Searching for GLBT-friendly accelerated BSN programs in progressive cities

SlaveHeart · Aug 19, 2012

I'm not sure if I understand your question. Are you looking for universities with LGBT organizations on campus? Or just cities that have a scene? To a certain degree the two go together but sometimes universities will have a more accepting atmosphere then the city or town that it is in.

I would imagine any major university in a large city on either of the coasts would have both...

Stephalump · Aug 19, 2012

Well since I'm not queer (must be a regional thing...I've never heard anyone refer to themselves as queer seriously...) I'm not exactly hip to the best gay-friendly areas, but I assume you know you could go to San Francisco or NYC and have a great time! :)

I'm from Houston and we have a nice little scene in the Midtown area, but you'd still be in Texas. I don't think you'd have any problems walking down the street holding hands, but we're not exactly on the path to legalizing same-sex marriage, if you know what I mean.

I seriously would just google the best gay friendly cities in the US and then google ABSN programs in those areas and go from there.

awesome_nurse2be · Aug 20, 2012

I know that Rochester, NY has a thriving LGBTQ community! It's a culturally diverse city as well. University of Rochester has an awesome Accelerated BSN program and entry-level Masters that most nursing graduates end up in the Rochester Hospitals like RGH Highland and Strong. Look into that school/area maybe?

UVA Grad Nursing · Aug 20, 2012

I would recommend two possible directions -- and each pathway will require you to look within. Neither is right or wrong; it just depends on which is right for YOU at this point in your life. As a point of reference, I am an out college administrator with nearly 30 years in higher education who has lived all over the country.

Option 1: look at a program in a progressive college town (Madison, Ann Arbor, Rochester, Burlington, Amherst, Chapel Hill, Asheville, Providence. or even Charlottesville). I have found the communities of college towns to be very accepting and progressive. You will also find the cost of living and tuition as an out-of-state student surprisingly affordable. There will be fewer gay bars, but a supportive environment if you choose the right town for your interests. As a sidebar, Charlottesville had a higher pro-Obama and anti-marriage amendment voting percentage in 2008 than any other jurisdiction in the state (higher than the DC suburbs of Arlington and Alexandria).

Option 2: Go to a major metropolitan area where there will be thousands of other LGBT young people like you. But expect to pay private school tuition, and expensive apartments/cost of living. Great social life, but also many things to take you away from your studies. ABSN programs are intensive --- will you really have that much free time in those 12-17 months?

I have known many who have done the college town thing for school, and the city thing after graduation for work (when you have a paycheck). The choice you make next year is not permanent --- if is just school. I also know LGBT students here in Charlottesville who go to DC (100 miles away) for an occasional weekend just as people from Ann Arbor went to Chicago.

Good luck with your choice.

bardone · Aug 20, 2012

I tend to agree with other commenters about looking for programs in queer-friendly cities, esp. if you're looking for an existing scene with nightlife. Minneapolis (U of M), Chicago (UIC), Boston (U Mass, probably others), Baltimore (Johns Hopkins, UMD), and Philadelphia (Drexel, Penn) are all big cities with BSN programs that I know of.

I wish I could provide more insight. Though LGBTQQI issues and relationships have been part of my life for a long time, I'm not queer, and therefore don't have any solid information about life at particular schools. If you end up learning some good info, please do post it here so it can be shared.

FYI, there are no accelerated BSN programs in San Francisco; UCSF has a direct-entry NP program, and a number of schools in the area offer standard BSN degrees. New York has a couple of accelerated programs -- NYU and maybe Columbia, I think -- but since I myself don't want to move to NYC I haven't really looked.

(It's also worth pointing out that even SF, with its queer-positive reputation and infrastructure, isn't free of bashing or other hateful attacks on queer groups and individuals.)

Good luck!

pkramer · Aug 20, 2012

Actually, SF Bay Area has a few programs that might interest you. Samuel Merritt University has two ABSN programs in San Mateo (just south of SF) and in Oakland. You could live in the city and commute to either? The bay area is well known for celebrating diversity. I graduated from Samuel Merritt when they offered classes in SF and my cohort mirrored the LGBTQQI diversity of the city.

I also agree with the other posters-check out bigger university towns/cities. Good luck!

umbdude, MSN, APRN · Aug 20, 2012

Another city to consider is Boston, if you don't mind a couple months of really cold weather. Summer and Fall in Boston are really gorgeous and comfortable. The city is gay-friendly and probably has the most progressive gay rights laws in the US (gay marriage legal since 2004). I'm pretty sure that all universities in Massachusetts have active GLBT association and there should be quite a few places for lesbians, and many gay bars have a mixed crowd (e.g. club cafe). Icing on the cake, Boston is couple hours from Provincetown! It's a great place to visit and its population is almost all GLBT. Over there, you can hold hands and kiss all you want with absolutely no fear. I think there's also a "Women's Week" in October...not a bad time to spend a weekend there.

There should be no fear in holding hands in the Boston area. But like the poster above said, sadly even the most liberal cities have isolated incidence of violence toward GLBT. But generally people just don't think it's a big deal at all.

runforfun · Aug 20, 2012

Ok, so I don't know if it would interest you, but you should check out the accelerated BSN at Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, MI (their main campus is in Allendale, about 15 mins away, but I think all of the ABSN classes are at the downtown campus). There is at least one gay bar (and I think it's a dance club as well) in Grand Rapids, and the other bars, clubs, and places to go out are great as well. It doesn't have quite the same feel as, say, Ann Arbor, in that it is a smaller city with smaller schools.

The only drawback to the program is that acceptance criteria is a bit crazy. Last I heard, the lowest undergrad GPA they had accepted was a 3.8. The school does NOT look at the student as a whole, and counselors will encourage you to take the easiest route possible because they are looking for a high GPA, and it holds the most weight in their selection.

Abigail612 · Aug 20, 2012

Not sure how far you are willing to go but the University of Southern Maine has an Accelerated Program. The School has locations in Gorham, Lewiston and Portland. Portland is a decent sized city (as far as Maine goes) with a lot of attractions (not sure if any of them are GLBT realted because I personally am not any of them) and some of the dorms I believe have GLBT floors. Good luck! :)

zoe92 · Aug 20, 2012

I would definitely recommend relocating to Baltimore, MD and attending University of Maryland in Baltimore. Baltimore is very friendly towards GLBT community (here is a website for GLBT in Baltimore: The GLCCB (GLBT Community Center of Baltimore and Central Maryland)). University of Maryland in Baltimore has a graduate program for those who have a bachelor's degree in another field, so you would end up with a higher nursing degree than an accelerated BSN. The MSN program is Clinical Nurse Leader and UMB is an excellent school. Hope this is helpful.