SMU has been named the 12th most-LGBT-unfriendly campus in the country by the Princeton Review. In the previous two years it ranked 16th and 14th.
Baylor had been on the list for the past several years but does appear this year.
The ranking is determined by students’ answers to survey questions about their impression of how fairly LGBT students are treated. The Princeton Review includes 376 colleges from across the country in its annual survey.
NYU and Stanford are listed as most LGBT-friendly this year. No Texas schools made that list. Eight of the top 20 are in Massachusetts.
Of those making the homophobic campus list, SMU is the only school regularly ranked that has inclusive non-discrimination policies and actively works to not be included.
Both Baylor and SMU made the list of most conservative student bodies. Baylor was listed as having the 10th most religious students.
Baylor was ranked 12th for “College Town Not So Great.” Dallas fared much better with SMU’s No. 8 ranking for “Great College Town.”
In next week’s paper, we’ll talk to Baylor alums and LGBT SMU staff about why the school shouldn’t be on the LGBT-unfriendly list.
I went there in the 1990s and the greatest issue for LGBT students was that the LGBT organizations actively segregated themselves from the rest of the student body. It was the choice of the “leaders” not to participate with the “ignorant” mainstream student population. Many of LGBT students were frustrated by that stance (having friends of all demographics), but felt compelled to go along out of allegiance to the community.
Other schools in the metroplex need some praise too. TCU students have an active GSA on campus and a supportive environment. Administration admits to some missteps relating to campus housing a few years back. TCU has a newly formed and growing LGBT Alumni Association. Check us out on facebook “TCU LGBT Alumni Association” Go Frogs!
The idea that SMU comes in at #12 for most LGBT-unfriendly is ridiculous to me. Considering the fact that we have same-sex partner benefits AND have sexual orientation listed in our nondiscrimination policy, on top of an active LGBT organization and Women’s Center. For a few more things that make us LGBT friendly:
https://smu.edu/womenscenter/downloads/August%2019-2009%20Princeton%20Review%20Letter.pdf
I will note that we are still working on getting an LGBT senate seat. As a student, I could see there being homophobic remarks from students, like a “that’s so gay.” Having SMU listed as #12, though, makes me think that somehow people are afraid to be gay here. This is far from the truth and there are plenty of out and proud people. In fact, Spectrum, the LGBT org, will be attending the gay pride parade in Dallas.
That’s just my two..maybe three cents on this subject.
<—-is a drag queen. I work at SMU. Pictures of me with Lady Gaga smile up at me from my desk. Sometimes on a slow day…I whip my hair back and forth. Apparently I was dizzy from said whipping of hair when this survey was being passed around. Three snaps. Back to work. Gay.