I want to go to University of Notre Dame which is a private christian university in Indiana. I was wondering, if associating with the LGBT community(which I am a part of) could affect my chances of going to UND?(or any other religious school)
Will being LGBT or being in an LGBT-alliance club at school affect my chances at a christian school?
Well, it’s a Catholic institution. Catholicism is a part of Christianity, of course, but when one speaks of “Christian colleges,” one is really referring to Protestant colleges like Pepperdine or Bob Jones University, where LGBT would probably be an issue (it certainly would be at the more fundamentalist ones), but TBH, I’m not sure that they are the best choices for an LGBT student.
For Catholic universities like Georgetown, Notre Dame, Villanova, it’s not an issue.
For private Protestant universities like the ones mentioned above, it could have a negative effect.
No for Catholic unveriies such as Notre Dame, Holy Cross, UScranton. If you look at other religious afiliated universities such as St Olaf, Ohio Wesleyan, Earlham, it wouldn’t be a problem either.
You wouldn’t be able to apply to conservative Evangelical colleges since there’s a creed to sign (including some statements about homosexuality).
Certainly not for more liberal leaning Jesuit schools like Holy Cross and Georgetown, and probably BC. In fact, it could help give you an edge and point of difference.
Nobody really knows whether or not it might affect your chances at a “liberal” Catholic college, but are you sure you want to be there as an active LGBT person? I just did a little googling of Notre Dame LGBT and you should too. Do you want to be surrounded by lots of people who believe homosexuality is a sin? Where the official stance of the college may be acceptance of you as a person but not acceptance of your sexuality?
Depending upon one’s definition of “lots”, one will find that at every campus, regardless of how liberal it is.
The “official stance of the college” is in fact the official stance of the Roman Catholic Church. To be clear, the Church differentiates between orientation and behavior, and it frowns upon any sex outside male-female marriage. If every student attending Notre Dame, Holy Cross, Villanova, Georgetown, Boston College, et.al. adhered to the teachings on the topic, I would posit that there would be some empty campuses.
Of course, the OP, like all college applicants, should assess fit before making final decisions. But really, that was not his question; he asked about chances for admissions.
Pretty sure it’s illegal to deny an applicant based off of sexuality, gender, etc. They usually just look at the person you are and your character.
Well then, you would be wrong.
Regardless, it’s not like a college tells anyone why they were rejected.
Religious Universities can and do have the right to hold the students accountable to religious principles. Cases have been brought to court several times, and the school’s rights have been upheld. This case from 1962 is still cited as the reference.
See this for info: https://casetext.com/case/matter-of-carr-v-st-johns-univ-new-york
P.S. I know the people this case was about - very interesting, but sad. Carr had fully completed all work for his degree, finished all finals, was an honors student and had fully paid all tuition. He died in 2008 having never received his bachelor’s degree from St. John’s University. The Alumni Association included him in reunions, as did his fraternity.
For comparison, here is Grinnell’s nondiscrimination policy followed by ND’s.
ND:
The top Jesuit schools:
Holy Cross: “Holy Cross rejects and condemns all forms of harassment, wrongful discrimination and disrespect and is committed to sustaining a welcoming environment for everyone and especially for those who may be vulnerable to discrimination on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, age, marital or parental status, veteran status, gender, disabilities, genetic information, sexual orientation or gender identity.”
Boston College: “Boston College commits itself to maintaining a welcoming environment for all people and extends its welcome in particular to those who may be vulnerable to discrimination on the basis of their race, color, national origin, sex, religion, disability, age, marital or parental status, sexual orientation, military status, or other legally protected status.”
Georgetown: “Georgetown University provides educational opportunities without regard to, and does not discriminate on the basis of, age, color, disability, family responsibilities, familial status, gender identity or expression, marital status, national origin, personal appearance, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, source of income or any other factor prohibited by law in its educational programs and activities.”
so it seems like notre dame… does reserve the right to discriminate based on sexual orientation? that’s a little surprising. i watched a “you can play” video on their youtube channel discussing how LGBT+ athletes are encouraged to play openly. that’s a little disappointing.
then again, they did have pence speak at their commencement ceremony, so i can’t say i’m as surprised as i could be.
Can you try to reach out to LGBTQ groups on campus to see if you can talk to a current student about their personal experience?
Will you feel welcome there if enrolled?
@skieurope That’s why I said a “pretty sure”, and @elodyCOH Thanks for the info.