(Photo: Manasa Gudavalli for Washington Square News)
by Aria Young
This story was originally published on New York University’s Washington Square News.
Located in Greenwich Village, a historic hub of queer culture, NYU portrays its environment as diverse and accepting of LGBTQ+ students. Although the neighborhood’s history draws LGBTQ+ applicants every year, some current students are skeptical of whether NYU lives up to its reputation.
In the mid-19th century, Greenwich Village was home to gay bars and restaurants like Pfaff’s, one of Walt Whitman’s old haunts. In the 20th century, Audre Lorde frequented Swing Rendezvous, a lesbian bar and jazz club located on MacDougal Street. The Stonewall Uprising — a watershed moment for LGBTQ+ activism — took place in the West Village on June 28, 1969.
While benefiting from the queer history of the Village, NYU also plays an active role in its gentrification, which has slowly erased the neighborhood’s authenticity and history. Still, LGBTQ+ students like Gallatin sophomore Sofía López Arredondo apply to NYU in part because of its reputation for being progressive and inclusive.
Read the rest of the story at Washington Square News.