For many gays and lesbians, there's no question that college is infinitely more welcoming than the hallways, cafeterias and locker rooms of middle and high school. But despite more visibility, finding acceptance continues to be a challenge on many campuses, experts say.
Steven Black, a senior, said that you can't always go by location. His experiences at University of Illinois, Springfield have generally been positive. The environment, he said, started changing his freshman year, when the school sponsored an alternative prom for area teens.
"That was the turning point … a sign that this really is a safe place," he explained. "I'd call it a downstate utopia."
Black's comments were featured in a October 6, 2010, article in the Chicago Tribune.
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