Over the last few years, LGBTQ stunts at Baylor, the world’s largt Baptist universy, have begun g out of the shadows. At the same time, more and more members of the universy’s faculty are showg public support for those stunts ways that would have been risky jt a few years ago — ways that clu showg up to an unofficial-official gay club meetg.
Contents:
- GAY IS OKAY AT BAYLOR AFTER ALL
- DPE STRICT BAPTIST DOCTRE, BAYLOR TAK STEPS TOWARD A GAY-TOLERANT CAMP
GAY IS OKAY AT BAYLOR AFTER ALL
“What nf me is like how we're advotg for somethg, ” said Br LaVergne, Baylor senr and print of Gamma Alpha Upsilon, or GAY Greek letters, the unofficial LGBTQ stunt group on mp.
Stunts like LaVergne said while the rolutn is a step the right directn, they’re skeptil Baylor n create a group that would be palatable to queer stunts, given their unrelentg posn on issu like gay marriage. The first time she was lled a homophobic slur happened after she posted a photo of herself on Instagram nng the Baylor flag across the field at a football game wh a Pri flag pated on her leg.
It argued Baylor’s cisn to allow a young nservative group to brg a ntroversial speaker to mp at the time, spe his homophobic and sexist views, monstrated Baylor’s unfair treatment of some stunt groups vers others. LaVergne said lears GAY have already agreed they will not jo a group where they mt provi an official stunt roster, sce some stunts do not publicly share their genr inty, or if they are subject to l or requirements that are not required for other stunt groups. They removed a ban on “homosexual acts” om s sexual nduct policy six years ago and didn’t allow dancg on mp until the mid-1990s.
DPE STRICT BAPTIST DOCTRE, BAYLOR TAK STEPS TOWARD A GAY-TOLERANT CAMP
A gay stunt at Tett Semary lost his scholarship 2004, the same year the stunt paper, the Baylor Lariat, was reprimand for edorializg support of marriage equaly. In 2015, the universy did drop language characterizg “homosexual acts” as “mis of God’s gift” om s stunt of nduct, but the current still stat that only sex wh heterosexual marriage is permissible. As more Amerins unrstand sexualy and genr as more than behavrs—who you have sex wh—those llg themselv “si B” Christians have argued that a sgle or celibate gay or lbian person, for stance, should be embraced by Christian stutns, cludg learship relig anizatns.
Other Christian stutns have exprsed their stance as “acceptg but not affirmg, ” sayg that while they would wele an LGBTQ person or uple to worship their church or participate Bible studi, they would not perform a marriage or any other blsg of a gay, lbian, or queer relatnship. Gay and lbian stunts were hopeful a 2015 policy change uld pave their way to more rights at Baylor Universy, one of the untry’s most proment Baptist lleg. Although Baylor elimated language om s nduct that characterized “homosexual acts” as “mis of God’s gift, ” LGBTQ stunts say they rema margalized — unable to form stunt groups and barred om accsg stunt activy funds or rervg mp space for meetgs.
Baylor has nied a charter to one LGBTQ anizatn — now lled Gamma Alpha Upsilon, or GAY Greek letters — for eight years, acrdg to the group’s members. It has also pted openly gay stunts and their alli agast those who believe revisg the issue uld upend the universy’s relig nvictns and refe s inty.