Nicholas Gautreaux moved into the Pentagon last year as an openly gay freshman.
The English sophomore said he first thought being homosexual would affect his dorm experience, but he was surprised to find his sexual orientation wasn’t an issue.
Gautreaux said his best experience in the Pentagon was one night when about 30 mostly male residents joined him at Splash, a local gay bar. It showed how comfortable people from his residence hall were with his sexual orientation, he said.
In an effort to proliferate positive experiences, ResLife Pride, an organization meant to create safe and positive residential experiences for LGBT students, hosted “Hot Topic: LGBTQ Stereotypes” on Thursday night. Students at the event discussed stereotypes of LGBT residents.
Gautreaux said members of this community are faced with discrimination frequently, but he doesn’t let stereotypes affect him.
A stereotype addressed at the event was the misconception that all homosexual men have AIDS, which hit close to home for Gautreaux.
When he lived in the Pentagon, someone started a rumor that he was HIV positive, he said.
He said being HIV positive is his greatest fear, and the most common stereotype for homosexual men.
Allie Miller, residence life coordinator for the Horseshoe, said students frequently seek out ResLife Pride for advice on coming out to their roommates.
Students also discussed the stereotype that homosexuals will be attracted to their roommates.
Gautreaux said he told his first roommate about being homosexual before they moved in
together, and the roommate asked to be reassigned.
Gautreaux said he was afraid he would never find a roommate, but the next roommate better respected his sexuality.
 
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Contact Marylee Williams at [email protected]