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LGBTQ application question

jennilynn89jennilynn89 Alum Member
in General 822 karma
Hey everyone!

This may be an odd question, but to all of those belonging to the LGBTQ community, do you mark on your applications that you identify as LGBTQ?

I am trying to figure out whether or not this is a good choice? Do school's actually care? Does this contribute positively or negatively to your application?

Since this is a safe space (thanks to all of you that are awesome 7Sagers!), 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.

Only my closest friends and family know about this, so I am debating whether or not I should bother marking what I identify as....

What do you guys think?

Comments

  • Creasey LSATCreasey LSAT Member
    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.
  • texvd1988texvd1988 Member
    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 :).
  • jennilynn89jennilynn89 Alum Member
    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?
  • AlejandroAlejandro Member Inactive ⭐
    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.
  • AlejandroAlejandro Member Inactive ⭐
    2424 karma
    a little can go a long way :)
  • jennilynn89jennilynn89 Alum Member
    822 karma
    Thank you, @Alejandro ! :)
    I think I'll make sure to include a little something into my application on that!
  • ethaaaanethaaaan Alum Member
    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_LSATDEC_LSAT Alum Member
    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.
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