Gay Day At The Y

Times have changed since I attended BYU. A so called group for the freedom of "gay" folks from religious and political oppression is making its way across the country stopping a various campuses in an effort to spread their message. One of their stops will be BYU, on April 10, 2006. This morning's Tribune notes:

Preachers and proselytizing are nothing new at Brigham Young University. But the missionary force due on campus next month is spreading a doctrine rarely if ever heard at the LDS Church-owned school.

Their message: BYU discriminates against gays and that's not OK.

Soulforce - a gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender advocacy group - is scheduled to visit the school April 10 as part of a nationwide Equality Ride tour. After previous stops at other religious schools and military academies, more than 30 advocates plan to comb the Provo campus to talk to students about how BYU allegedly oppresses homosexuals.

Two immediate problems I have are:

1. Gays are a constitutionally protected class in the same sense as are religious groups, women, and other minorities;

2. BYU is involved in unlawful discrimination.

I know it is politically popular to jump on the gay rights bandwagon, and many courts have done so; however, I think it an incredible stretch to reach the conclusion that gay sexual behavior places someone in a constitutionally protected class of individuals, meriting the same constitutional protections you are afforded if you are black, a woman, or a political or religious minority. I don't believe the Church (from where BYU gets its guidelines) or BYU specifically discriminates against gays, solely for being gay:

"All these schools teach history, and history shows a wealth of information that religion has been misused time and again to discriminate against people," said Jacob Reitan, co-director of Equality Ride. "Is it really OK that I couldn't be a student at BYU simply because I'm gay?"

BYU's Honor Code - which prohibits extramarital sex and drug and alcohol use - addresses homosexuality in this way:

"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."

I think this is an incredibly fair approach by the Church and BYU. They will respond to actual student behavior, rather than belief or feelings. Once you cross that line, whether it is a gay lifestyle, or drinking, drugs, or even prohibited heterosexual conduct, then you subject to discipline. Gays are, and should be treated just like anyone else in terms of inappropriate conduct by BYU students who have expressly agreed to abide by a specific honor code.

I also don't believe BYU engages is unlawful discrimination against gays, or anyone else. It is clear they target specific behavior. The specific gay behavior they target, is as taught by the Church, a sin. Churches have the right to proscribe certain conduct as sin. Our Church has done this with all sexual conduct outside the bonds of marriage, whether gay or hetrosexual. Like the Boy Scouts of America, I believe the Church and BYU have an absolute First Amendment right to exercise their religious beliefs by disciplining conduct they have categorized as a sin. Gay sex happens to fall within that category.

That said, I believe that if Soulforce behaves and complies with BYU's regulations they should be allowed on campus to spread their message. Alternatively if they go beyond BYU's requirements for off campus groups visiting campus, they should suffer the consequences of those choices. BYU and some of the students body apparently feel the same way:

In her message, Vice President of Student Life Janet Scharman told students and faculty that BYU's campus is open to all visitors as long as they are courteous and engage in nondisruptive, civil dialogue.

"Individuals may not, however, harass our students, faculty or staff or use our campus as a public forum in violation of BYU's public-expression policy," she wrote. "This policy applies to anyone or any organization that wishes to come onto our campus."

BYU junior Matt Snow doesn't mind Soulforce advocates coming to campus. "If anything, it should solidify how we feel about the matter," said the exercise-science major.

Scharman said BYU has told Soulforce the school will not change its policies or practices to accommodate the group's desire to promote its initiatives. She added if Soulforce activists follow BYU's policies, then students and faculty should show them the same civility.

"They should be treated fairly," said BYU freshman Jessie Cook, a Houston native. "Just because we don't believe in what they're doing doesn't mean we think they're bad or we're discriminating against them."

There was a time where this type of interaction was unheard of at BYU, like when I attended. I did have a friend who was gay, and who lived for a time on campus. He was a student, and later worked at BYU for a time as well. Of course he kept his sexual orientation to himself--for the most part. This was back in the mid 70's to early 80's. Gays would meet in private homes, or apartments. So, it's nothing really new at BYU--though it is becoming more open. I don't know whether that is a good thing or not.