LGBTQIA Life at Tulane

Hey, gang! I am passing the blogging reins over to Patrick Wroe, a junior here at Tulane, to tell you all about what it's like for the LGBTQIA community here at Tulane and in NOLA. New Orleans has a long history of enacting laws that specifically protect LGBT people. For over 15 years, New Orleans has recognized domestic partnerships and offers health benefits to partners of city employees. New Orleans’ Human Rights’ Laws protect ALL LGBT people from discrimination in employment, housing, private clubs, commercial spaces, and public accommodations. We just scored an 83 on the HRC's Municipal Equality Index, too. And marriage equality? Looks like we may be taking that one all the way to the top.

For more on the LGBT community at Tulane, take it away, Patrick!

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Flashback to high school me. Picture a lanky, newly out gay kid, rocking a hair swoosh that would make Drake Bell circa 2007 jealous. I was filling out applications to colleges across the country, and in the back of my mind, I couldn't help but get anxious about the possibility of retreating back into the closet once I began my freshman year. A thousand concerns were racking my brain. What if students there weren’t accepting of LGTBQIA students? What if I was the only out person like I was in high school? What if my roommate thinks Beyoncé is just decent? Luckily, those concerns were all met the first day when I came to campus and experienced firsthand the welcoming environment Tulane had already developed for its LGBTQIA brothers and sisters.

When I got to Tulane, I was dreading having to “come out” all over again like I did in high school. We all know the situation. You sit your friend down and say the ever awkward “I’m [insert sexuality/gender identity here] please love me,” and they respond, “Patrick we know you’re [insert sexuality/gender identity here], you asked to be the Pink Power Ranger for Halloween three years in a row.” Luckily, I never had to do that at Tulane. Although everyone’s coming out experience is different and unique, I was fortunate to just be myself since day one at Tulane. I would not have been able to do this if not for the Tulane community’s efforts to respect and affirm the lives of LGBTQIA students here on campus. Tulane still has room to grow, no denying that, but our campus has successfully developed an accepting and welcoming community for students of all identities and backgrounds. I know firsthand.

Just a sample of our many LGBTQIA student organizations

On campus, we have many programs and resources for LGBTQIA students. The Office of Gender and Sexual Diversity offers many resources for LGBTQIA students, including student-run organizations like SWEET (Student Women Embracing Equality at Tulane) and others, such as Queer Feminist Collective or Gender Exploration Society. All of these organizations provide safe spaces for queer students and join together to host numerous events that the whole student body can participate in. Right now, we are nearing the end of Transgender Awareness Week, a week-long series with events like Pride Prom and multiple speakers on topics like transmisogyny and trans* life in prisons. Additionally, we just recently had our annual Pride Week, which kicked off with the ever fabulous Ms. Paul Tulane and Mr. Sophie Newcomb, everyone’s favorite gender-bending drag show. Each year during Pride Week, the student body makes a rainbow patchwork mosaic that is hung out on the LBC Quad. Each patch is a different student’s declaration of pride.  As a new freshman, after hanging up my declaration of pride alongside those of other students, I felt instantly connected to the Tulane community as a whole. Being surrounded by these active, visible queer students made me feel comfortable being the gay man that God/Universe/Oprah/whoever meant me to be.

Bending gender norms like pros

I could go on about the resources for LGBTQIA students here at Tulane, like the gender-neutral housing for trans* and gender nonconforming students or the ally training that we offer for free. Or I could talk about how CampusPride gave us a perfect 5 star rating in LGBT friendliness and placed us on the Top 50 list for LGBT-friendly universities. But to sum it up:

Tulane is pretty darn gay.

I am not a spokesperson for all LGBTQIA individuals here on campus; my experience is not identical to theirs. However, whatever your sexual and gender identity, you’ll find a community and university here that respects your identity, affirms your voice on a daily basis, and encourages you to be your bad self 100% of the time.

Our Annual Pride Mosaic