Correction appended
GW Law School applicants already face questions about writing samples, transcripts and letters of recommendation. But next year, they could confront a new question: Are you gay?
The school might join only four top 20 law schools to add LGBT status to its applications by tracking the number of gay and transgender applicants to set up better support services and pair students with alumni and mentors, first-year law student and Student Bar Association senator Michael Komo said.
As an undergraduate, Komo was president of Allied in Pride.
“It would encourage LGBT applicants to apply knowing that GW would be a supportive place for them to be and a good fit," Komo said.
Sophia Sim, the law school's associate dean for admissions and financial aid, said she did not think a move would have an impact on applications, "because we are already well known for being an open community." The Law School Admission Council common e-application also already asks the question, she added.
But, she added, the move could also provide a "better understanding our prospective students allows us to provide more comprehensive information regarding our academic programs, student services and mentoring initiatives."
The law school scores perfectly on the admission council's LGBT survey because of its non-discrimination policy, LGBT student organization, LGBT faculty and administrators, LGBT specific courses and domestic partnership benefits.
Elmhurst College, a private four-year institution in Illinois, generated buzz in 2011 when it added the question to its undergraduate application. University of Iowa became the second school to do so in December.
University spokeswoman Michelle Sherrard said adding the LGBT question is not yet being considered on the undergraduate level because the admissions office has not started planning next year’s application.
Former undergraduate admissions dean Kathryn Napper said in fall 2011 that she would hesitate to add the question to GW’s undergraduate application for fear of adding anxiety to the application process.
Komo formally presented the idea to law school administrators in the fall, comparing the law school’s application with that of its peer schools, such as Boston University, University of Pennsylvania and University of Washington, which include the LGBT option for applicants.
He said he was partly inspired to present the idea when visiting Boston University’s law school, where he said he was paired with the president of the gay law student organization to learn about “the LGBT campus life, the faculty and just Boston itself.”
“That was really nice to have that connection immediately if I had any questions or concerns through the application process,” he said.
He hopes to see similar connections made at GW. The law school will start to match LGBT applicants with alumni or student mentors, which Komo said will help GW “reach diverse candidates and ensure that the law school continues to be a place that is attractive to candidates of all kinds of backgrounds.”
When Komo steered GW’s undergraduate LGBT student organization, he helped transform the University’s policies on gay issues. He successfully pushed for the creation of the LGBT Resource Center, the LGBT academic minor and gender neutral housing.
Nick Gumas, president of Allied in Pride, which has advocated for issues like free condom distribution in the past year, said the move in the law school showed that it was “validating the existence of its LGBT students.”
“This is a great step forward for the LGBT community, and I hope to see our administration move forward to include this in our University’s undergraduate application as well,” he said.
This article was updated Feb. 6, 2013 to reflect the following:
The Hatchet incorrectly reported that the GW Law School had finalized a decision to add LGBT status to its application questions. The move is still under consideration. We regret this error.
GW Law should ask all applicants whether they are psychologically able to withstand the stress of unemployment and underemployment after graduation.
lol, because there aren’t any law jobs! Get it?!?!?! Even though it has nothing to do with the article, it’s funny because the legal market is bad!
If you want to be equal, be equal. Why do we need special programs and initiatives based on students’ sexuality? Keep your sexuality to yourself and get involved with one of the many LGBT groups on campus if you wish. This has nothing to do with learning the law and should not be part of the application.
Re: “If you want to be equal, be equal. Why do we need special programs and initiatives based on students’ sexuality?”
Because you merely writing those words on the Internet doesn’t translate to a magical reality where everyone is the same?
Because “being equal [presumably under the law, or under GW's administration]” is a separate concept from acknowledging that there are cultural differences that are worth respecting, and even cultivating?
People misunderstand that “being gay” is solely about who you have sex with, which naturally results in the impulse to say, as you did, “keep it to yourself.” But the LGBT community, as a minority, has cultural differences that echo those of other minorities.
Perhaps you, as a presumed member of a majority, can’t understand what that feels like and the benefits that accrue when you can be paired with someone like you. It would be nice if you could understand that. But even if you don’t understand it, I find it confusing that you need to fight against it.
And what are those other, non-sexual characteristics?
It isn’t theater, because actors are some of the biggest womanizers out there.
It isn’t creative arts, tell that to my great-grandfather who came from Italy and became a successful designer and clothing manufacturer.
It isn’t cutting hair, tell that to Rocco, my barber.
I might be a dork for enjoying the album that the Bee Gees did with Barbra Streisand, but I’m not gay either.
So enlighten us.
Is it really hard to think of some? Here’s an obvious one to start with – prospective gay male student, no LGBT check box, gets paired with your average, well-meaning, straight law student, as a VERY common question that every student asks.
Gay student: “Where should I live?”
Straight student: “Um, Foggy’s close to campus, maybe Chinatown, or Court House?”
Yes, those are just fine places. Except there are no gay people there. Or perhaps there are five gay people there. But they’re not where a gay student would tell a gay student to live.
Or flip the situation around. A straight person visiting the other day asked me where they should go out. I realized I had no idea but tried — “Platinum? 1223? Anything in Georgetown?”
Well, I’ve since learned that Platinum apparently closed 5 years ago. Same with 1223. And according to straight people, they apparently think Georgetown bars are just as awful as we do.
Yes, I’m joking a bit, but do you really think all that gay people have in common is that they have gay sex? What do you make of gay kickball, gay flipcup, gay soccer, gay coffeeshops, gay bars, gay clubs, clothing stores CLEARLY marketed at the gays, gay bookclubs, gay cruises, gay crew, gay choirs? All of these things exist here. They aren’t just a vehicle for sex. They’re a vehicle for community.
There are certainly times when it’s fun to integrate and be one in our sameness. But it’s also really, really nice to not be the minority and be around people who are like us.
I’m not gay, but I have to think if I was, I wouldn’t be comfortable with this. Why is it anybody’s business which gender I like canoodling with?
Will this information be available to those making the admission decisions? Is it inconceivable that someone would lie about this as a ploy to increase his chances of admission? Such a lie would be nearly impossible to punish. Ryan is right… This is no one’s business but the applicant’s.
I have to agree with Ryan. I also know Michael Komo and this is just another way for him to get his name out and be seen as doing something good for LGBTQ community, when really he is just trying to boost his ego.
Glad to see GW Law joining Regent in asking this question!
What’s with the tacky shirt-tie combination.
I am very disappointed that GW law school applications will allow students to differentiate themselves based on sexual orientation. There are numerous outlets at GW that allow LGBTQ students to explore the LGBTQ legal community. Law school applications distinguish students on merit, not on sexual orientation. Demographic indicators should overall not be place on applications. Members of the LGBT community are just like every one else save for the attraction to members of the same sex. Why do we need to segregate ourselves further and further? A prospective student, with a real interest in a school, should explore the school’s community for openness and choose accordingly. After acceptance, the student can seek out a mentor independently like other students do.
I certainly hope there is a “none of your business” option to that question. If I want to seek out LGBT students/faculty/staff at the Law school, I can find it online. I find it offensive that anyone would ask me who I sleep with on an application to a school. This will just lead to law suits over someone being denied admission because they checked the “gay” box or someone who checked “straight white male” since we already have too many of those in the legal profession!
Amazing! I graduated a fewyears ago, and when I was a student, we had nothing like this. This is awesome. This is going to make GW Law an even more attractive, competitive law school for new students. It also makes alumni like me want to donate because it’s showing me that the law school is really prioritizing the need and value of diversity. Very progressive. Good work.
I’m currently applying to different law schools (including GW). I was actually wondering why GW had NOT previously included this in their application. I thought it was very LGBT-friendly, but I got confused at the lack of this application. This makes me feel a lot better about coming to GW and DC. I really wanted to come here, and this really help reassures me that I will have the ability to do well here.
Also, other schools do this as well. It is an optional question – just like race is. No one is required to fill out the race question, just like no one is required to fill out this question. It gives a clear message to applicants that this school welcomes them.
Dear the Hatchet,
Congratulations on even more amazing and factual journalism. Everything that GW has ever done to support the LGBT community is due solely to Komo’s work. I’m pretty sure he also cured AIDS and world hunger.
I have to agree with “Informed Student” this is all about Komo’s ego and not about aiding anyone other than himself. Classic Komo. Finally, the shirt tie combo is pretty wack, if we are being honest here.
Whatever Komo’s motivation, this is a good policy. It is also a policy that has been talked about in the law school well before Komo arrived. The focus is to recruit applicants who want to know the law school has a positive environment for LGBT students.
Yes, you can do internet research as an applicant, but it helps in recruiting candidates to provide out students with information in an organized fashion. There’s no requirement to disclose sexual orientation, and there’s no bonus for gay students.
If you’re hoping for a diversity boost, you write your personal statement on LGBT activism.
As Mayor Ed Koch said when asked about his sexuality, “None of your f#*king business.”
Michael Komo is a nice guy and a great advocate for LGBT issues. As the article says, the information won’t impact admission policy.
I can’t imagine why the law school would consider this legal to ask. I’m with an earlier poster who thinks this will be the basis of some future potential law suit. Someone will allege they were denied admission because they checked the “gay box”. I’d be worried too about “gay quotas”. Just as I would be worried about having an Asian name and being dumped into an “Asian quota”, I’d be worried about stating I’m gay. It’s really no one’s business.
If someone wants to raise the gay issue on their resume or essay or somewhere else on the application — great. But why make it a box. So what if someone is gay and they don’t check the box? Could the bar association deny the person bar admittance for lying?
Where is GWU Legal when you need them? Oh right…they never get involved.
I’m straight, so this doesn’t directly impact me. However, if this will make more people feel comfortable at our university, who wouldn’t want that? Don’t we want all qualified applicants to apply and know they will be welcome here. At a time where law school applications are drastically decreasing every year, we need to do everything we can to increase applications or stop the decrease.
I say good for Komo. Good for GW.
Also, when the SBA is not in the news, people complain that they don’t do anything. When the SBA is in the news, people criticize them for being self-interested. Apparently, you can’t please everyone – even for something that will really help the school.
What kind of specific, communal, and focused support would a student receive if they identified with a sexuality other than straight or gay but did still want to identify specifically and be recognized? Could a bisexual student request specific bisexual community report?
If we’re basing the need for support structures on the isolating “otherness” of being a member of a cultural minority, than certainly a gay person of color would have a different cultural background than a a gay white person, and then they would seemingly deserve their own specific, non-white support structure.
I am all for equal protection and rights under the law, and I do appreciate the struggle for acceptance in society that LGBT people face, but this increasing stratification in a private institution is heading towards the point of the absurd, where our differences divide instead of unite us.
Following in the footsteps of the common application for law school admissions is definitely a smart move. As the article states, this is already being asked on the law school common application. Clearly, if LSAC sees the value in asking the question, which they do and have an entire section of their website devoted to talking about being out vs. coming out in the law school admissions process, then it is obviously an important issue. The common application is used be so many schools because of the time and effort put into making the application. I think people working day and night about the legal implications involved wouldn’t have put it on the common app if the cons would outweigh the pros.
This is absolutely absurd and insulting to LGBT applicants, not to mention completely irrelevant to what should be acceptance based on merit.
Any “diversity” someone has experienced because of their LGBT status can be more accurately reflected in their personal statement or diversity statement. Including a check box necessarily lumps all LGBT applicants together, which is the wrong approach because it supposes that they all have experienced equal diversity that has equally affected them, instead of evaluating applicants on a case by case basis.
Should there be a box to check for virgins or sexually active too? This is too much information. What someone does in the privacy of their bedrooms is their own business.
GW application: “I’m a virgin now, but I expect that status to change after Welcome Week.”
GIGGITY!!!