Welcome to Campus!
Below are some testimonials from current students about LGBT life at Wash. U. Want to be put in touch directly with a student? Email us at lgbt@wustl.edu
Starting School As A Gay Man (excerpt from Bear Facts )
The summer before my freshman year started, I was extremely excited to come to Wash U and meet new people, make new friends, and all that jazz. In the last days before I came to Wash U, though, I realized that I had a little problem that until then I had all but ignored: how was I going to come out as a gay man on campus? It had taken me four years to reach my then-current level of comfort with my sexuality, and now I was going to have that rug pulled out from under me and I would have to start all over again. I had no idea what it was going to be like as a gay man on campus. I had hundreds of questions swirling around in my head: Would people judge me? Would I be the only gay man I knew? Should I tell people right away? And how? It was quite the relief, then, when I arrived on campus to the open, welcoming environment that Wash U provides. People here will not judge you based on who you choose to be in a relationship with. I realized that I had worried for nothing about whether or not I would be able to find friends who would not have an issue with my sexuality. Rather than putting up a division between me and other people I met, coming out gave me the opportunity to share my experience and my background with people who were supportive of me and interested in listening. Groups such as Pride Alliance and Safe Zones are there to offer support and raise awareness of GLBTQIA issues on campus. It is incredibly freeing to be able to be myself and live my life the way that I see fit, without fear of anyone making me feel like I do not belong. My best advice to someone in my position is to take a leap when you get to Wash U. Be yourself and put yourself out there. Trust me when I say that you will be glad that you did.
Wash. U., the gay way (from the new student issue of Student Life)
As some of you already know, and all of you are going to find out, is that Wash U exists in a bubble. Wash U and the surrounding area provide much of what many students want or desire, thereby limiting their exposure to the greater St. Louis area and culture. However, when it comes to tolerance and attitudes towards diversity, Wash U and its students exist in a bubble as well. Unlike the outside world, where our liberal president won’t back gay marriage, where people can be fired for their actual or perceived sexual orientation, and where it is not uncommon to hear about the bashings and murders of our non-heterosexual or gender variant peers, many students at Wash U consider the phrase “that’s so gay” offensive and derogatory. There are many student organizations that cater to the needs of students of all sexual orientations and genders: Pride Alliance (the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual (LGBTQIA-it’s a mouthful I know) student group), Safe Zones (a peer education group), and the Alternative Lifestyle Association (ALA) to name just a few. Professors and peers create a classroom environment where every non-violent comment is tolerated and respected. Couples of any gender can walk around campus hand and hand without fear. The only thing not tolerated at Wash U, by professors, administrators, and students, is intolerance.
We must take advantage of the four years we have to live in this judgment free world. It is easy to slip into a sense of complacency when we can be ourselves without ridicule or criticism, and it is easy to look around Wash U and forget that this is not the case in most other places in our country. Violence and intolerance plague our world, and not only against LGBTQIA people. People are discriminated against and even murdered for their religious, racial, and political identities. At Wash U, we have the unique chance to do something about these problems. Join Pride Alliance and protest anti-gay legislation on the State House steps. Join Safe Zones and teach Resident Advisors (RAs) and other peers about LGBTQIA issues. It’s a waste to go through Wash U just taking classes, jumping through hoops, and walking away with just a piece of paper, without taking full advantage of what this university has to offer.
We have to take this opportunity we have here to work towards making the world’s level of tolerance mirror Wash U’s. We must use the advantages and resources we have at Wash U to work for the good of the disempowered, marginalized, and oppressed. Get involved, volunteer, take classes that educate you about the issues you care about, and most importantly care about something. Get excited freshman, this is going to be an experience unlike any other.
-Laura Lane Steele, President, Pride Alliance
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