Gay Smithies - Once and for All

Colleges and Universities A-Z Smith College
1

<p>(until next time....)</p>

<p>Survey undertaken this spring. The sample size is 1550. The margin of error is ±1.7 percentage points with 95% confidence. That means that in 19 cases out of 20, overall results from this sample will differ by no more than 1.7 percentage points in either direction from what would have been obtained by interviewing all Smith College undergraduate students.</p>

<p>In addition, the chi-squared is 62.5 with 25 degrees of freedom. This makes the data significant at the .000 level-- basically, there is no way this variation is purely due to chance. </p>

<p>so if you look at sexual orientation by class year (one of the things people were asking about), here's what you find: </p>

<p>of FYs: 15% are bi, 70% straight, 6% gay, 5.5% questioning
of soph's: 21% are bi, 59% straight, 10.4% gay, 5% questioning
of juniors: 24% are bi, 55% straight, 13% gay, 3% questioning
of seniors: 24% are bi, 58% straight, 13% gay, 2% questioning
of Adas: 12% are bi, 71% straight, 14% gay, 1% questioning</p>

<p>No surprise to me. As I've stated before, there is a higher percentage of gay males at Yale (and a bunch of other schools) than there are lesbian students at Smith (which makes for common sense, given the distribution within the population). If you do a study five years out (among alums) I think you'd find the Smith gay population drop (as there are few social reasons NOT to be out at Smith), but grow among grads from the coed schools (where the opposite is often the case.) </p>

<p>Doesn't make any difference to me, except that I hope all students find an environment where they feel comfortable, and will grow.</p>

2

<p>Survey undertaken this spring. }}</p>

<p>It was taken by a Gov 300 class. I had it but I thought it wasn't for publication. Guess not. Post the questions about the % of students other students believe are gay and or bi. The numbers are amazingly high. So many people have screamed Smith has a very high percentage of lesbians/ bi's, including on this board, even the students have started to believe it.</p>

<p>In the meantime, I'll get the survey again. I should have saved it.</p>

<p>]]No surprise to me. As I've stated before, there is a higher percentage of gay males at Yale]]</p>

<p>That may be but they hardly effect the perception of the college the same way.</p>

3

<p>It was published on the Jolt (so fair game, I presume - why it would be secret, I don't know.) For what it's worth, more than 85% of Smith women might choose to have sex with men, if they were having sex with anyone (or there was a man worth sleeping with. ;)) The interesting part to me is the stabilization of lesbian population, under 15% in the junior and senior class. 15% is what I have always been estimating, but nice to have the numbers to back it up.</p>

4

<p>I saw the same survey results, and they are certainly not shocking to me. Why everyone thinks that Smith has an extremely high lesbian/bi community, I do not know. I think it has something to do with the female stigma. Yale, as Mini points out, has a very high percentage of gay males; but, we never hear about that? Anyway, maybe this will help alleviate some of the "perceptions" about Smith!</p>

5

<p>It was published on the Jolt ]]</p>

<p>LOL--Figures.</p>

6

<p>That's where I saw it as well. LOL Leave it to the Jolt forum, there's some fun reading there!</p>

7

<p>"I think it has something to do with the female stigma."</p>

<p>Yup. A school with a billion dollar endowment educating strong, independent women is a pretty threatening idea.</p>

8

<p>Anyway, maybe this will help alleviate some of the "perceptions" about Smith!]]</p>

<p>Not if people keep preaching Smith has a huge lesbian influence it won't. :(</p>

9

<p>
[quote]
So many people have screamed Smith has a very high percentage of lesbians/ bi's, including on this board, even the students have started to believe it.

[/quote]

Unfortunately, this is true! Some of the comments on these boards have scared girls half to death, and have made them second guess their choice. Luckily, there are Smithies that help a great deal to alleviate that feeling! ;)</p>

10

<p>
[quote]
Yup. A school with a billion dollar endowment educating strong, independent women is a pretty threatening idea.

[/quote]

It really IS, isn't it!!?? Don't get me started on that subject <em>LOL</em></p>

11

<p>Huh. Well if you do combine the bi and gay together... c'mon, you can't dispute that... it does increase the perception that Smith's a huge lesbian school. Sometimes people don't realize that there's a significant number of bi-sexuals that add to this particular population though the number of true lesbians is smaller. I mean... you get the drift.</p>

<p>I'm glad that there's some valid statistics out there!</p>

12

<p>Well, it is fewer than one in eight (counting all four classes), but it is likely double the lesbian population at Swarthmore or Williams, etc/. And I think that is a GOOD thing - I think it is wonderful that there are schools with a critical mass large enough that women can feel supported in that one part of who they are without constantly having to look over their shoulders. Lesbian students are indeed part of what makes Smith what it is - a community of women growing to become strong, independent leaders and thinkers. </p>

<p>If you went to virtually any "liberal" school, I think you'd find a relatively large population of students (male and female) who think of themselves as bisexual or questioning if they allow themselves the luxury of asking themselves. I think that's healthy, too.</p>

13

<p>it does increase the perception that Smith's a huge lesbian school}}</p>

<p>There are lipstick lesbians and the radical variety. Then we have the bisexuals who usually don't make a peep.</p>

<p>What I object to is the notion the lesbian population is controlling the environment or defining the college as a whole, especially the garbage some profess that the lesbian population has a huge influence. TMP, it’s no different that when you defend Colgate. </p>

<p>Sure, the Greek system and the drinking get all the press, but there’s so much more to Colgate than the frats and sororities. Greeks, drinking and partying don't have the “huge” influence on the campus life, as some would have you believe, oui?</p>

14

<p>(For what it's worth, binge drinking and heavy drinking rates at Colgate are far, far higher than the lesbian population at Smith, but to be fair, just as there are bi's at Smith, there are also those who only drink moderately. ;))</p>

15

<p>
[quote]
For what it's worth, binge drinking and heavy drinking rates at Colgate are far, far higher than the lesbian population at Smith

[/quote]
</p>

<p>This is not intended to be a put down of Colgate, but simply my own opinion. I would much rather have my D attend Smith, who openly has some gay/bisexual students, rather than attend other schools with huge drinking issues that are out of control.</p>

16

<p>rather than attend other schools with huge drinking issues that are out of control.]]</p>

<p>My daughter visited a dorm at a top 20 LAC on a Sunday morning. There were empty beer cans everywhere and the smell was worse than a dumpy bar. Needless to say, that LAC moved significantly down on her college preferences . Fwiw- She was accepted.</p>

<p>Walk into any Smith house on a Sunday morning and the only thing you’ll smell is breakfast. :)</p>

17

<p>no nice shampoo smells and minty balms(from LUSH) like when one of my daughters springs out from the mysterious bathing ritual room?</p>

18

<p>no nice shampoo smells and minty balms(from LUSH) like when one of my daughters springs out from the mysterious bathing ritual room?]]</p>

<p>Being of the wrong gender, and far too old for Smith, I decided to not comment on the anything past the 1st floor dinning area. </p>

<p>I suppose I could go back 100 years to when my wife attended Smith and make various aroma comments, however, do to the fact a friend of my daughter's reads and posts here, that would be most unwise too. ;)</p>

19

<p>you're never too old to smell!,...</p>

20

<p>
[quote]
you're never too old to smell!,...

[/quote]

True! Just too wise to comment! ;)</p>