The Soulforce Equality Riders visited BYU's campus this week. They are visiting conservative colleges across the country to protest the treatment of gays. Here's an article about the visit from today's Salt Lake newspaper.
Five BYU students participated in the demonstration and were arrested for trespassing(I guess). I don't really understand how they were trespassing at their own school, but I don't really know the legalities of it all. I thought it was interesting how the Honor Code deals with homosexuality, I don't remember ever reading it before. The Honor Code says, "Brigham Young University will respond to student behavior rather than to feelings or orientation. Students can be enrolled at the University and remain in good Honor Code standing if they maintain a current ecclesiastical endorsement and conduct their lives in a manner consistent with gospel principles and the Honor Code. Advocacy of a homosexual lifestyle (whether implied or explicit) or any behaviors that indicate homosexual conduct, including those not sexual in nature, are inappropriate and violate the Honor Code." So I would have gotten in trouble for even saying that it's ok to be gay. No wonder I lived in fear of getting kicked out while I was there.
This story appeared in the Utah County section of the newspaper on Tuesday. It deals more with the aspects of being gay and a BYU student. It quotes a story recounted by a gay student that after an accident his mother told him, "it would have been better if God had taken [you] from the Earth rather than leave [you] here to be gay." This is the kind of thing gay Mormons have to deal with. Luckily my mom would never say that to me, but she definitely isn't ok with it. But I'm glad that Soulforce brought attention to BYU's discriminatory treatment of gays.
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5 comments:
I just can't believe that BYU continues to be so narrow minded. How can you ask someone who is gay to not support gay rights?
It's like BYU is telling gay people that it's ok to be gay, but you need to hate yourself in the process so that we don't kick you out.
That makes me sick.
Thanks for you post, I appreciate your point of view.
Actually, it wasn't BYU students that were removed from campus. The five demonstrators were part of SoulForce.
Anonymous: An article from the Deseret News on Wednesday said, "Brigham Young University police arrested 24 people, among them five current students, who participated Tuesday in a march and demonstration by a national gay-awareness group." Sorry I didn't include a link to that article.
Thanks for the post. I can only say that I am SO glad I didnt go to BYU. I remember my young mens president made me "promise" (I never said "I promise" but I did agree to apply) to apply to BYU. But then I realize I had zero desire to go there, and when I told him that I didnt apply, he got mad at me and told me that he was disappointed that I broke my promise or whatever. Anyway, I feel bad that BYU seems to be an educational institute that does not whatsoever encourage its students to open up their minds. Just like they stopped Rodin's famous "The Kiss" statue from being allowed into BYU because it showed a naked man and woman kissing... (big deal). Stupid things like that, it just goes to show what kind of closed mindedness seems to be cultivated there, and people do not grow or learn anything in that mindset. Its all more, more more, more of the same.
[IMG]http://faculty.etsu.edu/kortumr/HUMT2320/earlymodern/htmdescriptionpages/16kissdesc.jpg[/img]
Is BYU still showing images of BY as beardless? I remember when they airbrushed his beard away when they put his image on the course catalog several years ago. Forcing guys to be clean-shaven is so fascist. But, hey, they expel & excommunicate scholars who dare to speak of embarrassing things the church wants to cover up. So whoever would support BYU is a glutton for punishment anyway.
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