In this week’s episode, John Wright and Rich Lopez discussed the GSA controversy in Corpus Christi, Baylor University’s decision to deny the charter for an LGBT student group, anti-bullying bills in the Texas Legislature, Rich’s interview with Clay Aiken this week, Mardi Gras celebrations this weekend in Dallas, and more.
Earlier today we told you about the new LGBT student group at Baylor University, called the Sexual Identity Forum. Shortly after our post went up, the group reported on its website that its charter has been denied by the school:
As of 1:53pm on March 2nd, 2011, we have been denied a charter. Student activities thinks that open forum discussion on sensitive topics such as those involving gender and sexuality are better handled by “professionally facilitated” organizations.
They don’t seem to realize that the frequency with which ”professionally facilitated” organizations host open forums is far less than the frequency with which students come up with questions about gender and sexuality or with which relevant politics develop. We are in the process of appealing this decision to Dr. Kevin Jackson.
Thank you for sticking with us through all of this–we won’t give up without a fight (and even then we won’t give up)! Remember, we are still meeting unofficially in the SUB Den on Thursday evenings, 8:30pm, without a charter.
Patti Fink, a Baylor University alum who serves as president of the Dallas Gay and Lesbian Alliance, alerted us to this story from the Baylor Lariat newspaper about a new group for LGBT students at the Baptist school in Waco:
The group, named the Sexual Identity Forum, is in the process of applying to be an officially chartered student organization at Baylor, and its founding members expect a final decision on the chartering to be made before the end of the month.
Alvarado senior Samantha Jones, the organization’s president who affirmed during the meeting that she is openly gay, said she was motivated to start a discussion group because she believes the administration has not always been accepting of students with alternative sexual identities.
“I feel as though the student body in and of itself is very welcoming,” Jones said. “Everyone I’ve come out to or approached has been very welcoming and very compassionate and tolerant. I feel as though the high administration … refuses to recognize that there are gay students on campus, and they refuse to allow a group like this to exist.”
The story goes on to say that Baylor prohibits students from participating “in advocacy groups which promote understandings of sexuality that are contrary to biblical teaching.” However, the university’s director of students services wouldn’t comment on whether the Sexual Identity Forum is likely to receive a charter.
This is a remarkable development at a school where Kenneth Starr is president and where, in the past, students have been expelled for being gay.
UPDATE: The group’s charter has been denied. Read more here.
