Sexual Orientation

Legal issues related to sexual orientation have affected institutions of higher education in their roles as employers, educators, and scholarly communities. As employers, college and university officials have responded to calls by lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgendered persons (LGBTs) for equal treatment in the workplace. Insofar as they are often in the vanguard of political debate and social change, campus officials generally have been leaders in promoting equal treatment and dignity for LGBTs. According to the Human Rights Campaign, an advocacy group for LGBTs, more than 500 institutions of higher education in the United States include sexual orientation in their nondiscrimination policies. Approximately 100 also address gender identity, which is intended to prevent discrimination against individuals who are transgendered. Besides prohibiting discrimination in employment, such ...