LGBT experience at Uchicago Law School Forum

[expelliarmus]

This is my first time posting here:
I go to a school also in the Chicago area, and fell in love with Uchicago when I visited it on occasion. I would love to go to law school in Uchicago.
However, there are rumors saying that Uchicago is traditionally conservative, and I am a bit worried that as a lesbian, I might have problem fitting in.
I would love to know if anyone has been a LGBT at Uchicago Law, and would like to give me some heads-up

Thanks!

[D-ROCCA]

Different kind of conservative. More like "I hate BIG GOV" as opposed to "I hate the gays."

[kaiser]

When people talk about the school as being conservative, they aren't talking about socially conservative. I don't think you have anything to worry about. I have a gay friend who goes there and is totally fine.

[expelliarmus]

When people talk about the school as being conservative, they aren't talking about socially conservative. I don't think you have anything to worry about. I have a gay friend who goes there and is totally fine.

Would does he say about the school culture? Does it have a relatively vibrant gay community? Or the LGBT groups is sort of "shoved into the corner"?

I am not thinking of people openly stating that they "hate" gays. Rather, I am asking if it is comfortable living and studying there.

[MrPapagiorgio]

When people talk about the school as being conservative, they aren't talking about socially conservative. I don't think you have anything to worry about. I have a gay friend who goes there and is totally fine.

This. People are referring to Chicago-style economics (think Posner).

[kaiser]

When people talk about the school as being conservative, they aren't talking about socially conservative. I don't think you have anything to worry about. I have a gay friend who goes there and is totally fine.

Would does he say about the school culture? Does it have a relatively vibrant gay community? Or the LGBT groups is sort of "shoved into the corner"?

I am not thinking of people openly stating that they "hate" gays. Rather, I am asking if it is comfortable living and studying there.

This isn't someone I'm too close with so I don't claim to know too much. But I know he is an active member in the LGBT group and goes to the events. I believe he said they had some cooperative event with other Chicago-area law schools. I wish I could tell you more beyond that.

But my hunch in general is that, at a top law school with smart people from top undergrads (and we all know how liberal many of these undergrads are), people are tolerant and understanding enough to make the LGBT experience quite pleasant. Sure, maybe Duke or UVA have it differently (though I could be entirely wrong about that), but I'd imagine a city school in a big northern city like Chicago will give you no problems, and would be quite a good experience.

And just a sidenote, but I'd urge you to consider NYU as well. They take the whole LGBT thing to the next level of acceptance. Hell, I sometimes get the feeling there are more LGBT people here than straight people! I think thats just because the LGBT community is so intertwined with the culture of the school, and are such an important part of the community here.

[expelliarmus]

When people talk about the school as being conservative, they aren't talking about socially conservative. I don't think you have anything to worry about. I have a gay friend who goes there and is totally fine.

Would does he say about the school culture? Does it have a relatively vibrant gay community? Or the LGBT groups is sort of "shoved into the corner"?

I am not thinking of people openly stating that they "hate" gays. Rather, I am asking if it is comfortable living and studying there.

This isn't someone I'm too close with so I don't claim to know too much. But I know he is an active member in the LGBT group and goes to the events. I believe he said they had some cooperative event with other Chicago-area law schools. I wish I could tell you more beyond that.

But my hunch in general is that, at a top law school with smart people from top undergrads (and we all know how liberal many of these undergrads are), people are tolerant and understanding enough to make the LGBT experience quite pleasant. Sure, maybe Duke or UVA have it differently (though I could be entirely wrong about that), but I'd imagine a city school in a big northern city like Chicago will give you no problems, and would be quite a good experience.

And just a sidenote, but I'd urge you to consider NYU as well. They take the whole LGBT thing to the next level of acceptance. Hell, I sometimes get the feeling there are more LGBT people here than straight people! I think thats just because the LGBT community is so intertwined with the culture of the school, and are such an important part of the community here.

Thanks for the recommendation on NYU. I would definitely apply to NYU next year. And what you said about it sounds pretty interesting.

[koalatriste]

NYU is the absolute BEST when it comes to being LGBT-friendly (in addition to being the absolute best in the US for many other reasons).

[JohnDorian]

.

[soj]

Chicago's conservative reputation is a non-issue. There may be more people who disagree with you, but I don't mind it as long as they voice their opinions without annoying chips on their shoulders ("hey look, my opinion is politically incorrect, so if you disagree with me, you're just being politically correct!").

I did notice that Chicago's Outlaws community is far less socially active than LGBT groups at some other top law schools, particularly Columbia and NYU. While an active LGBT community wasn't that high on my list of priorities (especially since I thought I wasn't likely to get the complete picture after a brief visit), it was definitely a consideration, and Chicago scored fairly low on that point when I visited.