<p>Okay, so I'm a junior in high school & live in upstate New York. And while a majority of colleges and universities I'm looking are in state, there are some that are quite far from home.
My question is, will it be so much different in a southern school? I'm a supporter of equality in sexuality and race, and I know that a majority of the south isn't as liberal as the north or as accommodating to these beliefs. However, people say that college is much different, so I was wondering if, as a straight female, with these beliefs, I should take this into consideration or not.</p>
<p>Also, I'm not as ignorant as this question seems to show. One of my friends lives and Alabama and has told me that most of her friends don't believe in lgbt rights and such. And while I respect their beliefs, I don't know if I would do well in an environment that believes otherwise.
Thank you x</p>
<p>I live in Alabama, and the equality of race shouldn’t be an issue, especially at a college; no one is going to start an argument with you saying that black people, asians, yellow people, purple people, white people, or whatever aren’t equal (if they do alot of people won’t want to associate with them). Now, if you view as someone saying a poor district of a town has a high crime rate and you might want to lock your doors driving through it as racist, then you may hear that (but that’s probably said nearly everywhere). </p>
<p>Regarding equality on sexuality, as long as you don’t push it and excessively (its okay to tell people you support it, but don’t be a fanatic… when people are a fanatic against gay rights that bothers people too, so its not just because of what your belief is) promote it nonstop, no one is going to care. But if you try to pick arguments with people, then that could possibly be a problem. People have different views, and generally if you respect peoples views (even if you disagree with them), then they will respect your views. I live in a very rural area, and we had a couple of people who were homosexuals, and they were treated fine. If they were treated fine and had alot of friends in a rural Alabama (very very very conservative), then I can’t imagine a college being awful about it.</p>
<p>Also in regards to alot of the younger people I know in Alabama (including myself) are libertarian and believe things such as gay marriage to be decided by the states.</p>
<p>The support in equality for race shouldn’t even be a problem; there may be a handfull of racist wackos in a college, but they will not be well liked. (some of the 80+ year old people are a little racist though; watch out for them if it bothers you that much)</p>
<p>The support in lgbt rights should only be considered if you are a fanatic (which means picking fights with people about, constantly putting someone down for differing views, and…) ((btw, no one enjoys a fanatic on a polarizing topic such as that, no matter what side they are on))</p>
<p>Obviously, attitudes may be different if you go to a conservative religious school of a religion that disapproves of LGB relationships, but such schools are not limited to the south.</p>
<p>Also, note that non-white people tend to show less acceptance of same-sex marriage in polls, although it appears to be a less important issue in voting patterns for politicians and parties other than when same-sex marriage is an isolated ballot or poll question.</p>
<p>Honestly, it depends on the college itself and the community surrounding it. As a general rule, if the school’s culture is based predominantly on sports (meaning football), expect the general student body be more conservative and less “PC” than a school that may be more liberal arts oriented. (Yes, this is a bit of a stereotype but it’s a trend I’ve noticed and may not be limited to the South). Colleges in larger cities tend to be more diverse than colleges in rural areas - which may be mostly white, Protestant Christian, and very conservative leaning in a political sense.</p>
<p>Usually, unless you decide to go to a religion-based school, public universities are safer spaces for LGBT people, feminists, people of color, and people who have different belief systems than in the outside communities although that doesn’t mean there won’t be some microaggressions here and there. </p>
<p>I go to a Southern school known for a very conservative student body and I’ve noticed a lot of the attitudes surrounding the LGBT issues are more curiosity or “keep it to yourself” than openly hostile. Experiences with race is more difficult for me to gauge personally since I’m white. I have noticed that while people would never dare claim to be racist and racism is seen as undesirable by most people, I still hear a lot of stereotypes and ignorant comments dropped every once in a while (The classic “I’m not racist, but . . .” conversations). </p>
<p>It may be a good idea to research the school beforehand too and see what kind of reputation they have and getting perspectives from students of different backgrounds. </p>
<p>You might want to be a little wary of the midwest. Not sure it’s still this way, but when I went to a large midwest university in 1980, I was shocked to learn that most of my dormmates didn’t believe in evolution! That was one awkward conversation; I really didn’t even know that anyone held such beliefs, and I thought they were kidding. (I think they were equally shocked that I wasn’t a Creationist.)</p>
<p>Without any intent of offending the OP, I’m a bit wary about posts that come out of the blue asking for a discussion about the “intolerant” south from another area of the country.</p>
<p>Our country is large and diverse. College in the NE is different from college in the south, or the midwest, or the west coast and even in these regions, the colleges will be different from each other. I think the OP will simply need to look at the specific colleges on her list to see how they fit her as that is more likely to be helpful than sweeping generalizations about a region. </p>
<p>To put it more bluntly, assuming Southern schools display inferior beliefs to Northern schools is displaying the same type of prejudice you say you want to avoid.</p>
<p>There will be Southern schools that are tolerant and Northern schools that are intolerant, and vice versa, and each school should be considered on its own merit.</p>
<p>(I’m not going to get into the LBGT thing.)</p>
<p>I grew up on Long Island, went to college upstate and now I live in a mid-Atlantic state. Look into schools in this area. Many kids from the NE go to schools in VA,NC because it’s nice here and the schools are good. Close enough to home, but just far enough away. There’s a lot to experience by moving a little out of your comfort zone-- that ARE differences that need to be discovered: Differences in viewpoints, local vernacular, food, etc. That’s what college is all about! </p>
<p>Here’s the thing: all my life, I have found that bullies on their own, without their peers to back them up, can be quite nice people. One on one, they can be kind, generous, and accepting. In a group, they revert to mob think. Wherever you go to school, if the predominant culture considers itself to be morally superior to the alternate culture, the majority will act as bullies always do. If the school you are looking at has an identifiable “feel” that seems unfriendly to you, it probably will be, even if there are elements of that school that are more accepting. This doesn’t mean you should look for schools that exactly match your world view, but that in stretching too far out of your comfort zone, you may find, not that people are the same everywhere, but that you don’t have much in common with people who have entirely opposite views from your own. I know I would have a hard time in a school in which the majority of people rejected science for a faith-based belief system I held in intellectual contempt. Similarly, I could not be comfortable in a group that proclaimed its tolerance, a tepid and condescending attitude, for an essential part of my identity, whether that is gender, sexual preference, or race. Personally, I don’t want to be tolerated; I want to have the same standing in a community as every other person there.</p>
<p>Data show that the south in general is less tolerant on LGBT issues. However, it does depend on what school you attend how folks there think, whether in the north or south.</p>
<p>If you care about the town or city where the school is located, urban areas tend to be more LGBT friendly. But even on that, there are variations. In Maine, for instance, Brunswick (where Bowdoin is located) is a pro-rights town, while Lewiston (where Bates is located), is less LGBT-friendly.</p>