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Newsweek index snubs LGBT students – Metro US

Newsweek index snubs LGBT students

A recently released Newsweek list of the most gay friendly college campuses snubbed Boston schools. In fact, UMass Amherst is the only school on the list from the first state to enact same-sex marriage.

“Massachusetts is a great place to live and go to school if you’re openly LGBT,” said Mass Equality Executive Director Kara Suffredini. “I thrived at BC Law, a Catholic institution, because the support of my classmates, professors and Massachusetts’ laws made me feel like a valued member of the Massachusetts community. When you’re young and just coming out, anyplace will have its challenges. Even those schools that are in the top 10 of the Newsweek list.”

The 2009 Princeton Review named Emerson College the most gay welcoming school in the country.

“If my school isn’t on that list I cant imagine how incredible those other schools are,” said Emerson junior Clair Kaiser, who helped organize an LGBT rally on Saturday that drew 800 protesters. “That’s great that there’s good people doing even more than us because I thought we were doing well.”

Newsweek’s list was re-released when a Rutgers University freshman committed suicide after his roommate allegedly broadcast his sexual encounters with another man in their dorm room.

In total, nine young gay men have committed suicide recently due to bullying.

“When we have gay college students committing suicide the last thing we need is a commercial list such as Newsweek’s saying campuses are gay friendly,” said Shane Windmeyer, who works on LGBT rights at colleges and universities and founded Campus Pride.