Gay- BC v ND Forum

[hos9903]

I've been accepted to both, and they are my top choices as of now. I don't care about student groups or anything, I'm concerned about overall social environment.

Question: which school is better to be a gay law student at? I don't need big student organizations like outlaw, I just want to make sure I'm not going to be shut out of alumni advantages for being liberal and gay. Thoughts?

[SonlenNightfall]

From what I understand ND is more conservative. They even have regulations related to what you can advocate for as a student (I believe related to pro-choice organizations). So while I am sure that everyone at the law school would be professional and not outwardly critical of you, I do feel that because it is so deeply affiliated with the Catholic Church, it would be harder to be a gay student at ND rather than BC.

I'm not gay and I am not looking into either one of those school, but that is the small bit I remember from what I read about them. Hope that helps and good luck on your decision.

[patogordo]

no other options? this is kind of a sophie's choice.

[thewaves]

no other options? this is kind of a sophie's choice.

Seriously. Law school is miserable as it is.

[hos9903]

I have other options....but ideally i'd be shattering some stereotypes because I am gay but I also feel like ND and BC are my best options socially. However, if being gay there would hurt me career wise, I'd obviously consider my other options.

[ltrego]

I have other options....but ideally i'd be shattering some stereotypes because I am gay but I also feel like ND and BC are my best options socially. However, if being gay there would hurt me career wise, I'd obviously consider my other options.

Why would they be best options socially?

[twenty]

I'm very low key.

If this is true, you will have zero problems at either institution. If you're living in on campus housing and put a big rainbow flag out on your balcony and have an email autoreply that reads "HI I AM AWAY FROM MY COMPUTER HAVING GAY SEX, WILL BE BACK IN AN HOUR, THANKS" then yeah, you'll probably get some unfortunate attention.

[hos9903]

because I know enough about the two schools to know that, if I were straight, I would fit in very well. That sounds fairly sophomoric, but I guess that is still kind of where we are at as a society.

[patogordo]

because I know enough about the two schools to know that, if I were straight, I would fit in very well. That sounds fairly sophomoric, but I guess that is still kind of where we are at as a society.

i would go with BC then

[twenty]

It's not Regents/BYU where you'll risk getting kicked out (knew a gay guy that got kicked out of BYU Idaho, incidentally).

That said, your bigger concern should be employment, and neither school is exceptional.

[hos9903]

It's not Regents/BYU where you'll risk getting kicked out (knew a gay guy that got kicked out of BYU Idaho, incidentally).

That said, your bigger concern should be employment, and neither school is exceptional.

You're right that neither school is "exceptional" by the standards of TLS, but I have been held by GULC and as of now they are my best choices (I have ties to Boston). Since I have yet to hear of $$ from either school, at this point I am just trying to tilt the scale toward one or the other.

[twenty]

If you have ties to Boston, BC for sure (money aside, which will obviously change things up.) Notre Dame notoriously for not giving enough scholarship money, regardless.

Basically, long story short, neither school is "LGBT unfriendly" enough to justify that being a big factor in your decision. Having preexisting ties to Boston (especially if you plan on working there) should be a very big factor in your decision.

[TheSpanishMain]

FWIW, I knew a gay guy who went to Notre Dame (not for law school, some other grad program.) He said he never felt hassled or ostracized, by either faculty or the student body. I think Notre Dame Law does have some kind of LGBT student group, too, so you wouldn't be the only gay dude.

Again, totally anecdotal evidence, so take it with a grain of salt. My advice would be look up the Notre Dame Law LGBT group, if one exists, and get in touch with a few people and mention your concerns.

Edit: But yeah, your first concern should be jobs and debt.

[Otunga]

I think people underestimate just how important the consideration about gay culture is if you're gay. It's important enough I'd say to the point where, if school x has only marginally better stats, but school y is much more accommodating to gay culture, then school y is probably the way to go.

I can't speak to Notre Dame at all, but I'd guess BC is a more enjoyable place to be if you're gay, only because Boston is extremely accommodating (which odds are you know since you have ties). It's a small anecdote, but I have a sibling that's gay and he's having a much better time in the Boston area due to the more open environment and sheer prevalence of gay guys than he was having in our suburban town.

[cotiger]

I think people underestimate just how important the consideration about gay culture is if you're gay. It's important enough I'd say to the point where, if school x has only marginally better stats, but school y is much more accommodating to gay culture, then school y is probably the way to go.

I can't speak to Notre Dame at all, but I'd guess BC is a more enjoyable place to be if you're gay, only because Boston is extremely accommodating (which odds are you know since you have ties). It's a small anecdote, but I have a sibling that's gay and he's having a much better time in the Boston area due to the more open environment and sheer prevalence of gay guys than he was having in our suburban town.

Yeah, people definitely underestimate this. Imagine as a straight guy choosing between two schools where School A has a 65% employment rate and the gender ratio of the area is 50/50 vs School B with an employment rate of 75% but with a gender ratio of the surrounding area of 80/20 (located in a mining town? lol). Sure, JERBS, and sure, it's totally possible to find someone to date and also to have a good time hanging out with a bunch of other dudes, but I think I know which school most straight guys would select..

Throw in the fact that ND and BC have even more similar employment stats than that example, and it's absolutely valid to consider the social aspects.

[mx23250]

Although both are private religious institutions, ND would probably be more conservative and BC would probably seem slightly more accommodating. If you're set on a career in Boston, I'd personally go with BC since they have phenomenal placement in top Boston firms, whereas ND has minimal placement there. If you were unsure where you wanted to end up, ND might be a slightly better choice since they seem to have a more national presence/reputation than BC (outside of new england), although both are outstanding law schools and would probably provide for a great career for you as long as you finish top 1/3. Good luck!

[Aristone]

As someone who is gay and attended BC...I can tell you that I never had a problem while at BC or in Boston. I, too, am fairly low-key but I had several classmates who were "less" low key (for lack of a better term) and they also seemed to enjoy their time at BC. While the school is religiously affiliated, the law school is liberal and students come from a vast array of backgrounds. Further, as someone who looked at ND as well, I would rather be in a larger city and have more social options than the lovely ruralness of Indiana. But that's just me. If you have any specific questions, you can PM me. Goodluck.

[chneyo]

...

[gotsomequestions]

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[sparty99]

Do you want your experience on Grindr to consist of mostly closeted undergrad gays in South Bend, IN or would you rather have a metropolitan city like Boston, that has a plethora of gays to choose from? The choice is easy: BC.

[philipthegreat]

As a BC undergrad, you will be totally beyond fine and comfortable here.

We have a massive "support love" campaign by undergrads on campus and the student body is much more socially progressive than administration (search re: free condoms handed out on campus, and "safe zones").

BC brass took down a safe zone sign as students tried to initiate this in residence halls, and the student body was pissed. You will be welcomed just like everyone else at BC!

Also a BC undergrad, I'm straight but several of my roomates were gay we all participated in the support love campaign and Lambda. I agree with this assessment.

[Doorkeeper]

BC = Boston.

This choice is easy as fuck.