In the pitches I have gotten from several current students at different universities, they have boasted about just how "gay" their school is. I've heard, "Well everyone at Vassar is gay." And, "Yale is the 'Gay Ivy.'"

    In one sense, that they are able to brag about this much the same way a student would tout "we have a really excellent library," is a triumph in and of itself.

    However, you don't go to college for the purpose of meeting gay people, you go to college to learn. So just how important should the prevalence of homosexuality be in a gay high school student's choice of post-secondary education?

    As I've come to understand through the course of my high school career, it isn't so much the "gays per capita" that's significant, but rather the level of acceptance that the school community provides. At Shorewood High School, population approximately 650, I can count the number of openly gay students on two hands, but never once have I felt isolated or been ostracized by my peers. So-called “alternative lifestyles” are embraced, and it makes for a more cohesive whole.

    Unfortunately, Shorewood High School is not the norm, and teasing, harassment, and lack of a support system are all too common. But that’s the beauty of higher education: liberality and education go hand in hand, making acceptance much more easily achievable. A larger student body increases the chances for diversity. And for any high school students stuck in a small town, or vastly conservative high school, college can provide much needed relief.

    Widely known and utilized college information website princetonreview.com even has a specific listing for the top 20 colleges/universities where the “gay community [is] accepted.” Unsurprisingly, many of them are liberal arts institutions, two of which we can proudly say are in our home state: Lawrence University and Beloit College.  Dozens of institutions that didn’t make the list are equally gay-friendly. For example, the annual SexPowerGod party hosted by Brown University’s Queer Alliance is arguably the most popular dance of the year. Personal research on school websites and talking to current students are valuable resources for gauging what “gay life” is like at any given school.

    There are few schools that could be reasonably labeled “gay un-friendly,” as gender and sexuality are becoming less and less taboo (Coed bathrooms, anyone?). Even if being surrounded by other gay students is not particularly important, an environment conducive to your learning and happiness definitely is… which means you might want to take the United States Military Academy off your list.

College is a time for self-exploration and discovery; pursuing your interests; developing your skills, and particularly given the money that most of us will be paying to go there, discrimination should be the last thing anyone is forced to endure.

    One way that I decided to help filter out any less open-minded institutions was by discussing my sexuality openly on my application. I wrote my personal essay on the joys and glories of being a drag queen, included an anecdote about being gay and living in Spain, and noted my involvement with both my school’s gay/straight alliance, and Queer Life News. I figured that at worst those details wound count against me, in which case I wouldn’t want to attend that institution anyway. At best, they would help me stand out as an interesting applicant.

    True, you should probably check to see if a school has strong academics before finding out whether or not they have a Queer Prom, but both in combination is undoubtedly ideal.