Hello. I am a student who has gotten into Hamilton, and love most everything about the school itself. However, I am also nonbinary (currently closeted, they/them), and I fear that the school isn’t the best when it comes to LGBTQ+ acceptance (this article mentions touches upon a potentially harmful environment https://www.hamilton.edu/news/story/first-town-hall-creating-a-culture-of-conversation). Since the term LGBTQ is often used to just mention gay and bisexual people, I fear the environment may be worse for trans people, especially non-binary ones like me. I couldn’t really find too much more information on campus attitudes, so I fear if I commit I will regret not choosing a school with a queer-friendly reputation.
For any trans people or people with friends of trans people recently in Hamilton: was the community generally accepting of trans people? Do the students generally reject or condone trans-phobia? I don’t plan on joining the frat, drug, or sports scenes for personal reasons, so I’m not as worried about these social scenes. Any groups of people I should avoid or look for? Am I just being paranoid, and is what I heard about the general community being kind true?
Also, for a more general question, are other types of bigotry prevalent within Hamilton? (racism, sexism, classism, ableism, homophobia, etc). While most of these classifications don’t effect me, I’d rather be in a school where people are accepting of one another.
I’m not sure what you might have found alarming in that article. I think that the expression of feeling isolated as a person of color is probably a very valid one because the black student population is small. It’s not clear to me what type of concern is referenced in the article as voiced by the LGBT population. I’m an alum, and haven’t set foot on campus in over 20 years, so maybe you should take this with a grain of salt, but I do think Hamilton is a very kind and welcoming place. I would find it hard to imagine any type of “prevalent” bigotry that would take root there.
That said, it’s also a small but diverse place, and with every small place, there will be some cliques (frats, sororities, rich kids, athletes, stoners, artists, etc.) So I can absolutely see how it can feel isolating for some people. I think you would definitely be able to find your niche at Hamilton. I wouldn’t worry about that. And I wouldn’t worry about safety. I think the question would be how comfortable would you be with your primary social group being small and intimate? Would you like to be in a community with student body that represents a diversity of thought, or would you feel more comfortable in a place that is, on the whole, more liberal leaning?
@UnsureStudent13 - If you read the various reviews about Hamilton (what are the students like?, etc) on Unigo, you’ll get a good idea of what the social scene is like on the Hill.
@UnsureStudent13 Were you able to go to the open house on Monday? While I totally understand that gay is not the same as non-binary we noticed a very visible gay presence throughout the day.
On our tour last year our guide was openly gay and had recently been elected student body president (as a sophomore). I think that speaks volumes to the attitude of Hamilton’s student body. He was also a speaker on the dais at a student life panel at the open house. Hamilton often uses the phrase “Be who you are, Study what you love.” We found that there was a wide spectrum of student viewpoints - meaning its ok to be conservative just as its ok to be liberal. Are there fratty sports dudes at Hamilton - yes. Do I think it’s as uniformly accepting of trans people as a school like Vassar, Wesleyan or Oberlin - no. I think in general it is a very accepting school and more liberal in it’s viewpoints than it used to be. However, without knowing your other school options its hard to give concrete advice, as I think on any small campus there will be moments of frictions for LGBT / non-binary students.
You might want to read through this thread that touches on Hamilton and some other schools. http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/2066690-top-liberal-arts-college-decision-p1.html
@Trixy34 I’ve tried looking at the reviews there, but it is a bit hard to judge seeing none of them are dated and campus culture tends to change over time. I’ve found Niche to be a better source for reviews simply because it mentions when each post was posted.
Anyways, I think I may just be over-worrying myself. Judging from the overwhelming positivity about the school on this board, my own love for the place, and the fact that the school has been recently addressing issues in diversity, I think that I likely could find my place. The drinking and party scene might be a bit worrying, but I’d find it on almost any campus and I can reside in substance-free dorms. Even in the rare case it ends up being insufferable, I could always transfer.
Hi @UnsureStudent13 . My daughter is a current Hamilton student and she has some friends who are nonbinary - there is definitely some representation at the school. Maybe get in contact with the Queer Student Union to get a more direct perspective from current students? There’s a contact link on the Hamilton Web site in the Student Life section (under clubs and associations.)
Hi! So I’m actually one of the leaders of the QSU and trans myself and I’ll say that people are very nice and accepting when it comes to being queer on campus. QSU is very active, and theres also an offshoot called T-Time for trans, nonbinary, and GNC folk on campus. We also have gender-inclusive housing you can opt into so you wouldnt be paired off based on birth gender for housing. Also, if therapy is something you’re looking into, the counseling center therapists are all very lgbtq+ friendly. Is there anything specific you would like to know?