Have never been to Colorado but my child is interested in applying. Can someone who is themselves lgbtq+ or a parent of someone who is weigh in on the atmosphere, acceptance, inclusion etc? Are there lots of kids who are out and living their best open life? Lots of activities and social life? What about the surrounding area re safety and inclusion (not “tolerance”)? Thanks for any insight.
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Not LGBTQ+ nor have a kid, but I went to CU back in 92-96, and even back then it known for being totally accepting. CU, and Boulder in general, is often cited as being one of the more liberal major universities.
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My kid is trans, has applied, was accepted, and is likely attending. When we visited, we felt very welcome, especially in the city where pride flags were painted on the streets. I am crossing my fingers that this is the right choice for my child too.
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Second this! Not a CU grad or have a student there, but we previously lived in the area and went to school in Denver. Boulder and CU were considered extremely welcoming to all. Tons of activities at the university, Boulder a great city with small theatres, great downtown, etc., Denver nearby, Rocky mountains nearby for outdoor activities if that would be of interest.
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We are in the local area, and my LGBTQ+ kid has said that if we didn’t live so close, that CU Boulder would be one of the top schools on her list. Its only “con” is that it is close to home and she wants to expand her world and go to school OOS. Even so, it may end up be the final choice, especially if a certain scholarship comes through. She has volunteered with a local LBGTQ+ organization in Boulder for a few years and it’s been such a fantastic support system. Nobody in Boulder is going to blink about an LGBTQ+ kid. Like @boppersbritton said, pride flags are painted as crosswalks in the main downtown area. Lots of rainbow flags in store windows. Of course there are haters everywhere, but it’s toned down in Boulder compared to some other areas. Colorado’s governor is a married gay man with young children, and he won with 53% of the vote in 2018; he himself is from Boulder.
Hallett Hall is the on-campus residence hall with the living and learning community (LLC) for LGBTQ+ students. It is also a LLC for multicultural diversity. It is an older building though, so it doesn’t have air conditioning so that’s a downside. Boulder county is largely white, so from a racial diversity standpoint it is lacking, if that matters to your family. I’d say the campus is much more racially diverse than the surrounding community…although that’s not a high bar to be truthful.
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