<p>Hey I'm a current Fordham student and just wanted people to know that some people at Fordham just finished a huge report on the conditions for lgbtq students here. It shows a lot of need for improvement, but they say that their findings are general problems faced by other schools too. My professor says a lot of faculty are up in arms about the findings and the need for change. Hopefully things will get better. </p>
<p>heres the report Fordham</a> Queery Publications</p>
<p>that was an amazing study, glad it was done, but I am sad at the findings, wish it wasn’t so</p>
<p>but hopefully, things are changing, and jerks will stop being jerks, no one should be afraid </p>
<p>the sad thing is the homophobia of so many, along with the mistreatment of women is so prevelant</p>
<p>i am going to share that report with my daughters, and make sure they share</p>
<p>This is a very sensitive topic. There are variant ideas on how to approach it and the respectful opinions of everyone should be valued. </p>
<p>Let me say that people come to Fordham with these ideas/values/opinions. Its grossly unfair to tag Fordham with being this or that, tolerant or intolerant etc, when its really about the people who arrive at Fordham. </p>
<p>Some cultures and some families and some private schools (one of them a prominent Long Island School) have very strong ideas that are borderline homophobic and very intolerant. On the other hand, some people feel very strongly about the affects of this now national movement on the classic american family and religious foundations. </p>
<p>The Church teaches that being gay/lesbian is not inately sinful, but a gay/lesbian lifestyle is. Asking the Church to change is wrongheaded and unhelpful. What we can do is ask people inside the Church, its members and clergy, to be more christian in how we deal with people, treat everyone with respect and help to eradicate abject discrmination and acts of abuse/humiliation/violence. </p>
<p>Fordham should have a very proactive stance on how people are treated in dorms. I know they have acted quickly when a gay/lesbian student felt threatened…and moved them to another dorm. </p>
<p>One can be true to one’s religious views and personal views, while being supportive of tolerance and well being for all students. Nobody should ever feel threatened or humiliated for being who they are, and no student should be allowed to abuse or humiliate another student…or engage in a harmful whisper campaign to destroy relationships/friendships and someone’s well being. </p>
<p>It should be the clear and cogent policy of Fordham, in particular ResLife, that intolerance, abuse, humiliation, threats, or discrimination will NOT be tolerated and may subject a student to expulsion. Everyone deserves to be respected with civility, even if that lifestyle is contrary to your own views and beliefs. </p>
<p>Finally, gays and lesbians must ALSO be respectful of others, and sensitive to the fact that some people have very strongly held views about their lifestyle and being “in your face” and acting out publicly is not always the best path to “getting along”. You can ask for mutual respect and honesty without being confrontational and rude…or engaging in behavior that is knowingly going to upset someone, particularly if that other person is your roommate. Communal living requires that people make some personal sacrifices for the benefit of all. I am aware of some issues with this subject that came up in previous years where the real party of indecent behavior was the gay/lesbian student acting out without regard to the feelings of others and expecting them “to just deal with it.” Wrong. To get respect you must also be respectful. Its mutual, not one sided.</p>
<p>There were some gay people in my daughter’s circle of friends during her tenure at Fordham. One was fully “out” and the other came out during freshman year, which caused an uproar…and someone got moved. It eventually resolved. I know that person and had the utmost respect for his character, gynormous intellect, big heart and very optimistic future in a career. I had no problem with my daughter being one of his friends (who stood by him in difficult times), and wish nothing but the best for him. All this while we come from a conservative background. And not New Yorkers. Its about respect, tolerance and basic human decency. </p>
<p>I think overall Fordham does a pretty good job. Is improvement needed? Sure. And people who come to Fordham (or any college) must know that immature pranks, catcalling and other acts of discrimination, intolerance are unwelcome. You dont have to sign up for their way of life. You only have to sign up for kindness, tolerance and mutual respect.</p>