Campus Issues:
The university years are years of extreme change. Students are confronted with a variety of issues. Each issue is dealt with differently based on the student's maturity and the experiences that he or she has had. As a result, the student who may be struggling with his or her sexual identity may have a more difficult task as these issues appear.
Many activities during the undergraduate years encourage students to develop self-esteem and a distinct identity. For the gay, lesbian and bisexual student, answering the question "Who am I?" can be very difficult. Because homosexuality and bisexuality are not widely accepted or even seen as healthy or acceptable by many people, LGBT students begin the self-esteem battle a few steps back.
LGBT students may question their self worth and wonder where they fit into society and the university community. Also, the majority of the activities during the undergraduate years are heterosexual based. Whether the social functions or dating, the LGBT student can experience extreme anxiety as he or she decides to "play the game." Coupled with this issue is the fact that most gays, lesbians and bisexuals do not find a community with which to connect initially. As a result, LGBT students may feel even more isolated than heterosexual students.
During college years, students also begin to make decisions about what role religion will play in their lives. For LGBT students, coming to terms with their religious beliefs can be a difficult task in light of the fact that homosexuality and bisexuality are not accepted in most religious environments. Other issues that will challenge LGBT students will be coming to terms with their career goals and health-related issues such as coping with HIV/AIDS and the fear that goes with it.
In addition, there are some unique issues that face LGBT students that heterosexual students do not have to face. There are differences between gay men and lesbians in identifying oneself as lesbian or gay. Men seem to be more anxious and concerned about the possibility that they might be gay than women. Once the identification has been made, men tend to view it as a discovery in that they have finally acknowledged their homosexuality. Women, however, reconstruct the past by examining and emphasizing their significant friendships/relationships with other women. In addition, there are issues concerning:
- Grieving the loss of membership in the dominant culture and entry into a permanently stigmatized group.
- The experience of being a minority, especially an invisible minority and its impact on one's life.
- Lack of family support or strong role models to help them deal with their found status and identity.
- Potential lack of peer support and isolation.
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