<p>I just finished my freshman year of college, and during this year I slowly came out as being homosexual. I now have a boyfriend and am openly gay and not ashamed.</p>
<p>I've noticed an influx of haters. Especially on my campus. I feel like one in four people I tell that I'm gay completly jump ship on our friendship, and anyone who knows prior to meeting me ignores me. The guys on my floor did not approve (my roommate was fine as he was bi himself) and the words "faggot" and "homo" get tossed around my campus more than any other words. </p>
<p>If I walk to class with my boyfriend, holding hands or leaning on him, people throw cigarette butts at us or give us dirty looks or make gay slurs. </p>
<p>I feel like being gay in college is impossible. I felt so supported at first when I was coming out but I realized that a college campus is a vast wasteland for homophobia. I feel like I can't live to my true potential without getting crap from other people.</p>
<p>Is anyone else gay in college or know anyone who is? Any success stories? What do you do to cope with the unaccepting college-aged population? Any advice is appreciated.</p>
<p>It depends on your school 100%. Here at UW-Madison very few people would care. I think larger schools have less of that problem, though I’m sure geographical location is also a factor. </p>
<p>However, you’re a little right - anywhere there’s a wide variety of people all coming from different places, you’re going to get some people that aren’t okay with homosexuality. I think the proportion of those people to more accepting people just depends so much on where you go to school.</p>
<p>your college sounds like it has the ideals of the average Anglo in the 1920’s. mizzou is in the south. that could be a factor too. but they dont sound like people I as a straight person would want to be friends with, so i hope that says something. I hope everything works out :)</p>
<p>Brady, Reading your post made me so angry and I could feel your hurt and frustration. I gather that there were people who didn’t know you were gay originally and those people just had a terrible and insensitive reaction. Strangers acting that way just shows ignorance, and it is possible that you are attending a school that is just not accepting of homosexuality. Have you thought of attending a school that is more open? I really hope things go smoother but it could be very difficult being at a place for four years with people who can’t accept who you are. By any chance does your school have a Lesbian and Gay organization? If they have a group…join it. If they don’t could you start one?</p>
<p>^Actually yeah they did, didn’t you hear of Bleeding Kansas?
As for the OP, there will always be people like that around it just depends on where you are that determines the number and volume of bigotry.</p>
<p>It’s surprising that you would receive that kind of treatment on a college campus, where people are supposedly more educated. I go to school in “the South” but if a gay couple held hands or whatever around campus here, the worse they’d receive is some confused stares.</p>
<p>Ehhh F em’. Just be like “ayeeeeeeeeeeeee chimpanzees is hatin’ but I take it all in stride. Put them in the jungle with bananas on the side.”</p>
<p>On a more serious note, screw em and be yourself. It doesn’t matter what people think. It’s sad that people just can’t leave others alone. This is why I don’t like people myself. They’re annoying.</p>
Ditto. I was born, raised, and educated in the South. Holding hands with my boyfriend was more likely to elicit an “aw, that’s cute” than harsh comments. (Admittedly, some were likely thinking rude comments - they were simply too polite to voice them.)</p>
<p>
Your school has an LGBT resource center. Have you checked it out?</p>
<p>Stereotypes, insensitivity and closed-mindedness can occur anywhere, sadly. Technically, Missouri is in the midwest, and the south is being stereotyped a bit here as well. Many college camouses are more tolerant, more open-minded, but within any college or university, insensitivity and ignorance can and does exist. </p>
<p>I agree with the posters who suggest you see if there are any GLBT organzations on campus and work on establishing a network of friends who are accepting and supportive. Good luck.</p>
<p>First off, I just want to say that I’m really sorry that people are behaving that way towards you. People in college should be over their ignorant prejudices.
If I were you, I would transfer to a state that’s known for being more open and accepting, and failing that, definitely go to the resource center. Mizzou being such a big school, I’m sure there are other people in your situation that would be open and willing to befriend you.</p>
<p><em>looks at your location</em>
woah, you’re brave.</p>
<p>
uhhh… no it’s not. </p>
<p>it’s not as much about the location as it is the school. there are schools in the deep deep south that have students with very contrasting views to the local residents. but university of missoula is not what I would think of as one of those gay friendly campuses</p>
<p>ha ha hey princessmahina, we have the same post count
-hi5-</p>