I know WM is very tolerant, but I’m honestly worried that going there would make it hard for me to meet guys. I know it sounds petty, but it’s been very hard for me in high school and I really don’t want to end up 22 with no relationship experience, so I think it’s reasonable to consider it as a factor. Anyway, so any current or recent students have any impressions on how many queer students there are, how common same-sex relationships are, and how active the community (both of the campus and the town) are? Thanks.
I’m a rising sophomore at William and Mary and from what I’ve seen there’s a pretty substantial queer student population, definitely larger than I expected. I’m a part of Lambda, the lgbtq+ group on campus, which has about 35 active members, though pride usually has a turnout of 200+. Same-sex relationships are common and for the most part the community is welcoming, although frats and Williamsburg locals can sometimes be a little hostile. A lot of frats have a surprising number of gay members, though, so it really depends on who you meet. The triangle, a local bar, has queer nights every Thursday, which are super fun and a great way to meet people. Overall, like any other mid-size liberal arts school it’s sort of hard to hook up with someone in the queer community without seeing them around and anyone you date will probably have dated one of your friends, but there’s enough people for it to never get boring.
I agree with @hwarner 's post above! It’s pretty darn accurate description. One of the interesting things that I have noted about my time at William & Mary is that not all students that identify as queer or lgbtq+ are in the respective in happy relationships since then. Of course the limitations are also as the poster above described.
For what its worth, the LGBT+ organizations are some of the most active social organizations on campus and despite there being limited events in the town itself, the Triangle is very active on Thursdays. Most of the most recognizable campus leaders and activists that graduated this past year were queer, and there seems to be a general acceptance or support of same sex couples. The school also recently adopted flexible housing for those who wish to live in those environments and have moved towards also offering single room gender neutral bathrooms as well.
Aditionally one of the most popular and heartwarming posts on the Humans of William & Mary site, the W&M version of Huamans of New York, and some of my good friends was about a queer couple. (https://wmhumans.com/2016/02/15/the-step/) It’s worth checking out, I had trouble not tearing up.