Supporting Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Students in the College Admissions Process Providing a safe space for LGBT students Providing a safe space for LGBT students The first and most important step in becoming a supportive adult is to become aware of the issues LGBT students may face in the admissions process. Next, it is important to openly identify yourself as an ally to LGBT students and to mark your office as a safe space. Providing a safe space means building trust , communicating with respect , maintaining confidentiality , and having an awareness of the issues LGBT youth might be living with. There are safe space kits and stickers available from organizations like GLSEN (www.GLSEN.org). Things to consider when making a college match… Students who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgender have to consider several factors when looking for their perfect college match. Two areas that are useful starting points in finding an LGBT inclusive school are campus climate indicators and campus housing options. School Climate and Campus Resources What is the school climate for students who identify as LGBT? Campus Pride’s National Report “2010 State of Higher Education for LGBT People” www.CampusPride.org Campus Pride Campus Climate Index http://www.campusclimateindex.org College Toolkit Campus Climate Index http://colleges.collegetoolkit.com/colleges/browse/campus_climate_index.aspx College Equality Index http://www.collegeequalityindex.org/list What resources or student groups exist on the campus to support LGBT students? Resources for LGBT students exist in many different forms on college campuses throughout the US. The most common form is a university sponsored peer-run LGBT Center. Sometimes called LGBT Alliance (LGBTA), Q Center, Rainbow Center, Gay Straight Alliance, etc., these are usually great places to socialize, seek advice and support, or be matched up other support services on campus. Some schools also have LGBT Faculty/Staff organizations that help students identify LGBT and ally members of the academic community.
Housing, Greek Life and Student Life How can I be matched with a roommate who will accept my identity? This process will be different on every campus. Some housing offices offer roommate- matching services where students can correspond with potential roommates. This is probably the easiest and most comfortable way for students to find accepting roommates. For transgender students especially, the housing process can be confusing and uncomfortable. At some schools, a student might need to self-identify during the admissions process in order to gain access to the resource he or she may need. This is troublesome for some students who are not “out” to their family, or who are uncomfortable discussing their identity with a stranger. Since this may be the first time a student is being asked to share their living space with a stranger (or strangers), it is likely to be one of the more stressful experiences in transitioning to college. Sensitivity and safe space training are becoming prevalent themes in Resident Advisor trainings – explaining to students that they will have a vast residential support system in place should they encounter any problems with their roommate will hopefully ease some nerves. Will I be safe and accepted in a fraternity or sorority? Are there gay and lesbian fraternal organizations? Delta Lambda Phi – Founded 1986 for gay, bisexual and progressive men http://sites.dlp.org/sites/national/ Delta Phi Upsilon – Founded 1985 for gay men of color http://www.dphiu.org/index.html Omicron Epsilon Pi – Founded 2000 for lesbian women of color http://www.oepi.com/ Gamma Rho Lambda – Founded 2003 for lesbian, bisexual, ally, transgender, questioning, straight, or women with no label http://www.gammarholambda.org/ List of LGBT and LGBT-friendly fraternities and sororities (there are several) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_LGBT_and_LGBT-friendly_fraternities_and_sororities In addition to these LGBT specific organizations, a school’s Office of Greek Life should be able to advise students in finding a match with an organization where they will be welcomed and accepted. I don’t conform to gender norms, or I feel more comfortable living in a mixed gender environment, how can I find out if my dream school has this option? There are a growing number of schools joining the gender-inclusive housing movement. Under this policy, usually one or two residence halls are designated as gender-neutral or gender-inclusive housing environments. Any student may live with any other student regardless of gender identity. The Campus Equality Index has a list of schools that offer gender-inclusive housing: http://www.collegeequalityindex.org/list-colleges-gender-neutral-housing
More resources and interesting articles… For Gay Students, More Room on Campuses http://chronicle.com/article/For-Gay-Students-More-Room-on/126608/ College Campuses Not Always Safe For Gay Students http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130258246 Transgender Law and Policy Institute: Ways that colleges and universities meet the day-to-day needs of transgender students http://www.transgenderlaw.org/college/index.htm#practices An example of the gender-inclusive housing system at University of Oregon http://oregonstate.edu/lgbtqqia/gender-inclusive-living Princeton Review: Guide to College for LGBTQ Students http://www.princetonreview.com/lgbtq/college-guide.aspx Princeton Review: Handling Campus Homophobia http://www.princetonreview.com/college/handling-campus-homophobia.aspx Lambda 10: National Clearinghouse for GLBT Fraternity and Sorority Issues http://www.lambda10.org/ Experiences of LGBT People in Fraternities and Sororities: From 1960 to 2007 http://www.lambda10.org/gaygreek/2007L10researchreport.pdf Financial Aid for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Students http://www.finaid.org/otheraid/gay.phtml Scholarships for LGBT and Allied Students http://www.hrc.org/issues/youth_and_campus_activism/8644.htm Campus Pride Resources http://www.campuspride.org/resources.asp Contact Information Brian Tofte-Schumacher, Learning Leaders Office Contact: btofte-schumacher@learningleaders.org 646.519.8372 Personal Contact (After June 30): briantschumacher@gmail.com 646.389.0454
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