<p>how is gay life at Penn?</p>
<p>I believe there is a Gay Rights Parade in Philadelphia every year</p>
<p>And you shouldn't be afraid...that's not kewl</p>
<p>I'm so glad you asked this, and I assure you that you are not the only one visiting this board that is wondering the same thing. I responded to a similar question last year sometime, and was able to dig it up from the archives. I'm going to repost it here, but I'll go back through and edit it to make sure it still accurately reflects campus life and my experiences.</p>
<p>To start with, I'm a sophomore at Penn, and I'm completely out at school, while not quite as out at home. As a current gay Penn student, I'll take any questions any of you have on this subject... and if you or anybody else doesn't want to post, feel free to private message me and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. </p>
<p>The LGBT community is, in my opinion, alive and thriving at Penn. There are lots of resources for students to take advantage of, and tons of student groups you can get involved in. The LGBT Center is the largest in the US, and it is an absolutely awesome space... very cool inside, and is used for meetings and is also a cool place to study or just chill. The community itself is pretty tight knit, at least as far as those that are completely out. There are lots of people that are out, and there are lots of people you will interact with and meet who are very involved with the LGBT community internally. Last year I didn't get involved in a lot, yet I still felt very much connected all year. You can really get involved as much or as little as you want, if at all. This year so far I've been attending the meetings of one of the LGBT groups, and it's been a good experience. You meet a lot of cool people and it's fun to sit down and discuss issues and plan events and all that.</p>
<p>Socially, the community does tons of stuff together. Almost every week there is an LGBT party called "Gay Friday's at Cliff's," all of which are a blast... even my best (straight) friends, who I have dragged to these parties sometimes, have commented that "nobody parties like the gays on this campus." I think it's true... we have a fantastically good time. There are also numerous other oncampus social events catered toward the LGBT community. Each Spring all of the different groups consolidate to put on QPenn week, a week of events, discussions, speakers, etc dealing with LGBT issues. It's topped off with the QBall, which is held at a club near campus. Last year it was one of the best nights I had, so much so that I am helping plan it this year. Last year the event received rave reviews, and we're going to try and top that success this year and every year in the future. Other QPenn events last year ranged from the QBall to an interactive leather demonstration... which, while raising some eyebrows from the university, was quite a sight and drew a large crowd who just wanted to see what the event would be like.</p>
<p>Finally, being in Philadelphia adds another dimension to the mix, offering an abundance of resources, social opportunities, and cultural opportunities. From the annual Equality Forum weekend to simply going out to Woody's (local gay club) on Wednesday nights, there is always stuff going on and plenty of ways to meet people.</p>
<p>All in all, Penn itself is very open. It's very easy to be involved in the community but also have and maintain friendships with tons of other people, whether they be straight, gay, trans, etc. I've had an amazing experience in my 3.5 semesters so far, and I think it will only keep getting better.</p>
<p>Hopefully that answered some of your questions... there's a lot that could be said, and I tried to keep it relatively broad so as not to make this longer than it already is. Again, if you have any more questions feel free to post them, or if anyone wants to Private Message me, feel free as well. Our Spring Break does start tomorrow, so I will be flying away for a week, but I'll be around until I leave and will check once I get home as well.</p>
<p>mrp- much respect for posting...don't be ashamed: pride 4sho.</p>
<p>There is a gay interest fraternity.</p>
<p>Rowdy parties, I hear.</p>