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Univ. of Iowa Will Now Ask Students if They're Gay

They're the first public university to do so

Dec 13, 2012 by Dain Fitzgerald

Staff Writer t +

Before you assume that a college that asks students if they're gay must be a conservative one - "Waddayou care, anyway?" - consider that some might do it out of love.

The University of Iowa is doing exactly that. They've launched a new policy of asking applicants their sexual orientation, becoming the first public university in the country to do so. The idea is to track the number of gay students on campus to better promote programs, student groups, and campus housing to the school's LGBT community, according to The Daily Caller.

"This is truly historic," said Shane Windmeyer of Campus Pride, a prominent non-profit serving LGBT youth in schools nationwide. "For the first time, a major, public and national research university has taken efforts to identify their LGBT students from the very first moment those students have official contact with them."

It's a sentiment shared by Georgina Dodge, the University of Iowa's Chief Diversity Officer, who chastises critics who'd rather not acknowledge sexual orientations apart from heterosexual: "As an institution of higher learning in education, it does not behoove us to bury our heads in the sand about the realities of contemporary life."

Via The Daily Caller.

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?	Should more universities track numbers of gay students?

89 Comments (view in Forum)

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Dec '12

Cheenoguy

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No school should be asking. If students are being discriminated against just deal with that rather then adding another layer to the problem.
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Dec '12

CanisCanemEdit

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I think it's perfectly legitimate to ask but not demand.

Those wishing to withhold such personal information should be able to without penalty.
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Dec '12

MRMacrum

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A stupid idea in my opinion. I do not get asked if I am a heterosexual. If I saw it on a form I would not check any box.
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Dec '12

stephen

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nope; its a stupid idea. to show equal rights should colleges ask student if there straght.
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Dec '12

twinertia

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Nope. None of their damned business.
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Dec '12

Litdes

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No.
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Dec '12

Fishbone345

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I think that's up to the University. Apparently a majority felt it was a good idea for Iowa. Who are we to tell them it's not?
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Dec '12

Realthinker

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Schools don't need to know a student's sexual orientation. That isn't why the kids are there.
- B2 • Vote Up r7 Replies
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Dec '12

AceLuby

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Socializing w/ people that share your interests are not a part of college? Did you even go to college?
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Dec '12

Realthinker

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@AceLuby I did and I didn't need the school to direct me to people who shared my interests. If the kids want to ask, the student union can point them in the right direction. This is when we are supposed to stop needing nannies. College is for education in employment skills. Socializes is secondary. Gracious.
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Dec '12

AceLuby

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@Realthinker And how is the student union supposed to point them in the right direction when they don't know themselves?

Also, socializing IS an employment skill.
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Dec '12

Realthinker

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@AceLuby I don't know what you think a student union does, but it has always been a clearing house for student groups and information. If a kid doesn't know how to find and make friends by the time he or she arrives in college they have a problem college isn't likely to help.
You cannot possibly be this dumb. Get real.
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@Realthinker Post
Dec '12

jessejaymes

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@AceLuby I find myself wondering if you're one of those gay people who can't find anyone who is not gay worthy of socializing with? I never once entered into a social situation with the thought on my mind "well I better get a list to make sure I only speak to straight people". Good Lord man could you possibly advocate for more divisiveness if your really set your mind to it? There is more to life (and socializing) than who we sleep with.
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Dec '12

Vance1

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Hell yes!! This group of radical indoctrinated sicialists need to be counted and tracked.
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Dec '12

mxdirtdude

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The only type that is indoctrinated is boneheads like yourself.
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Dec '12

Sonny

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@mxdirtdude I could not have said it better myself, mxdirtdude....Do you think guys like Vance1---know any other words other than..."radical" "indoctrinated" or "socialist"?...Geez ---anything they don't like...always seems to fall into one or all of those categories.....So you clearly characterized him correctly!
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@Sonny Post
Dec '12

Xenocracy

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No, They Should Ask Them What They Plan To Do With Their Lives When They Grow Up..
- B4 • Vote Up r2 Replies
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Dec '12

Synthesis

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Why Capitalize Every Word?
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@Synthesis Post
Dec '12

Fishbone345

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@Synthesis Because It Makes Things You Say Look More Important, Apparently.
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@Fishbone345 Post
Dec '12

jessejaymes

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Absolutely not. This just reeks of stupidity. Let's identify all the gays so we can make sure we have "specialized" programs for them and let everyone else foot the bill and make sure we piss off every non gay student on the campus. Good lord where does it end.
- B4 • Vote Up r22 Replies
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Dec '12

AceLuby

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We identify football players so they can have a 'specialized' program while everyone else foots the bill.
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@AceLuby Post
Dec '12

jessejaymes

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@AceLuby That's simply not true. It's well documented that college football is the single biggest money earning endeavor of all college activities and funds all the title 48 mandated sports such as lacrosse and golf and tennis and so on. Nobody foots the bill for NCAA football. It foots the bill for many other things. You're totally off base on this.
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Dec '12

AceLuby

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@jessejaymes The vast majority of schools do not see a single penny of the money making from college sports, you're taking maybe 50 schools and applying what they do to thousands of others. You're the one that's totally off base.
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@AceLuby Post
Dec '12

jessejaymes

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@AceLuby No I am not and if you want to pull the right wing tactic of making up your own statistics you're welcome to it. But I won't debate the indefensible. College football does not cost the students a dime. If you want "gay studies" in the colleges be my guest but it will be the same kind of degree that most humanities degrees are. Worthless.
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Dec '12

Fishbone345

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@jessejaymes Actually he has a point about some schools getting it and others not so much. It really depends on what conference you are in as to the amount of money a school gets.
When a team wins a bowl game, for example the Rose Bowl, the money goes to the Conference and is divided among all the members. Some Conferences are different, but that's how the Pac 12 does it. Then the school divvies up the money, but how much do you think goes to the football program and how much goes to the science department? It would be awesome to think a fair split, but reality is far different. Things like Stadiums and Sports Complexes cost money.
I'm with you that the money is there, but it's most definitely not the same for every school. Not in the least bit.
The NCAA pisses me off, all that money made on the backs of athletes and they bitch when some kid sells his jersey.
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Dec '12

Denizen_Kate

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"The idea is to track the number of gay students on campus to better promote programs, student groups, and campus housing to the school's LGBT community ... " I understand their reasons for asking, and perhaps some good will come of it, but personally I would answer with "none of your business" and I look forward to a day when this sort of thing doesn't matter. At all.
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Dec '12

Sharpshooter

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How stupid would someone have to be to answer that question. Perhaps they should use that as a final entrance test... answer the question you're too stupid to be here.

Of course the NAASP National Association for the Advancement of Stupid People will out up a fight but they're easily distracted by shiny objects.

The stupidity of do gooders never fails to amaze me. Not one person at the college saw this as a problem?
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Dec '12

Denizen_Kate

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@Sharpshooter - I understand fighting for equal rights for ... ooh! shiny! ;-)

Remember, NAASP nothwithstanding, there currently is no cure for stupid. I'm in the market for a new job, and every potential employer has that little grouping of EEO-related questions: gender, race, and military service. I object to military service being in the same category, but mostly I check the "Decline to state" boxes, and I never fill out applications, online or otherwise, that ask for the year of my birth, or college degree, or anything that would give them a clue to my actual age. All of this falls into the NOYB category.
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@Denizen_Kate Post
Dec '12

Xenocracy

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I Wonder If They Ask The Union Workers At The John Deer Plant That Question?
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Dec '12

Neo_NtheMatrix

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I'm glad to see the other side of the aisle finally agree with everyone else on what should be a non-partisan belief.
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Dec '12

AceLuby

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I have zero issues asking CURRENT students about their sexual orientation to better promote and help the LGBT community. I do have issues w/ asking it on an application as it just gives more opportunity to discriminate admission.
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Dec '12

Yobyag

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The idea comes from a good place, but I suspect it will fail miserably.
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Dec '12

Dan_Tien

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Sure, and they should also ask if the students use drugs so that they can arrange for all of the stoners to share the same dorms, too.
- B1 • Vote Up r2 Replies
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Dec '12

jessejaymes

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That's a great idea (sarcasm intended) LOL
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@jessejaymes Post
Dec '12

martydotcom

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Cheap way to get a contact high
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@martydotcom Post
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Dec '12

katniss641

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If the Military can't ask then why in the world would Universities be allowed to. I don't care what explanation they give they will be discriminating against someone.
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Dec '12

Keyjo

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I object for the same reasons I object to the asking of race or gender on applications.
In this country, justice is supposed to be blind. So should the application process for any school, employment, etc.......
Acceptance, hiring, should be based solely on merit. I can only hope that here is also a box, "I prefer not to answer."
If the University, or any other organization, wants to know the figures, they can conduct an informal poll later on. Those who elect to partake can do so without feeling forced. You will probably get pretty much the same numbers.
Demographics are starting to become an instrument of division.
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Dec '12

Synthesis

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Don't see how it's any different than asking about an applicants religion, whole school background, and money situation.
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Dec '12

KRKelly

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What business is it of the schools? No business could ask that question in their hiring process, so why is it acceptable for a college to ask?
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Should more universities track numbers of gay students?