Many high school students are apprehensive about going to college. One of the most common concerns is who their roommate is going to be. The concept of being stuck in a small dorm room and forced to share your space with a virtual stranger for the next eight months may seem daunting. Aside from the common worries of how friendly or how cooperative one’s roommate may be, some may have concerns about the sexual orientation of their roommate.
Transexuality, gender identity and sexuality are not taken into account when housing is assigned. This could seem like an issue or too important to overlook, but many think that is not true. The gender or genders you are attracted to is such a personal and private issue. I don’t think it is residence life’s obligation to ask that question of you.
The only thing that registration does in terms of housing is a short survey. In this survey, questions about your sleeping patterns and study habits are asked. Never once in the survey is there a question about something so personal even as what your favorite color is. Don’t you think “what kinds of people do you have sex with?” is a much more personal question? I know few people who like to discuss their sex lives with those they have never met.
It seems rather conceited to me to believe that simply because your roommate is attracted to the same sex, that they would automatically be attracted to you or try to force themselves on you. Just as not every male is attracted to every female and vice versa, a homosexual male or female is not automatically attracted to everyone of their own sex. I interviewed a student who would prefer to stay anonymous, but talked to me about her experience with having a gay roommate.
“It isn’t any different. If anything, I think it’s easier because she is a lot more respectful about making sure to ask permission before bringing her girlfriend over than I have seen my friend’s roommates be about bringing guys over,” she stated.
Her roommate told her about her sexual preference prior to them committing to rooming together, but she said that even if her roommate hadn’t, she wouldn’t have seen it as a problem.
Rooming with a straight roommate can cause just as many unforeseen problems. Just because someone is gay or transgender does not mean that they are in any way less capable of being a quality roommate. For example, problems with drinking or drugs could be far more detrimental to your relationship with your roommate.
A fair compromise and potential solution to this problem could easily be reached. On the survey that housing has you fill out at prior to receiving your first-year roommate assignment perhaps there could be a section where you can specify things you specifically object to. If you are extremely opposed to homosexuality, than I agree it does not make sense to place you with an LGBT roommate because that will only cause many problems for both of you.
I also think that a person that affiliates themself as LGBT should not be singled out, therefore there should be a place where you can fill out whether you regularly drink or play loud music or suffer from depression. All of those things could cause just as many if not more conflicts with your roommate. If housing is going to make it a point to figure out one’s sexual preference, it only seems fair to eliminate other potential problems between roommates.
Perhaps, it could be stated more frequently in the student conduct handbook that this is an open community. If that were done, it would become obvious that this school promotes diversity of all kinds on the campus. This may then help individuals that have a problem with other’s sexuality make the decision that this school isn’t the best fit for them; while those who are tolerant of other’s differences may be more inclined to make Elizabethtown their school.