whatever, I'm totally there as well. I'm sure there are colleges that, like me, are not Type 1 or Type 2, but somewhere in between.</p>

19

<p>i hate how many gay people feel like they need to VOCALIZE their orientation...it's just an orientation, not something to celebrate and tell every single person you meet...if straight people started celebrating their orientation everyone would be pis$ed off.</p>

20

<p>oh, PKswmr, but straight people do. And its something thats not even noticed, just simple things like the fact that they can feel safe holding hands in the street anywhere whereas queer people have to search out safe neighborhoods, just little things like that. I'd start on the marriage thing, how just saying you're getting married "vocalizes" your orientation, but I'm fed up with that issue from last nights HRC forum. But yes, there are other things, like being able to mention your spouse at work without fear of getting fired or losing a promotion that straight people just don't even notice.</p>