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I recently contacted the leaders of the LGBT org at this school and what they had to say was very reassuring. They had a very mature, sophisticated approach towards dealing with the situation that surprised me. They made me feel that regardless of where I’m coming from, I would be embraced and supported, even if I choose not to invest so much of my time in the group. I also found great diversity among the LGBT people, including LGBTs who fall along various points of the political spectrum and have different religious beliefs, ethnicities, and nationalities. One of the leaders of the organization is actually a straight man, which surprised me, but I guess I should not be surprised given the diversity this university intentionally selects for. </p>
<p>The funny thing is when visiting, I got this very welcoming vibe before I even inquired about LGBT-related stuff. This is in huge contrast to what I found at a certain Ivy Plus university on the West Coast where when I mentioned I’m an MtoF transgender, one person immediately laughed and another other person tried to repress laughter that was clearly not benevolent in nature. I thought it was very immature, esp. coming from students who identify as LGBT. My biggest fear coming into all of this is gay-on-gay bullying more so than straight-on-gay bullying.</p>
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Thank you for your support. I’m never one to be angry because I recognize people are coming from different places. However, I do expect students at a highly selective university to be thoughtful and mature in their approach towards issues, even if they might not be familiar with them. My personal philosophy is that I have to be very deliberate in how I react to others as reacting too aggressively can be counterproductive if my ultimate goal is opening others’ minds. It can also reveal how much power the other person has over me if I have to make a fuss to protest his/her lack of validation of who I am.</p>