<p>Right–I yundertand and hear you…
Truly its not an intolerance thing at all–</p>
<p>I just wondered if he’d feel like a fish out of water so to speak…and if the social aspect is like its described in the paper etc…that he’d be so rare–the rare straight guy and no straight women to date…</p>
<p>This must be a joke, right? Homosexuality is rare enough that gays usually make up about 2% of any given population. As in, 98% or slightly less of any given population is straight.</p>
<p>Actually, statistics say that up to 11% of the population experiences stronger homosexual tendencies than heterosexual tendencies, it’s just that many of these people still choose to identify as heterosexual.</p>
<p>"“Wait, you’ve never been to a gay ivy before? Shut up. Shut up! Shut up!“</p>
<p>Before I knew where I was applying to college I met Mark Dunn, the current Yale admissions officer who was the brains behind the Yale admissions video That’s why I chose Yale. Mark Dunn was an RA at my dorky Georgia academic summer camp (Governor’s Honors Program or “Go Home Pregnant”). Mark was a student at Yale at the time known around the camp as “Hot Yale Guy” (he was in 50 most!) . A few of my friends became part of the Mark Dunn fan crew and found this video featuring Mark Dunn playing himself. I watched the video over and over and knew Yale was the school for me. Yale was a school full of hot guys, and even though they were mostly gay half of them would be BFF material and the other half would be closet cases that still hook up with women. Welcome to paradise."</p>
<p>This new Yale admissions video is just out of control. When I came to the end of the first musical bit, and realized there were 9 minutes left, I flipped out. Make no mistake: for any current Yalie, this is 17 minutes of pure bliss. You will recognize virtually everyone in a starring role; especially prominent is Bullblog favorite Sam Tsui. But the video is inclusive enough that Sam is just one three FOUR (!) Duke’s Men to appear in the flic. The video’s funny rhymes and excellent cinematography (by Gold Coast resident Streeter Phillips) showcase the entire cast in the best possible light.</p>
<p>The only question is whether this was a smart choice on Yale’s part. I think the answer is probably yes, in that this video will get circulated quickly throughout the internet and serve as edgy, fun buzz for the College. But who will it actually get to apply? I’m just not sure it does much to reach outside of Yale’s already very ample base of gay men and theatre-loving girls. In the video, Kuperberg prominently shows the range of extracurriculars Yale has to offer, but I doubt that many people who make it to that part of the video will be interested in much but the theatre, comedy, and a cappella."</p>
<p>Let me try this again, fogfog. I am a Yale parent of a son who is straight. There are many, many straight guys at Yale, and there are many, many straight girls for them to date. There are also many gay and lesbian students. Above all, there are smart kids with a stunning variety of interests and opinions. The only kid who will feel like a fish out of water at Yale is one who is unwilling to respect those differences, including differences in sexual orientation.</p>
<p>The quote that caught my eye was in teh Hearld, not on the video…</p>
<p>" But who will it actually get to apply? Im just not sure it does much to reach outside of Yales already very ample base of gay men and theatre-loving girls. "</p>
<p>Why is asking if Yale is straight-friendly received with such hostility—?</p>
<p>Would such emotion be raised if we asked if Yale was gay-friendly?</p>
<p>JHS, I can’t quite believe I’m saying this, because that’s kind of a harsh response, but I tend to agree with you. Almost every kid I’ve met at Yale over the last couple of years has been kind, charming, enthusiastic, and now that I think about it, would have jumped into that video if given the chance, regardless of interest or ability in music or dance. I see the world not so much as “gay” and “not gay” but more as “sincere” and “cynical.” Yale tends to attract the sincere.</p>
<p>I’m sorry to have been harsh. I agree with wjb that fogfog’s question was ludicrous to begin with – the notion that somehow there would be no place for straight men at Yale, or no straight women for them to scr. . . uh, date. And if the concern is raised by that completely charming student-produced video – in other words, if the concern is not just actual gay students, but male students doing stuff that isn’t solidly butch – well, that goes way over the line for me. The last thing any college I love needs is students whose morbid fears of homosexuality make them go off like alarm-clocks any time they see some deviation from their ideal sense of what gender behavior should be.</p>
<p>You did read that I was asking about the Herald quote about the AdCom video right??</p>
<p>JHS-- your language, accusations, assumptions and illusions are just vulgar. THAT does the school you love a real disservice. </p>
<p>I am sorry you feel so threatened as to respond in such a way to my respectful question. That is not the language of an educated well mannered person.</p>
<p>fogfog: As a straight male alum, I also feel incredulous at your question. Why? Because the video and other stories of Yale being the “Gay Ivy” do nothing to alter the fact that by and large, Yalies are bright, ambitious and very friendly people – whether they are gay or straight, whether their friends are gay or straight. In my large circle of male friends some were gay but the bulk of Yale social culture is solidly straight (ust like most of society). (BTW, what in the Yale Herald bit on the Why I Chose Yale video is so bizarre? The writer wonders if it will reach much beyond gay male or theatre loving female applicants. That’s his thought. I found it great. Or can I say fabulous???)</p>
<p>Has your son expressed to you that he might feel uncomfortable around people who are very openly gay/lesbian? It probably already exists in his HS. A good dinner table topic, no?</p>
<p>This is why I think some of you are being too harsh on the OP. As someone (meaning me) who does not live on the East Coast, nor know anyone who actually attended or attends Yale before my D went there, I find it understandable that some people might have questions about the dominant culture at a school that is labelled “the Gay Ivy.” What exactly does that mean, if not that there are many gay students attending and that the college might focus on the L/G experience (again whatever that means, idk, but it could exist)?</p>
<p>There are plenty of threads on CC that ask/talk about which colleges are LGBT-friendly, and no one seems to have a problem with that question. Why pile on OP for asking whether Yale is straight-friendly? No one wants to feel like the outcast, especially for 4 years at a very expensive school.</p>