Sexual Rights Controversies On Campus

Email This Page  Share your view

Discussion about the rights of homosexuals jumped from the national scene to the Baylor campus following incidents in early spring that fueled the debate locally.

In February, the scholarship of George W. Truett Theological Seminary student Matt Bass was revoked after Truett Dean Paul Powell became aware that Bass is homosexual. Powell stated that, "we cannot conscientiously give money to a person who continues in the homosexual lifestyle." Bass contends he never told the administration he practiced a homosexual lifestyle, but did tell them that he supports gay marriage and homosexuals.

On the heels of that controversy, the student-run newspaper, The Baylor Lariat, ran a staff editorial Feb. 27 supporting a lawsuit brought by San Francisco city lawyers against the state that, in part, asserts officials believe banning gay marriage violates the equal protection and due process clauses of the state constitution. The Lariat editorial stated: "Taking into account equal protection under the law, gay couples should be granted the same equal rights to legal marriage as heterosexual couples." In the next issue of the Lariat, a statement from the Baylor Student Publications Board, which supervises the newspaper, asserted that the Feb. 27 editorial "violates University policy as defined in the Student Handbook, as well as student publications policy."

A month later, a group of about 200 Baylor students, alumni and friends called United4Change held a rally in downtown Waco calling for equal rights and nondiscrimination for all Baylor students. The group's Web site claims Baylor is "actively harassing" lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual students and those who support them.

Address changes:
Baylor Magazine
One Bear Place #97410
Waco, TX 76798
or click here

The views presented are not necessarily those of the editors or the official policies of the University.