Dating is an undeniable focal point of the classic college experience. Many students end up meeting their forever partners during the treacherous trek through their undergraduate years. However, while some students come to college looking for their next connection, for queer students, engagement with the dating scene is often a first-time occurrence.

For straight students, the dating door has always been ajar — an inviting entry point, available to be passed through if they please. As society continues to view heterosexuality as a default, queer students often face a higher barrier to entry within their smaller hometown communities. 

“USC was the first space where I felt comfortable being queer,” said Aditi, a 2024 alum who asked to be identified by only their first name because they are not out to their entire family. “I wasn’t out in high school, so it was like, ‘Okay, I’m moving away from home; this is my time to introduce myself right from the get-go as who I am.’”

However, despite the independence of college offering a safer space for queer dating, LGBTQIA+ individuals still have to take further steps than straight people when seeking out sexual or romantic partners.

“There is a difference in identifying prospective partners, because same-sex partners have to be sure the other person is actually interested in a sexual relationship, and that they are queer,” said Jillian Pierson, a clinical professor of communication at the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. “There’s more navigating.”

Because of this uncertainty, many queer students at USC seek out spaces where they can forge relationships with other LGBTQIA+ students regularly — both platonically and romantically — without anxiety or precariousness.

“The benefit of a big school like USC is that there are so many different LGBTQ+ spaces that people can occupy,” Aditi said. “I found my own in a way. I never felt like I was lacking in terms of community.”

On campus, a safe space to meet queer people can come in the form of the LGBTQ+ center in the Student Union. Megan Woldstad, a 2023 alum with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a former events coordinator for the center, said her involvement there helped her feel more validated in her identity as a femme-presenting sapphic individual. However, her initial engagement with the center was accompanied by anxieties. 

“When I joined the LGBT Center, [I worried that] maybe I’m too straight-presenting, maybe I’m too invested in straight culture, [maybe] too many people around me are straight,” Woldstad said. 

Despite Woldstad’s worries, the center aided in the navigation of her LGBTQIA+ identity.

“I think for me, [the center was] really needed [to] help in figuring out what I actually like, what my identity was, how I fit in, how I could see myself within the queer community,” Woldstad said. 

Isabel Jansen-Montoya, a senior majoring in history, also found solace in the center during her undergraduate experience at USC.

“Having a space like [the LGBTQ+ center] where [you can] talk to people and have those nice relationships in a friendly way is really nice. It’s a great resource for the community,” Jansen-Montoya said. “It’s been a huge influence on my time at college. I met a lot of my closest friends here. I’ve spent a lot of time with my friends here. It’s a great space.”

The sheer size of the student body at USC provides new opportunities for members of intersectional, marginalized communities to meet people with similar backgrounds and identities.

“There [are] only so many queer, trans people at USC. So naturally there’s going to be overlap in people’s circles,” said Jansen-Montoya. “I didn’t know many trans women in high school. Something I really appreciate at USC is that there are other trans women, other Hispanic trans women, who have so much more shared experience with me.”

The ways in which LGBTQIA+ college dating and relationships are different from their straight counterparts can create a mutual understanding of queer shared experiences. 

“[When dating other queer people], there are certain things that you both know about,” Jansen-Montoya said. “The initial breakdown of explaining concepts to people doesn’t have to happen because they already know the concepts. They [already] spent many years living the same way that you have been living.”

Nevertheless, LGBTQIA+ relationships are not immune to typical romantic and sexual challenges, which highlights the importance of mindfulness for growth and development while in relationships in young adulthood.

“In all these [LGBTQIA+] relationships, you still run into the same issues; you’re not immune to the problems of a cisgender heterosexual relationship,” Jansen-Montoya said. “You can imagine you are, but that’s not really how it goes.”

Though USC and many other universities have taken steps to welcome their LGBTQIA+ communities and dating scenes, Pierson said it is important to be aware of the shortcomings and challenges that marginalized groups face socially when in queer relationships.

“People who say that LGBTQ+ relationships are no longer stigmatized have the good fortune of living in a progressive bubble,” Pierson said.

To continue encouraging breakthroughs and stigma destruction, Pierson said this progress necessitates community participation. 

“Cultural change is a bit of magic, and it happens slowly. The sad and unfair thing is it requires the minoritized group to take on the burden of stepping up and being brave and open,” Pierson said. “The more bravery and openness we see, the more others will feel like they can be open.”

Disclaimer: Isabel Jansen-Montoya formerly served as a copy editor at the Daily Trojan in Spring 2024. Jansen-Montoya is no longer affiliated with this paper.

Editor’s note: This article was updated Feb. 24, 2026 at 8 p.m. to remove identifying information for an individual who is not out to all of their family members.

Keaton Tracy contributed to this report.