I am entering Amherst in the fall and am nervous about my reception as a gay male. I understand the climate there is supposed to be very liberal, but I’m uncertain about how I might fit in. I am not an athlete and I’ve read there is a clear divide that exist. The college is smaller than my current hs which I don’t see as a positive. Also, I’m reading about this phenomenon called “amherst akward” that worries me. Any advice from current Amherst students?
In terms of dating life, it is normal for amherst students to branch out to umass students since its much larger? There are numerous articles saying umass is incredibly accepting to gay students and the lgbt population is bigger there - for obvious reasons i guess. Nothing on Amherst College.
My D is at Amherst and though she isn’t gay, many of her friends are. You have specific questions? I assume you know that Amherst is a very progressive town, and nearby Northampton is a bit of a gay mecca, though more lesbian.
The QRC at Amherst: https://www.amherst.edu/campuslife/our-community/queer-resource-center/queer-history-at-amherst
A little piece on Amherst and Northampton: http://www.autostraddle.com/queer-girl-city-guide-amherst-and-northampton-ma-136270/
Gay men of Western Mass: http://www.monoho.com/
Some stats: https://www.campusprideindex.org/campuses/details/41?campus=amherst-college
My D is at Amherst as well, and she thinks is is very gay-accepting. There is sometimes a bit of cluelessness/lack of sensitivity from students (particularly freshman) who have had no exposure to gay people or issues prior to arriving at college, but there is no hostility toward gays and the school is very supportive.
By the way, every school thinks it has its own version of “Amherst awkward” because every college student assumes that their campus is more socially inept than the other mythic college somewhere that they didn’t choose. Students at every college feel that theirs is uniquely awkward and has excessive social divides, but they all do.
Relax. You are going to do fine there.
^ good points.
People make a lot of the “athlete divide” but D is not one (not at college anyway), some of her friends are, many are not. It’s a non-issue. Athletes do host many parties but I think that’s because they often choose to live together in the larger suites. The traditional party dorms are being demolished this year so it will be interesting to see what happens next year. In any case, the parties they host are open to all, as are all parties, she says.
Also, there are gay athletes too 