Beg Gay at Bethel: Revised

Contents:

• BEG GAY AT BETHEL
• BEG GAY AT BETHEL: REVISED

BEG GAY AT BETHEL

While the universy has chosen to engage wh other social issu, hostg a #BlackLivMatter panel discsn and tablishg a genr studi mor, nversatn about homosexualy and homophobia has been parably quieter at the stutnal level. In s Covenant for Life Together, Bethel intifi homosexual behavr — along wh adultery, idolatry and dishonty, among others — as a character qualy nsistent wh the Christian liftyle.

“I don’t thk that every person who wants to live their life as a gay person needs to have the affirmatn of the entire church if they feel that somehow this is the life they are lled to live, ” Bunker said. His rponse highlights a ep-seated fear among faculty members to speak publicly about homosexualy — a fear that DeYoung, a former renciliatn studi profsor, said still exists on Bethel’s mp. DeYoung ced the termatn of soclogy profsor Ken Gowdy 1991 as one of the reasons faculty and staff are reluctant, nearly 25 years later, to engage nversatn about homosexualy.

“Given that faculty sign the Covenant, which clus a statement about the universy’s perspective on homosexual behavr, we would not expect a faculty member to advote for a posn that nflicts wh the Covenant, ” Harls said. Almost a after Gowdy was released, an rmal group of stunts lled the Straight- Gay Rencilers cid to offer faculty a small but signifint way to support LGBT stunts by handg out “Safe Place” signs for profsors to hang on their doors.

BEG GAY AT BETHEL: REVISED

Now, five years later, social psychologist and renciliatn studi profsor Christena Cleveland said faculty, staff and even stunts are still wag for admistratn to tell them ’s OK to openly talk about issu surroundg homosexualy and the church. “As a person workg for renciliatn, the school’s abily to have open dialogue and discsn of homosexualy — and s abily to allow stunts to be who they are — certaly was a ntributg factor as I thought about leavg Bethel, ” DeYoung said. Ready to “get out” after her first two semters, Cil planned to transfer to Gtav Adolph — another MIAC school that has a strong mic partment and a gay-straight alliance group.