Editor's note: This is the third in a series about the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in Athens.
Jason Porter, an Ohio University freshman, decided to live in a single this fall because he wanted to avoid the awkwardness of telling his roommate he was gay.
A few weeks into the quarter, his single in Armbruster House became a double when his boyfriend unofficially moved in ' they spent every minute of every day together, except during classes.
Porter said the reactions to the new arrangement were not good.
A lot of people who figured out that the random guy in my room and I were together eventually started avoiding us
he said.
The couple unofficially joined the growing trend of same-sex couples cohabitating.
Ohio has become the eighth most popular state for same-sex couples, according to a 2003 report of data from the United States Census 2000. The census recorded 18,937 same-sex couples cohabitating in Ohio, representing about 8 percent of the total number of unmarried-partner households statewide.
No authoritative data is kept on sexuality alone, however, so only lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people who live in same-sex households and who self-identify are counted, according to the report.
Nationally, one in nine, or about 11 percent, of unmarried-partner households are same-sex partners, which translates to about 594,000 couples, according to the Census Bureau. About 51 percent of the couples are male, and 49 percent are female, which is reflected in Ohio.
Local numbers are less clear. The Census Bureau tallies the percentage of unmarried couples by county, though it does not specify if those couples are same-sex or opposite sex. The high rate of renting as opposed to purchasing property also complicates any data in Athens.
Reliable statistics are nearly impossible to find because census surveys do not account for LGBT people living alone or those who choose not to self-identify, said Bo Shuff, the education and public policy director for Equality Ohio, an LGBT advocacy group. Shuff could not give an estimate of the actual number of same-sex households in the state, although he said it would be higher than any numbers reported so far.
The fact that Ohio is in the top 10 nationwide for same-sex couples is surprising, he said, because Equality Ohio ranks the state last for friendliness to same-sex couples. The rankings are based on 12 factors, including whether the state has legislation that incorporates sexual orientation into hate crime laws; whether a defense against marriage law or constitutional amendment exists; and whether non-discrimination laws protect LGBT employees. Ohio does not meet these criteria.
Ohio's laws are saying one thing and Ohio's people are saying another said Lynne Bowman, the executive director of Equality Ohio. She also said there is a stark difference between urban centers and college towns and rural areas.
Porter said after his Athens experience, he wouldn't try living with a partner off-campus, or on-campus, again.
It seems to cause too many problems
Porter said.
OU students, including those who identify as LGBT, can request individual housing, said Beverley Wyatt, director of housing. Some rooms, which also serve as housing for students with various medical needs, have an adjoining bathroom, which ensures their privacy.
Because the admissions office does not ask students to indicate their sexual orientation, the university has no reliable number of how many LGBT students live on campus.
Several LGBT students said when they told their roommates about their sexual orientation, they soon found they had a new roommate. Wyatt said that might happen, but the department does not ask students why they want to change rooms.
We treat every case on an individual basis
she said.
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Source: Equality Ohio Education Fund
