Should colleges ask about students’ sexual orientation?

There’s a story in today’s L.A. Times about how state universities and colleges in California, such as the UC system, are formulating plans to ask students about their sexual orientation on application and enrollment forms.

The questions are supposed to be used as a way to better provide campus services to gay, lesbian, bi and transgender students. Asking about sexual orientation is also viewed as a way to make LGBT individuals feel more included and welcome. A UC report found that gay and lesbian students have higher rates of depression than their straight on-campus peers.

Some critics, though worry about privacy issues and whether it’s appropriate for schools to ask people about their sex lives. Answering the sexual orientation question would not be mandatory on applications.