Syndicated advice columnist Amy Dickinson sided with an un-named college today that told an incoming freshman he must room with a gay student despite his objections. Ms. Dickinson answered a letter of a mother of an 18-year old son:
“I agree with your school’s policy not to discriminate. You could help your son by assuming that he will have a successful roommate experience, but let him know what his options are if he doesn’t.
Sometimes students are held hostage by their roommates’ nighttime schedule, alcohol use, or indiscriminate dating life. That’s why the school permits students to switch roommates after a two-week trial.
“My roommate is gay” in and of itself isn’t a valid reason to switch in advance, any more than, ‘my roommate is Asian’ would be.”
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