New York students participate in a Pride march. College recruitment experts warn that LGBTQ+ students are avoiding campuses in Texas and other states that have introduced legislation that threatens them. Credit: Shutterstock / Glynnis Jones

As Texas Republican lawmakers flood another legislative session with anti-LGBTQ+ bills, college-recruitment experts warn that one likely outcome is a brain drain on the state’s college campuses.

Leelila Strogov — CEO of AtomicMind, an education technology company that prepares students for college admissions — told the Current that anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment is swaying students from attending college in states they perceive to be threatening. Strogov she’s never seen fear among LGBTQ+ students at such a high level.

“I think it’s the worst I’ve seen in terms of … these categorical proclamations of, ‘I will not consider a school in any of these states,'” said Strogov, a 17-year industry veteran. “The playing field just keeps getting narrower, and now it just seems more narrow than ever — which schools and which states would even be remotely under consideration [for LGBTQ+ students].”

Last year, state lawmakers across the United States filed at least 340 anti-LGBTQ+ bills, according to advocacy group the Human Rights Campaign. Texas, led by Gov. Greg Abbott, and Florida, led by Gov. Ron Desantis, have been among the highest-profile of those states, frequently making national headlines with sweeping efforts to limit LGBTQ+ rights.

During this year’s session of the Texas Legislature, lawmakers have so far filed 140 anti-LGBTQ+ bills, according to Equality Texas’ online bill tracker. Among other things, lawmakers have introduced proposals to ban drag shows, limit trans students’ access to school sports and cut off gender-affirming medical care.

Earlier this month, West Texas A&M University President Walter Wendler prompted outrage and a First Amendment-related lawsuit when he canceled a drag show fundraiser set up by a campus LGBTQ+ group, asserting that it was degrading to women.

Eric Sherman, a counselor at New York-based college admissions counseling firm IvyWise echoed Strogov’s assessment during recent comments to NBC News. He said 10% to 15% of the students he works with now flag campus climate for LGBTQ+ students as an issue of concern.

Data suggest the ramped-up rhetoric in Texas, Florida and other red states is having an effect on the mental and emotional wellbeing of LGBTQ+ youth. According to 2021 poll the Trevor Project, 94% of LGBTQ+ youth reported that recent politics negatively impacted their mental health.

“By pushing away an entire demographic that is full of talented scholars, I do think conservative states are going to make their colleges less academically rigorous, which will negatively affect all students,” Strogov said.

Texas State Sen. Sarah Eckhardt, D-Austin, goes a step further. In comments to NBC News, she warned that the state’s anti-LGBTQ+ climate could harm academic research, not to mention the broader economy.

“Our state is home to some of the top universities in the country, yet many GOP lawmakers are set on infringing on the rights and safety of the very students, faculty and staff that make up these world class institutions,” Eckhardt’s office said in a statement to NBC News.

“Texans have an uphill battle in advocating for simple equality,” she added.

If LGBTQ+ students steer away from Texas campuses, Strogov warns that it will weaken the higher-ed experience for all students. College represents the first time many young people interact with those outside the peer group they grew up around — a valuable lesson that prepares them for life in a diverse nation and economy.

“If we’re not fostering friendships across these varying groups, we are going backwards,” Strogov said. “And if you’re not welcoming, or if people aren’t feeling welcome on campus, you’re not going to have those friendships being forged, and the world’s going to become a worse place rather than a better place.”

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This article appears in Mar 22 – Apr 4, 2023.

Sanford Nowlin is editor-in-chief of the San Antonio Current. He holds degrees from Trinity University and the University of Texas at San Antonio, and his work has been featured in Salon, Alternet, Creative...