Sexual Minorities on Community College Campuses (ERIC Digest)

This digest provides a review of current literature relating to sexual minorities and the ongoing dialogue surrounding multiculturalism and inclusiveness on community college campuses. A 1998 study conducted on the six San Francisco community college campuses indicated that more than 1 in 3 of 484 community college students surveyed had engaged in hate speech or hate crimes against individuals perceived to be gay or lesbian. Study of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) students is complicated by scarcity of previous studies, reluctance of some LGBT students to self-identify, and professional repercussions against faculty, staff or administrators who may choose to study LGBT students. A lack of institutional support services and inadequate opportunities to interact with other LGBT students, faculty, and staff may play a significant role in sexual minority students' failure to persist. Recent changes in state and federal law seem to indicate that failure by community college administrators to protect these students may lead to legal action against administrators and institutions. Includes reference to an "Institutional Assessment of Sexual Minority Status Checklist" with twelve assessment areas by which an institution might evaluate whether it is meeting its LGBT student needs. [ERIC]