The Question
LGBTQ+ students have different needs than heterosexual students, but how can these needs be addressed? Shane L. Windmeyer, in a Huffpost blog, advocates for colleges to include an option for students to “come out” in their applications in order to better service them. And while this can serve as a way to connect them with outreach programs and other necessary information, it can have negative consequences as well. What if someone with homophobic/transphobic eyes views these applications? F. Lee Casson’s dissertation addresses the negative consequences, such as residential life creating a “queer dorm” for everyone who “came out” on the application. Asking about a student’s LGBTQ+ identity on a college application also does not eliminate the chances for discrimination, as Casson states, and LGBTQ+ students can receive emails about topics like HIV/AIDS with the intent to frighten them.
And what about the numerous students who do not discover their LGBTQ+ identities in high school, but on a college campus? Samantha Stainburn, in her article in the NY Times, states that some colleges like the University of Pennsylvania do not ask undergraduate students, but do ask graduate students on their applications. The reasoning behind this addresses that lives of 17-year-olds differ greatly from people in their mid-late 20s in regards to understanding and communicating their own identities. Considering the ages in which students define their identities, what would be the best course of action? Outreach programs exist on campuses for LGBTQ+ students, but they may not discover them until later, if at all.
Perhaps a more appropriate question on an application may ask, “Are you interested in learning about our services for LGBTQ+ students?” This way, students do not necessarily “come out”, but express interest in learning and exploring.
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