<p>So I was looking at colleges, and I really want to go south east or west coast for college. I have good grades, so was planning on applying to one of the top private colleges. I know most of CA (except pepperdine-sorry!) is pretty liberal (and gay friendly, since that's what I'm looking for). Which of the Southern Schools are considered gay friendly? I've done some research by myself already, so can you just either confirm or refute what I'm saying?</p>
<p>Emory- liberal
Rice- liberal
Duke- liberal
Vanderbilt- not really
Tulane- medium, but not as liberal as others
Wake Forest- not at all
Washington and Lee- ??? no clue</p>
<p>I think you got it right. I would say Duke is slightly less liberal than Emory and Rice because it is not in a big city. I think Washington and Lee is very conservative and small. I heard a very large percentage of students are in Greek organizations.</p>
<p>If you want liberal, do not apply to Wake Forest, Washington and Lee, or Vandy. You will take some kids spot who really wants to go there who’s conservative. Emory and Rice are your best bet.</p>
<p>I’m going to pretty much confirm what everyone else already said, basically. FYI- I’m a student at Emory, and I can tell you that you can definitely classify it as liberal. </p>
<p>I have quite a few friends at Vandy and visited them a few weeks ago-- it’s definitely more conservative than Emory, life centers around the frats, and it’s not as an accepting of an environment (my friends’ words, not mine).</p>
<p>So, that being said, here are my classifications:
Emory and Rice- Liberal
Duke- Moderate/Liberal
Vanderbilt and Wake Forest- Moderate/Conservative
Washington and Lee- CONSERVATIVE!!!</p>
If you want a high percentage of openly gay students on campus, a well-funded LGBT center, lots of LGBT student groups, lectures and courses in gender studies, gender-neutral housing, etc., then relatively few southern colleges would fit the bill. </p>
<p>If, on the other hand, you are simply looking for a college where it’s not a particularly big deal to be gay, then almost all of the reputable southern colleges would be perfectly suitable (and a good many others besides). </p>
<p>I would feel very comfortable at any of the colleges on your list except W&L, which I would personally replace with Davidson. U Miami is certainly worth a look as well. </p>
<p>
One need only compare Bennington and Georgetown or Marlboro and Hopkins to see that political leanings and location are frequently unrelated. All three universities are solidly liberal colleges. </p>
<p>W&L is less conservative than it used to be, but it is true that it is more conservative than several of the other top southern colleges. You are also correct that it is small (few gay students), rural (fewer gay people), and heavily Greek (85%). Any/all of these factors could be problematic for gay students. </p>
<p>
Vandy is moderate at best/worst; I would place it slightly left of center. Wake Forest is solidly moderate – a college that has over 80% of its students in favor of gay marriage and abortion is hardly conservative. </p>
<p>Such schools are “conservative” only compared to schools like Reed or Hampshire.</p>