Leaving a small, Republican town in Connecticut for Boston University was a big change for College of Communication junior Chris Schretzenmayer, who found most people to be more open-minded to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer issues.
“A lot of people I know, myself included, didn’t come out about their sexuality until they went to college,” Schretzenmayer said. “Coming to a place like BU is a lot different [than my hometown] because you can walk around campus and find people like you. You don’t find opposition to it here.”
Some members of the BU community said they have witnessed the results of a study from the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education network, which found that school-based resources and support groups have reduced the number of LGBT youths harassed.
Deborah Belle, the director of BU’s Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies Program, said student organizations have promoted a positive environment on campus.
“I know the Center for Gender, Sexuality and Activism has done excellent work,” she said. “I think we have made large strides in our society generally in acknowledging the perfect legitimacy of LGBTQ lifestyles.”
The survey, which polled about 9,000 students ages 13 to 20, determined that while eight out of 10 LGBT youths have faced harassment, the amount of hateful language and harassment has decreased overall.
Most students said they feel BU is a welcoming, friendly place that works hard to accept people of all sexual orientations, religions and ethnicities.
Gretchen Fleck, a junior in the College of Engineering, said BU is a step ahead compared to her friends’ colleges, which are more conservative.
“Those schools are not as accepting and they’re not as active in promoting gay rights,” Fleck said.
She also said she felt that being in Massachusetts, a liberal state, gave BU a general advantage.
“I think it’s a collaboration of the students and the faculty and the entire support network we have here that makes it so accepting,” Fleck said. “The relationships you can develop with the people at the resource center and your professors and TFs is what makes us so special. I have lots of gay and bi friends, and they never feel like they have to hide who they really are here.”
Schretzenmayer said the fact that BU is part of a city like Boston, which is very adaptable when it comes to young ideas, is more welcoming.
“It’s the point of view of people who choose to come to a school like BU,” he said. “Students here have open minds and so there is a network of students that get involved in gay-straight alliances.”
The survey’s results suggested LGBT youth who face less harassment at schools have resources such as Gay-Straight Alliances, curriculums with positive representations of LGBT people and culture, faculty who are supportive of LGBT youths and comprehensive anti-bullying policies.
Gay-Straight Alliances have made a difference on campus, students said.
Kacie Rioux, a College of Arts and Sciences junior, said students generally feel supported at BU.
“Student groups like BU’s Spectrum provide support for minority groups,” she said. “I think they bring people with similar backgrounds together and make them realize they’re not alone.”
Mary Gianotti, a CAS sophomore, said BU’s diversity makes it so accommodating.
“When people come from a lot of different backgrounds, they are more likely to be more accepting of other backgrounds,” she said.
Gianotti said most college campuses seem very open and accepting.
“When you’re in college, you’re usually open to new ideas and accepting new things,” she said.
Belle said a mix of institutional changes, including legality of gay marriage and ending of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” with grassroots organizations such as student groups will continue to make the situation better.
“I would expect over time [these changes and groups] would encourage people who see others as different in their sexuality to come to see them as entirely normal and fully worthy of respect and if that’s happening this soon then that’s great,” she said.
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