badger

I think you'll be fine and not have much trouble; generally Vanderbilt students are socially progressive/don't have a problem with sexuality. The gay community isn't very big in Nashville, although there is some presence. Of course there's the chance you'll encounter the occasional rude person, but I think that's almost everywhere. You'd probably want to avoid the redneck bars, but I think that would also apply to anyone who's not a redneck. In my experience, the closed-mindedness was more about economic status. Many of the students have never had to pay for a thing in their lives, and the sense of entitlement was kind of shocking. Being poor and/or ugly is a much bigger strike than any social issue. LOL I have some great memories from the place, but I also met some of the most childish people ever. This was undergrad, though, and I'd assume the Grad programs (especially SLP) would be a better calibre of students.

I'm more active in a different community, but I occasionally read this thread and saw some Vanderbilt concerns. I did my undergrad at Vanderbilt and didn't like it which is why I didn't apply there for grad school. I toured the facilities and chatted with a couple of current students, so while I have some knowledge of the the program, my opinion of the school is based much more on my undergrad experience. If you have concerns or questions, I'll answer them the best I can. Feel free to PM me as well.