Pete Moye’
Opinion Button

When you’re applying for college, college applications ask you a multitude of questions regarding your background. Now, a college in Chicago, Ill. is asking its applicants to disclose sexual orientation.

The question on the application reads: “Would you consider yourself to be a member of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered) community?” Applicants have the choice of answering with yes, no or prefer not to answer.

The college in question, Elmhurst College, has stated that its reason for asking for sexual orientation is a means to diversify the incoming class.

Although students have the choice to not answer the question, should college applications be able to ask for a student’s sexual orientation?

Yes, colleges should be able to ask for a student’s sexual orientation as long as said student’s chances for admission should not be affected by his or her answer. The question should always remain optional to answer though.

Colleges should also respect any student’s discretion and not make the information public.

Diversifying the student population through sexual orientation can help create a welcoming environment for students looking for acceptance. It should be something more colleges do all over the nation.

Just as ethnic demographics are available for college statistics, colleges would be able to report sexual orientation percentages on the student population. Prospective college applicants could then use this data as a factor in which college they attend, depending on a college’s high percentage of homosexuals or heterosexuals.

This would be very helpful for LGBT community members looking for an accepting atmosphere and for those students that wouldn’t want to among a strong presence of gay and lesbian students.