Universities throughout the country are recognizing multiple gender identities and sexual orientations on their admissions applications, allowing potential students more gender identity options. UNC has an opportunity to be on the right side of history in this movement by adapting similar practices.
The benefit of including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer gender identity options on university applications is twofold.
The voices and identities of the LGBT community are too often unrecognized because their definitions lie outside normative male/female identities. The temporary gender-neutral housing setback at UNC is indicative of the atmosphere surrounding the LGBT community in the UNC system.
By adding these gender options, UNC would help to accelerate the normalization of LGBT identities in every day vocabularies.
The second benefit is an extension of the quantitative data available to universities to measure and track certain demographics within the student population. The addition of LGBT identities will help be able to track the retention rate of LGBT students and examine problems the group faces.
It goes without saying that the addition of the gender identity options should never undermine the integrity of the admissions process. Responses to a potential student’s gender identity should not affect admissions rates — positively or negatively.
Non “traditional” gender identities and sexual orientations are a reality on college campuses. There is nothing to gain in fighting the legitimization of these identities. They will exist whether or not they are recognized on admission applications.
The addition of LGBT gender identities should be a simple and non-controversial step for UNC to make.
