UC Students May Now Be Asked to Declare Sexual Orientation on School Forms

In what represents a unique change to the college admission process, UC schools may now be asking incoming students to identify their sexual orientation upon accepting admission.

According to CBS Los Angeles , "The UC Board of Admissions and Relations with Schools had mixed reactions but agreed that the question would allow them to collect important statistical information.  They recommended putting the question on the SIR forms instead of college applications to protect students’ privacy."

Making the front page of the school's campus newspaper, the news has been greeted with mixed reactions.

Queer Alliance Board Member Luis Roman wholeheartedly supports the proposal, saying it will bring necessary services to the LGBT community, which he believes is bigger than most of the school realizes.  "I think the numbers are way bigger than we really imagine or know,” he said.

High school senior Brian Vo said he wouldn't mind being asked, since the question will probably be optional.  "I think it’s fine.  They’re just collecting information to kind of cater to the population. It’s not obligatory — it’s voluntary — so it’s up to you whether you want to or not.”

But one student said that, despite the UC schools' reputation as LGBT-friendly, “You can walk around and hear gay, you can hear f—-t, you can hear awful remarks, you can [see] stares at some of my self-identified male friends that wear heels, for example, that get harassed everyday…so, as much support as there is, there is definitely anti-queer backlash on this campus."

According to the Daily Bruin, the school newspaper, the proposal has been approved to appear in forms to incoming students, but Provost and Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs Lawrence H. Pitts will decide whether to pass the measure.

Watch CBS's report, below:

(H/T: Drudge Report)