Is Harvard LGBTQ-friendly?

[HopefulGrad2B]

Hey everyone! I tried posting this on the City Guide thread but the Cambridge/Boston sub-thread doesn't seem very active right now. I'd really appreciate your advice about Harvard's LGBTQ-friendliness, especially with regard to housing. Thanks so much in advance!

So I've recently been admitted to Harvard GSAS and I'm seriously considering attending! However, I have some questions about living arrangements.

I would be living with my partner, who will not be a registered Harvard grad student. I take it that means on-campus housing is completely out of the picture... is that right? If so, then would I be missing out on the first year grad experience? I have the impression that a lot of first year grad students live on campus, have a meal plan and have social lives that revolve significantly around Dudley House, etc. Would living off campus lessen any of that for me? (I wouldn't want to have a meal plan if it meant having to ditch my partner at mealtimes...)

If on-campus housing isn't an option for me, then should I consider finding off-campus housing through the Housing office? How have couples, married or partnered, navigated this process before? My stipend is ~24k for 10 months and ~5k summer research and travel funding. But I don't know Cambridge so I have no clue which areas off-campus would be reasonable considering my stipend. My partner will be flying in from abroad with some money saved up and would consider working in the area. Neither of us has a particularly extravagant lifestyle. We would definitely be somewhat frugal and realistic... I just have no clue in which areas to start looking...

Finally, if I choose Harvard, when should I start looking for housing? I'd like to be moved in by mid-August; just in time for Orientation and right before the start of classes... I'd appreciate any and all advice!! Thank you so much!

[worriestoomuch]

I have no idea how Harvard houses grad students with partners (LGBTQ or otherwise), but I don't think you'll lose much by living off campus. Many departments have their own social events (happy hours and such) and you can still participate in Dudley House activities without living on campus. You might even prefer living away from campus and not worrying about weekend party noise from the undergrads.

As far as where to live in Cambridge, I recommend places around Central Square (about a 10 min walk from campus). Inman Square and Porter Square are also nearby (but I don't know what the prices are like). It's cheaper than Harvard Square and far less touristy (and full of great restaurants and cafes). You can also try looking on Craigslist to see what kind of stuff is available and what it's going for. Keep in mind that there are A LOT of students seeking housing in Boston/Cambridge that will be wanting to move in at the end of summer, so it's probably better to get your housing worked out early.

Congrats on getting into Harvard! I hope I've been helpful.

[HopefulGrad2B]

Thank you so much for the suggestions!! I'll definitely look into those areas!

So does my stipend sound reasonable for living in or around Cambridge? I have the impression that the cost of living is extremely high over there... which worries me, despite the generous stipend!

I came across an organization called Harvard Students' Spouses and Partners: http://www.hsspa.harvard.edu/

That looks promising!! That certainly reassures me about Harvard's LGBTQ-friendliness.

Does anyone have other suggestions for where to look for an apartment in light of my stipend? I'm thinking that I would like to live within walking distance or somewhere with access to the Red line. I'll talk to my partner to see how we would feel about maybe looking for roommates to make it more affordable in case the stipend's not enough. I'd appreciate any more advice. Thanks again! I'm so excited about Harvard!!

[communications13]

Email or call the housing department and ask them about their partnered living status for graduate students, you will get a truthful anwser. Also, you will get great resources by calling or emailing the LGBT org at Harvard. They will be more than happy to anwser any questions and will give you great guidence on friendly places to live. It would also be a great way to connect with a campus group before you move.

[HopefulGrad2B]

Email or call the housing department and ask them about their partnered living status for graduate students, you will get a truthful anwser. Also, you will get great resources by calling or emailing the LGBT org at Harvard. They will be more than happy to anwser any questions and will give you great guidence on friendly places to live. It would also be a great way to connect with a campus group before you move.

Thanks for these great suggestions!! I'll definitely contact the LGBTQ group. If I find out anything helpful, I'll be sure to post it here for the benefit of future students with similar questions. I love how we all help each other on this site! Thanks again for the helpful input!

[sausundbraus]

I've taught at Harvard Extension for the past couple of years, and so, even though I'm involved with the college its in a tangential way. I can tell you, however, that Harvard is very LGBT friendly (at least socially, I don't know about institutional policy-wise) and Cambridge is even LGBT friendlier. Although on 24,000 a year with an international (?) partner, it's going to be a bit tough to live without roommates near the campus. I live in an area of town not terribly convenient to get to Harvard, and if you're afraid of missing out on the grad community by not living on campus (though living on campus seems constricting to me!), it would make no sense to recommend moving out to the cheaper (and more interesting) places Boston has. However, if you're interested, places to look that are affordable and LGBT friendly and somewhat accessible to campus:

1. Jamaica Plain: a great neighborhood, no longer dirt cheap, but still better than most parts of Cambridge. It's a slog to get to Harvard from here, but a lot of people do it!

2. Arlington: On a bus line to Harvard Square, charming and small town-y while being closer to Harvard than most places in Boston.

3. Inman Square: A moderate walk to Harvard, but not directly on a subway line so cheaper than some other neighborhoods. Probably the highest concentration of hipsters and the greatest amount of youthful energy in a someone flagging city (Boston as a whole, I mean). I dislike it there, but I'm curmudgeon-y.

There are other neighborhoods that are less safe, farther away, and less LGBT friendly (or about whose friendliness I don't know). But those would be my first three choices. In any of them, its possible to find a two bedroom apartment for 1000-1100 a month (although for that price in Inman it might be a bit rundown). There are places in Somerville that run this price as well, but be careful when looking at Craig's List: Somerville is spread out. People tend to think of it as Davis and Porter Square, but it is also post-industrial and high-crime, as in the area near Everett.

And Craig's List is widely used in Boston, so it's a good place to look.

Good luck! I'm sure others might disagree with my take on neighborhoods, and my guess is that my three choices are a bit too narrow. But it should provide a place to start!

[adaptations]

Based on a quick google search, here's what I found on Harvard's website:

http://www.gsas.harvard.edu/current_students/eligibility_for_housing_in_the_gsas_residence_halls.php

"Rooms in the GSAS Residence Halls are designed for single-resident use only and cannot accommodate students with children. Married couples are eligible for housing only if both individuals are full-time, registered Harvard graduate students."

My guess, and this is only a guess, is that if you had a civil union they would probably count that too, but given that your partner isn't a full-time student, that is a moot point. My partner and I have been looking at housing policies and health insurance at different schools and have found that most universities are quite progressive and that they are fully accommodating to LGBT students and families.

Edit: "grad student life" isn't anything like undergrad, so I wouldn't worry about missing out on any sort of "campus community." You'll probably spend plenty of time with your fellow grad students without having to share a hallway with them.

Edited March 1, 2011 by adaptations

[HopefulGrad2B]

I've taught at Harvard Extension for the past couple of years, and so, even though I'm involved with the college its in a tangential way. I can tell you, however, that Harvard is very LGBT friendly (at least socially, I don't know about institutional policy-wise) and Cambridge is even LGBT friendlier. Although on 24,000 a year with an international (?) partner, it's going to be a bit tough to live without roommates near the campus. I live in an area of town not terribly convenient to get to Harvard, and if you're afraid of missing out on the grad community by not living on campus (though living on campus seems constricting to me!), it would make no sense to recommend moving out to the cheaper (and more interesting) places Boston has. However, if you're interested, places to look that are affordable and LGBT friendly and somewhat accessible to campus:

1. Jamaica Plain: a great neighborhood, no longer dirt cheap, but still better than most parts of Cambridge. It's a slog to get to Harvard from here, but a lot of people do it!

2. Arlington: On a bus line to Harvard Square, charming and small town-y while being closer to Harvard than most places in Boston.

3. Inman Square: A moderate walk to Harvard, but not directly on a subway line so cheaper than some other neighborhoods. Probably the highest concentration of hipsters and the greatest amount of youthful energy in a someone flagging city (Boston as a whole, I mean). I dislike it there, but I'm curmudgeon-y.

There are other neighborhoods that are less safe, farther away, and less LGBT friendly (or about whose friendliness I don't know). But those would be my first three choices. In any of them, its possible to find a two bedroom apartment for 1000-1100 a month (although for that price in Inman it might be a bit rundown). There are places in Somerville that run this price as well, but be careful when looking at Craig's List: Somerville is spread out. People tend to think of it as Davis and Porter Square, but it is also post-industrial and high-crime, as in the area near Everett.

And Craig's List is widely used in Boston, so it's a good place to look.

Good luck! I'm sure others might disagree with my take on neighborhoods, and my guess is that my three choices are a bit too narrow. But it should provide a place to start!

Based on a quick google search, here's what I found on Harvard's website:

http://www.gsas.harv...dence_halls.php

"Rooms in the GSAS Residence Halls are designed for single-resident use only and cannot accommodate students with children. Married couples are eligible for housing only if both individuals are full-time, registered Harvard graduate students."

My guess, and this is only a guess, is that if you had a civil union they would probably count that too, but given that your partner isn't a full-time student, that is a moot point. My partner and I have been looking at housing policies and health insurance at different schools and have found that most universities are quite progressive and that they are fully accommodating to LGBT students and families.

Edit: "grad student life" isn't anything like undergrad, so I wouldn't worry about missing out on any sort of "campus community." You'll probably spend plenty of time with your fellow grad students without having to share a hallway with them.

Sausundbraus and adaptations: thank you both so much for your advice! I'm sorry I didn't thank you sooner. I haven't checked this site as actively as I used to a few months ago. Thanks a million! I'll definitely look into your suggestions.

Here's another question for everyone. My dept. at Harvard is subsidizing a few incoming students interested in taking a Harvard Summer School course this summer. This possibility appeals to me a lot. It starts in late-June. When would I need to sign a lease by to secure an apartment from like mid (or even early) June? I would then want to live there during the school year but just until the following summer. (I would then use my summer grant money to do some research abroad) Thanks a lot in advance!