At the moment, it is very likely that I will end up in the Summer B semester in the Class of 2021.
I have a few concerns, as a gay male, that worry me and largely shaped the colleges I applied to primarily out of fear. I was initially going to live off-campus my freshman year, as I wouldn’t have to worry about any homophobic, “jock-types” intimidating me either in the bathrooms, or in my dorm. I decided to room in the dorms anyway because I don’t want my fear, either for safety or otherwise, dictating what I do, or how I present myself. I just want to study and be happy is all; I’m certainly not looking to flirt with any straight guys…
My primary concern is my roommate. I’m not quite sure how UF makes their choices, all I know is that I was able to rank the dorms I’d like to stay at (I chose the International Dorm, at Weaver Hall). If I do end up with a homophobic roommate, what do I do? How does UF deal with this?
I know that there is a lot of violence against LGBT folk, but I hope it is a lot less at UF. I am not particularly strong, so I do worry about self-defense, but is this a concern I should even be having? How tolerant is the campus?
The campus is very tolerant, I wouldn’t worry about your safety at all (other than what any kid should worry about). UF is very libertarian, while the city and campus is very liberal. However, you never know how someone will respond, so I understand that concern.
I think you will be fine. Tolbert area (which includes Weaver) will probably be a good choice - that’s where my son lives. There are lots of different types of students there. ^^good resources above. Welcome and Go Gators!
I would recommend you do the same thing my freshman roommate did the first day or two of moving in. He informed me he was gay, and we had a conversation about the ground rules of living together (which is something all roommates should have). I did not have a problem with it and we got along well. He ended up moving off campus after one semester, and, as far as I can tell, he didn’t have any issues in the dorm with his sexual orientation even though it was well known. This was 30 years ago BTW.
In any case, it is relatively easy to change roommates in the first week of a semester as there are always people looking for a change. After the first week, it becomes more difficult. Just be upfront about what you expect from a roommate, and don’t be judgmental about him.
