Back in the Closet: Gay Students Struggle at Some Black Colleges

The Associated Press reported that some openly gay Black students have report feeling isolated and unwelcome at some historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Students reported attempting to form gay student organizations and being denied charters for suspicious reasons, and having college officials down-play the presence and prominence of gay students on campus.

The Human Rights Campaign, an advocacy group that organizes national "coming out" days, looked into the issues in 2002. The group was alerted of the lack of inclusion and the dearth of gay student organizations at HBCUs when the organization discovered that the only schools that did not return the packets were HBCUs.

In contrast, the Human Rights Campaign found that gay students attending colleges with a White majority found a more receptive faculty, and a variety of gay and gay-straight alliance groups on campus.

The issue seems to stem from the fact that most HBCUs are located in the South and subject to traditional Southern values. And, many HBCUs are grounded in strict Baptist, Protestant, and Church of God in Christ religious beliefs, and in many cases, are still closely connected to religious organizations. African-American religious leaders and organizations are among the most conservative, preaching that homosexuality is against God and openly imploring their congregants to vote against gay rights issues.

The news is not all bad though; Spelman University (GA) and Howard University (D.C.) have gay student groups, and Morehouse has expressed a desire to provide supportive services to gay students.

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