LGBTQ application question

Comments

• Creasey LSAT Member

  December 2016 edited December 2016 423 karma

  I think it only matters if it accompanies a diversity statement. In which case, you'd need to figure out a creative way to describe how someone such as yourself (i.e. mostly in the closet, not defined by her LGBTQ status, whose bi-sexual identity has presumably not led to much adversity, and has been with a male boyfriend for two years) would truly add to the diversity of the school by virtue of your bi-sexuality.
• 2 Likes

  texvd1988 Member

  December 2016 605 karma

  That is awesome! If you have a great way to tie that in to the application, it can only be a positive. Schools definitely would look at it as a plus if your story came with some kind of positive lesson or just positive impact on your life. One that has guided you to where you are today.
  
  I wear my rainbow pin proudly and have a drink on June 26th yearly. That's the kind of progress this country needed. Still have a ways to go, but we are getting there .
• jennilynn89 Alum Member

  December 2016 822 karma

  @"Creasey LSAT" Obviously the short synopsis of myself in the initial post is not my story/past struggles in its entirety
  Nonetheless it is something I identify as (if someone were to ask me), so I feel as if I would be lying if I chose "no" as the answer to that question.
  
  @vduran1988 Thank you for proudly wearing the rainbow pin!!!!! Cheers to that!
  I would like to tie this somehow into my application, but am not sure how quite yet. I've already written my personal statement about my experience as a German immigrant immersing herself into the American culture and academia, so I think it would be overload to add that somewhere in there.
  I've always been a very active member in the LBGTQ community/clubs and have done a lot of work for/with LGBTQ youths in the community, so I have considered tying that (and my personal experiences) somewhere into my application.
  
  But I guess the initial thought that prompted this post is that if I choose not to write anything (or only very little) about my experiences, I feel as if I would be lying if I chose "no" to the question on if I identify as LGBTQ. So I was just curious if anyone with similar experiences would choose not to answer the question at all, or only answer with "yes" if they had an accommodating statement?
• 1 Like

  Alejandro Member Inactive ⭐

  December 2016 edited December 2016 2424 karma

  I think that putting that you identify as bi-sexual and mentioning that it doesn't define you as a person but it is a part of who you are can help! Law Schools look for diversity in their classes and sexual orientation definitively is a type of diversity.
• Alejandro Member Inactive ⭐

  December 2016 2424 karma

  a little can go a long way
• jennilynn89 Alum Member

  December 2016 822 karma

  Thank you, @Alejandro !
  I think I'll make sure to include a little something into my application on that!
• 1 Like

  ethaaaan Alum Member

  December 2016 276 karma

  Check the box, it's really just used for statistical purposes after admission decision has been made. A few schools I've applied to had the responses to that section hidden from the actual PDF application being sent for the adcom to review.
• DEC_LSAT Alum Member

  December 2016 760 karma

  @jennilynn89 said:
  I'd like to add that I identify as bisexual, but I am not super "out" about it. It is not something that defines me as a person, and if you don't know me, or have only known me for a short amount of time, you'd probably never know because I have been dating my boyfriend over the past couple of years.
  
  

  I disagree with the folks above. If being bisexual doesn't define you as a person then I wouldn't mention it. In my opinion, those who have experienced discrimination because of their sexual orientation should bring that up in their personal statement and I think that's when it starts to "define" you as a person. If you just bring it up passingly in your personal statement then I don't think it would add much and could look superficial.