22 Gay-Friendly Colleges

Thanks to everyone who responded to the queer college survey I posted a few days ago.  Over 60 schools were represented!  Most people who responded are in college now or graduated within the last 5-10 years.

Today, I'll share the colleges people said were "awesome" for queers:

• Bard College: "Safe, supportive and open--Bard is known for the Drag Race where everyone dresses in drag."
• Bryn Mawr: "Open, safe as far as I know, and supportive.  There were occasions of misandry, which is a problem as well."
• Columbia University: "Safe, supportive, and open."
• Evergreen State College: "There was a queer group on campus planning activities and doing advocacy.  They also had a support phone line, discussion groups.  Students and faculty at the college tend to be very politically aware and active." (BW note: this was in the 1980s!)
• Grinnell College: "It was safe and very supportive.  It wasn't until I graduated and entered the 'real world' that I really realized most places aren't like that."
• Hollins University: "The atmosphere was completely open and supportive. I attended an all women's university and about 50% of the population was lesbian/bi/curious. Due to this large population, the entire campus was very aware and supportive of lesbians and trans*. "
  
• Humboldt State University: "There was a women's and multicultural center and most LGBTQ folks congregated there.  It was a very progressive area."

• Metropolitan State University in Saint Paul, MN: "Safe, supportive, very open."
• Northwestern University: "More gay men were out than lesbian women. My environment was very supportive - friends, fellow students, even professors."
• NSU Davie: "Really no one cared.  My college was very group specific, meaning whatever group of friends you had that's where you stuck."
• Ohio State University: "It was awesome!  Columbus has a great LGBT nightlife and people were so friendly and accepting.  My experience could not have been better.  Being a college athlete may have helped."
• Puget Sound: "It was pretty great. We have a queer club on campus and I've never come into contact with any negativity regarding sexual orientation or gender identity."
• Reed College: "Safe.  Supportive.  Open."
• San Francisco State: "Safe, supportive - All San Francisco, all the time!"  (BW note: OMG, and this was in the 1970s!)
  
• Skidmore College: "Very open! The professors are awesome and the other queer students are really cool people. I'm a senior but I'm sad to leave such a supportive community!"
• Smith College: "At Smith sometimes it seems like everyone is gay -- there are so many out and proud people that LGBTQ culture becomes somewhat normalized. It's amazing and incredibly empowering. Trans students still struggle with institutional and community transphobia, but there is a strong network of student support that I believe makes Smith an important school for gender-queer and trans folks to consider."  Another Smith grad writes: "It was super safe and supportive.  It was never an issue and it helped me figure myself out."
• SUNY Purchase: "Awesome and open."
  
• University of CA at Santa Barbara (see pic and caption below)

Of the University of California at Santa Barbara, a reader writes: "I felt safe and supported by an amazing queer community... We hold an annual Pride Week in which rainbow colored stakes border the bike paths going through the center of school."

• University of CA at Santa Cruz: "open and supportive.  Lots of LGBT activities."
• University of Southern CA: "USC has campus-wide Pride events, a queer student resource center, a queer "Lavender Graduation," and LGBTQ student organizations frequently honored as being the most organized and best on campus. When I left, I felt that the events and the leadership was becoming less cis-gay male centric and more female/womyn/queer centric... more things like gender-neutral housing and gender-neutral bathrooms (both of which are works in progress). These things seem to be stalled... because USC's administration is fairly conservative and wants to appease donors... There are lots of opportunities to take classes with professors who are leading scholars in queer studies, gender studies & women's studies and American studies. Quite a few of these professors are openly queer."
• Vassar College: "Extremely open - they even had a whole queer-tastic building that we used a gathering/hang out center, lots of campus wide initiatives to celebrate things like national coming out day and aids awareness, and school supported/student run erotic magazine that often featured same sex photography. It was a happy LGBTQ playground!!"
• Wellesley: "Totally supportive."

I was stoked to see the breadth of colleges that provide super atmospheres for queers these days: public, private, and all over the United States!

In one of my next posts, I'll share people's experiences on the other end of the spectrum, and I'll also offer some tips for high schoolers on how to find a gay-friendly college.