Life as an LGBT woman at WashU

Colleges and Universities A-Z Washington University in St. Louis
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From official Admissions events, it’s hard to get any sense of what life is really like as an LGBTQ student at Washington University in St. Louis. Would love to hear from current students about any aspect of life at WashU:

  • Are students comfortable being out right when they arrive, or wait a bit?
  • Is the vibe in the Engineering school one of “tolerance but invisibility” or full inclusion?
  • Do LGBTQ students tend to hang out with each other, or are friend groups regularly a mix of all types of students?
  • Are any sororities known for being LGBTQ inclusive in their membership and events?
  • How comfortable are you being out when you are off campus in St. Louis and beyond? How much of a change will it be from the San Francisco area?
  • If you could change one thing about Wash U (administration, policies, classes and professors, culture, social life, housing) to make it more inclusive for LGBTQ students, what would it be?
  • Is there any discussion on campus now about how the school might make it more inclusive for LGBTQ students and others?
  • If you could go back and choose where to go to college (from the filter of your LGBTQ experience), would you choose Washington University in St Louis again?
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Bumping up as a parent of a student who would love to hear a response on this topic. Thanks for posting.

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Sent you a PM re: a source to get student opinions. As a male straight alumn, I’m not able to answer much of this, but I’ll try to answer what I can fairly. I obviously defer to the lived experiences of current students who fall under the LGBTQ umbrella.

-it will depend upon the student, but many students are already out before arriving or are comfortable identifying by sexual/gender orientation on day 1. WashU and similar schools tend to be quite liberal.

-can’t speak to culture of engineering school other than to say that one of my kids is tutored by a completely out female who has had a good experience there.

-friend groups tend to be very mixed. Obviously minority groups (race, ethnicity, gender/sexual orientation) sometimes take comfort in being exclusively amongst their group for support and completely unfiltered conversation. But people that fall outside the cis+straight designation are well integrated into the broader community. I lived in a 6 person suite over 25 years ago that was an even mix of straight and gay men. That wasn’t considered odd then. It will be even less unusual today.

-I’m not a fan of the Greek scene, but my understanding is that gay men are more likely to have a harder time integrating into fraternities than women are into sororities, but there are several out gay men in fraternities.

-The areas where WashU students are likely to go (Clayton, U-City, Maplewood and STL neighborhoods like the Grove, CWE, Tower Grove area, Soulard and Downtown) are very progressive and socially liberal areas. There is very little difference between the Bay Area and STL City and its inner suburbs. When you get to the outlying suburbs and rural parts of Missouri, that’s different. But a WashU student is going to spend his/her time in the former. Not the latter.

-I can’t speak to the other questions at all.

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