<p>To keep this brief: I'm currently a ninth grader applying to various boarding schools this year, and I'm a lesbian. I'm not out yet, but I will most likely want to come out at some point during high school. So, I'm wondering which schools tend to be the most accepting. I'm not necessarily looking for the most liberal school around, and this obviously is far from my only factor in deciding on schools to apply to. I would just like to know people's opinions. If you have any idea of how accepting any schools are, I'd love to hear it. Thanks!</p>
<p>TomTheCat from Andover used to post that they are very supportive to the LGBT community. I think he is also an officer of the LGBT club. You can PM him.</p>
<p>I’ll second the notion about Andover being very welcoming. You might also like to add Taft, Choate, Exeter, and Concord. Best of luck!</p>
<p>I’ll second the fact that Choate seems very welcoming to the LGBT community.</p>
<p>I’ve enclosed a link from Choate’s newspaper The News. The Seniors were making a speech, and one of them happened to be the VP of SMASS. (Sexual Minorities And Straight Supporters.) Here is his speech.</p>
<p>[Senior</a> Speeches: Peter Bresnan '11](<a href=“http://thenews.choate.edu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=991:peter-bresnan&catid=21:speeches&Itemid=45]Senior”>http://thenews.choate.edu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=991:peter-bresnan&catid=21:speeches&Itemid=45)</p>
<p>I haven’t had any experience with LGBT at Choate or actually even noticed separation between straight and the other students, but at Concord it was pretty obvious who was gay, lesbian,etc. I’d say Concord is the most accepting. However, there is tolerance at schools, but at Concord they aren’t just tolerant, but more than that. It’s hard to explain with words, but once you set foot on campus you’ll know exactly what I was talking about</p>
<p>Thanks, everyone! The information and links are very helpful.
BronxKid: That’s great to hear! I really like Concord- I think it’s very underappreciated.
On the flip side, does anyone know if any schools are particularly less tolerant?</p>
<p>One variable students may want to consider is the LGBT climate in the local community. How would you feel walking down Main Street hand in hand with your boyfriend/girlfriend? A good indicator might be whether the local high school has an active Gay-Straight Alliance or similar LGBT group. </p>
<p>For instance (Concord):
[CCHS</a> Gay Straight Alliance 2010-2011 | Facebook](<a href=“http://www.facebook.com/pages/CCHS-Gay-Straight-Alliance-2010-2011/147383088626349]CCHS”>http://www.facebook.com/pages/CCHS-Gay-Straight-Alliance-2010-2011/147383088626349)</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-admissions/1092462-whats-lgbt-climate-boarding-schools.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-admissions/1092462-whats-lgbt-climate-boarding-schools.html</a></p>
<p>I’d assume that some of the southern boarding schools, particularly the religious ones, tend to be more conservative and less accepting of LGBT teens. I remember hearing of an anti-LGBT letter scandal at Deerfield. I couldn’t really find out any information about it online other than what was posted on this board. </p>
<p>SPS has a GSA, but I didn’t really get a welcoming vibe. I don’t remember feeling particularly welcomed by Middlesex either, but maybe that’s because I didn’t really care for either of the schools as a whole.</p>
<p>Yep - Taft has SHOUT and the group hosts regular activities including a recent “day of silence.” The community is pretty accepting and pretty open about it.</p>
<p>I found a review on Boarding School Review on St. George’s. Mind you, this is the opinion of one person, but I thought the comment of LGBT was interesting.</p>
<p>[St</a>. George’s School - Student Review #1](<a href=“http://www.boardingschoolreview.com/student_rev/stid/187]St”>Browse Student Reviews)</p>
<p>That is indeed very interesting, and definitely the sort of thing I’d love to know about other schools but is difficult to find out.
The reviewer graduated from the school in 2002, though. I wonder if things have changed since then.</p>
<p>Consider a Quaker school (e.g. George School or Westtown). My sons attend a Quaker boarding school, and they have openly gay faculty (including couples as dorm heads and administrators), and have been very supportive toward openly gay students.</p>
<p>Concord is the best school I’ve heard for LGBT</p>
<p>I’d agree with lolcats’ assessment of Concord. Exeter also has a very active GSA and I know of at least one PEA student who came out early in prep year to warm reception (and whose high school career has been made so much happier ever since).</p>
<p>Emma Willard is a very accepting and welcoming school with an active GSA, if you can stand the idea of an all-girls’ environment. Not all the girls’ schools will be so welcoming, however, so look carefully.</p>
<p>I also agree about George and the Quaker school environment in general.</p>
<p>I agree with all the schools above. Though I think most schools are accepting that are on the east coast. Usually prep schools dont tolerate prejudice and bullying. So your good most,y anywhere I would think. And BTW your really brave for coming out here online when you have not even done it in the “real world”.</p>
<p>Choate recently made this video if anyone is interested</p>
<p>[Find</a> a Different Word - YouTube](<a href=“Find a Different Word - YouTube”>Find a Different Word - YouTube)</p>
<p>At Walnut Hill there are probably as many gay as straight men.</p>