Pretending to be lgbt? Forum

[Shmoopy]

Something I've always wondered about: has anyone ever falsely claimed to be lgbt on an app to gain some admissions advantage? Obviously one can't check the AA box if one is not in fact AA, but lgbt status isn't visually falsifiable. I can't imagine that anyone would ever grill you on it, and if you are actually straight, straight behavior would not be sufficient to show that you aren't at least bi. Plus, it's a personal thing -- maybe I like gay porn and think that's enough to make me bi. But would being lgbt actually give you an admissions boost?

I've already submitted my apps and only claimed this on one, where lgbt was extended to lgbtq. q means questioning, which is so vague I figured it could apply to me. Nobody could demonstrate that I'm not questioning at some level, so I went for it.

I am completely straight btw. But I don't see how anyone could tell me that I'm not bi or questioning if I wanted to say that. Would it make any difference?

[dowu]

Something I've always wondered about: has anyone ever falsely claimed to be lgbt on an app to gain some admissions advantage? Obviously one can't check the AA box if one is not in fact AA, but lgbt status isn't visually falsifiable. I can't imagine that anyone would ever grill you on it, and if you are actually straight, straight behavior would not be sufficient to show that you aren't at least bi. Plus, it's a personal thing -- maybe I like gay porn and think that's enough to make me bi. But would being lgbt actually give you an admissions boost?

I've already submitted my apps and only claimed this on one, where lgbt was extended to lgbtq. q means questioning, which is so vague I figured it could apply to me. Nobody could demonstrate that I'm not questioning at some level, so I went for it.

I am completely straight btw. But I don't see how anyone could tell me that I'm not bi or questioning if I wanted to say that. Would it make any difference?

Lol I need to stay out of this thread.


One question, though. How is race visually falsifiable?

[bobbypin]

While the adcoms cannot verify the truthfulness of your claim, it does speak to your lack of ethics. Additionally, I'm not sure that identifying as LGBTQ gives one an admissions bump. So basically, you lied for nothing. Way to go!

[atcushman]

--ImageRemoved--

What about 1L diversity spots

[Shmoopy]

One question, though. How is race visually falsifiable?

I mean that if someone looked at me, they would probably say, or at least think, no way this white guy is AA. His skin looks pasty white.

I do know a girl who is 1/16 Native American and played it up big time on her apps. She died her hair from blond to black, tanned, and started her ps with the words "as a Native American woman,..." She goes to sls now. She is a rich white girl from the suburbs with a millionaire daddy, and she is a total psycho, but it seems like she gained from it.

[Shmoopy]

While the adcoms cannot verify the truthfulness of your claim, it does speak to your lack of ethics. Additionally, I'm not sure that identifying as LGBTQ gives one an admissions bump. So basically, you lied for nothing. Way to go!

So you're telling me that I'm not questioning? I don't think it's necessarily a lie. Maybe I had a weird dream about a dude and now I'm only 99% sure I am straight instead of 100%. It's such a grey area.

[howlery]

It doesn't really afford one much of an admissions boost, so the lie isn't worth maintaining. But, seriously, you can pretend to be anything. Forge some transcripts that say you got a 4.0 from HYP undergrad, it'll probably help with admissions a bit. Just weigh the benefits against the possible consequences of a person or institution, like the ABA, discovering that you were intentionally deceitful or not completely honest.

For the record, sometimes I like watching straight porn but I'm definitely not straight-curious. Just chasing the D where it takes me.

ETA: I think there is an important distinction between the thread's title which implies fraud and the OP's seemingly legitimate confusion regarding his/her sexuality. Maybe address this in a DS to make it perfectly clear what your experience with being LGBTQ has been. Merely checking the box doesn't really tell adcomms whether you have been out for a substantial period of time, faced any hardship and/or internal turmoil, etc.

Or you could just retake and avoid the hassle.

[dowu]

One question, though. How is race visually falsifiable?

I mean that if someone looked at me, they would probably say, or at least think, no way this white guy is AA. His skin looks pasty white.

I do know a girl who is 1/16 Native American and played it up big time on her apps. She died her hair from blond to black, tanned, and started her ps with the words "as a Native American woman,..." She goes to sls now. She is a rich white girl from the suburbs with a millionaire daddy, and she is a total psycho, but it seems like she gained from it.

So does having pasty white skin preclude one from claiming anything other than white? You do realize that there are plenty of people with diverse backgrounds who look entirely different from the majority of people categorized as their race, right?


This is a flame, right? No pun intended.

[dowu]

While the adcoms cannot verify the truthfulness of your claim, it does speak to your lack of ethics. Additionally, I'm not sure that identifying as LGBTQ gives one an admissions bump. So basically, you lied for nothing. Way to go!

So you're telling me that I'm not questioning? I don't think it's necessarily a lie. Maybe I had a weird dream about a dude and now I'm only 99% sure I am straight instead of 100%. It's such a grey area.

OP, just let it out man.

[davesk]

Pretending to be LGBT to game a system. Interesting.

[spam]

[Shmoopy]

I swear this is not a flame or a troll. This is a real question.

As for my sexuality, the uncertainty here is mostly philosophical. Meaning that if I am only 99.999% sure that I'm straight, am i really clearly straight? I'm a male with girlfriend of over 2 years, and this idea of claiming that I'm lgbt has the primary goal of getting on the diversity gravy train. So I don't *really* think I'm lgbt, I just think I could claim that maybe I am without being a complete liar. My motivation for doing so would be personal gain however, not expressing my identity or whatever. I would never tell a friend that I'm lgbt, since I would have nothing to gain in that situation.

[BullShitWithBravado]

I've already submitted my apps and only claimed this on one, where lgbt was extended to lgbtq. q means questioning, which is so vague I figured it could apply to me. Nobody could demonstrate that I'm not questioning at some level, so I went for it.

I am completely straight btw. But I don't see how anyone could tell me that I'm not bi or questioning if I wanted to say that. Would it make any difference?

So you're telling me that I'm not questioning? I don't think it's necessarily a lie. Maybe I had a weird dream about a dude and now I'm only 99% sure I am straight instead of 100%. It's such a grey area.

Sounds like a lie to me. Did you also have to lie your way into your UG Ivy League school? Wait, probably not, you probably didn't go to an Ivy League school

[dingbat]

Something I've always wondered about: has anyone ever falsely claimed to be lgbt on an app to gain some admissions advantage? Obviously one can't check the AA box if one is not in fact AA, but lgbt status isn't visually falsifiable. I can't imagine that anyone would ever grill you on it, and if you are actually straight, straight behavior would not be sufficient to show that you aren't at least bi. Plus, it's a personal thing -- maybe I like gay porn and think that's enough to make me bi. But would being lgbt actually give you an admissions boost?

I've already submitted my apps and only claimed this on one, where lgbt was extended to lgbtq. q means questioning, which is so vague I figured it could apply to me. Nobody could demonstrate that I'm not questioning at some level, so I went for it.

I am completely straight btw. But I don't see how anyone could tell me that I'm not bi or questioning if I wanted to say that. Would it make any difference?

This is how I got into BYU

[IAFG]

It doesn't really afford one much of an admissions boost, so the lie isn't worth maintaining.

And that's why it's a non-issue.

[Shmoopy]

So does having pasty white skin preclude one from claiming anything other than white? You do realize that there are plenty of people with diverse backgrounds who look entirely different from the majority of people categorized as their race, right?


This is a flame, right? No pun intended.

I understand what you're saying, but someone could ask me about my racial identity and I would need a good story. My gf looks completely white and has no accent, but she is actually latino, speaks fluent spanish, parents were born in south america, etc.

Asking about my sexual identity seems much less socially acceptable in an interview type situation. What would someone ask to inquire about my sexuality? "What about dudes do you you like?" Lol I doubt it

[dowu]

Something I've always wondered about: has anyone ever falsely claimed to be lgbt on an app to gain some admissions advantage? Obviously one can't check the AA box if one is not in fact AA, but lgbt status isn't visually falsifiable. I can't imagine that anyone would ever grill you on it, and if you are actually straight, straight behavior would not be sufficient to show that you aren't at least bi. Plus, it's a personal thing -- maybe I like gay porn and think that's enough to make me bi. But would being lgbt actually give you an admissions boost?

I've already submitted my apps and only claimed this on one, where lgbt was extended to lgbtq. q means questioning, which is so vague I figured it could apply to me. Nobody could demonstrate that I'm not questioning at some level, so I went for it.

I am completely straight btw. But I don't see how anyone could tell me that I'm not bi or questioning if I wanted to say that. Would it make any difference?

This is how I got into BYU

[soj]

Since your motivation is personal gain, here's what you stand to gain: Even with a thoughtful Diversity Statement, it's dubious that LGBTQ provides any admissions boost. Without one, it's almost irrelevant.

Don't bring your SLS acquaintance into this. I have little patience for even oblique efforts at starting AA debates in the on-topic forums.

[suralin]

The lengths some people go to...

[Shmoopy]

Sounds like a lie to me. Did you also have to lie your way into your UG Ivy League school? Wait, probably not, you probably didn't go to an Ivy League school

Ok, now we're getting into the definition of lie. I think it would be a lie for me to say that I'm lgbt, from my own internal perspective.. I also think that nobody could objectively show that I'm not lgbt, so from an outside perspective, it's not necessarily a lie. Me knowing that its a lie /= anyone else knowing it a lie.

I don't really care if anyone thinks I didn't go to an Ivy League school. This is the Internet. Employers and adcoms see my actual transcript and they are the only ones who I need to convince. I don't stand to gain anything by lying about my background on tls. Tlsisnot admitting or employing me.

Edit: there is a big difference between these two things. People in the real world can see where I went to school. They cannot see what my sexuality *really* is.

[LSATSCORES2012]

If a friend were to ask you if you are LGBT, would you say yes or no?

IMO:

If you would say yes then it's fine, dandy, and moral to say that you are LGBT on apps.

If you would say no, then it's immoral to say that you are LGBT on apps.

The exception might be for someone who isn't out of the closet... not sure how I would feel about that.

In any case, as others have said the boost is minimal, if there is any at all. Although I bet it helps more at schools like UVA and Duke, which have smaller gay populations, than at schools like NYU which surely have large gay populations. My PS was about my sexuality and UVA admitted me with a scholarship even though, statistically, I only have about a 20% chance there. Meanwhile, people who submitted after me with lesser numbers have been admitted to NYU, while I haven't heard back. Not sure if I can attribute this to my sexuality, but it seems to line up.

[dingbat]

in the unlikely event that you are caught, you will not be accepted to any bar. This is a major C&F issue. Do you really want to take that chance?

[howlery]

Even with a thoughtful Diversity Statement, it's dubious that LGBTQ provides any admissions boost.

Not only this, but I don't think the OP could write a moving DS about his sexuality given that he is "99.9% straight." How will that kind of DS fare against applicants who have been beaten, raped, etc. because of their orientation? I don't see a scenario in which the OP can elicit the desired effect without deceit.

[moonman157]

Law schools don't care what porn you watch, or who you sleep with. They care about how your experiences affected you and made you a better person, what diversity you can bring to a school, or activists fighting for a good cause. It's not simply being gay that would provide a boost, but how that can improve the environment of a law school or you as a lawyer.

[Shmoopy]

I understand that this would be immoral. Understand that the only place where I did this was where lgbt was modified to lgbtq, where Q is questioning. This isn't a question about what I should do. I've already applied to ls, this is just something I've been wondering about in the abstract. It seems like the consensus is that lgbt doesn't matter as much as racial minority.

[LawyerBrah]

OP,

You should just have sex with a guy -- that way it wouldn't be lying. Will totally give you a boost in the admissions process.

You do want to attend law school, correct?