quick hit: queer activism on OE campuses

I've been watching all year as stories come across my Google Reader feeds about queer activism on Christian college campuses, a number of which send students to the Oregon Extension.  I've written on my own personal blog, the feminist librarian, about the experience of being queer on a Christian college campus (in my case, Hope College). It's interesting to watch the process unfold at other colleges across the country.

At Seattle Pacific:

In a recent story on The Falcon, several students spoke out about the University's decision to not recognize The Haven, and suggested that administrators are trying to silence discussion about sexuality on campus. One student, referencing a January 25 meeting with the administration on campus where the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs said the school would not recognize The Haven, said that while the administration might not see a need for a group like this on campus, there are LGBT students and straight allies longing for a safe space on campus to meet and discuss issues.

“They can define us out of existence all they want, but Haven will continue to meet on campus because there’s a need for Haven on campus,” said Aaron Roberts, a senior sociology major and a co-leader of The Haven.

At Westmont College:

My best friend in graduate school was a girl from a very strict Christian faith. She went to a Christian university, after which she ended up in Syracuse, NY, where we met. And it was with her that I started Syracuse University's first LGBT publication. I know from her that tolerance, compassion, love and support for the queer community is possible in those who follow Christian teachings.

That said, some Christian colleges are certainly not thriving spaces for LGBT awareness and inclusiveness. We've been covering here at Change.org the push by LGBT students and straight allies at Seattle Pacific University to get a campus club officially recognized.

But also making waves is Westmont College, a school in Santa Barbara, CA. Thirty-one gay and lesbian alums have written an open letter to the school's newspaper, detailing the "doubt, loneliness, and fear" they felt while attending the college. Another 100 graduates of the school signed the letter.

At Wheaton (via Feministing):

The recent chapel message on Sexuality and Wholeness and surrounding conversations may have left some of you feeling alienated, ashamed and afraid. It can be difficult to see the danger of messages about sexuality that emphasize "God’s compassion for the broken," but as a group of LGBTQ Wheaton alumni and allies, we’ve seen the devastating effects these words have had on ourselves and our loved ones. Many of us felt trapped and unable to respond honestly to these messages while we were students. We feared rejection from our friends and our college. We know many of you may fear the same and feel alone or depressed.

If you are a student and this is part of your story, your sexual identity is not a tragic sign of the sinful nature of the world. You are not tragic. Your desire for companionship, intimacy and love is not shameful. It is to be affirmed and celebrated just as you are to be affirmed and celebrated. In our post-Wheaton lives, we have traversed the contradictions we once thought irreconcilable. Our sexuality has become an integral part of our broader pursuit of justice, compassion and love. We can no longer allow ourselves or our loved ones to be trapped in environments that perpetuate self-hatred, depression, and alienation. As people of integrity we must affirm the full humanity and dignity of every human being regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

I was especially moved by the lengthy list of signatures attached to the open letter / statement by LGBTQ Wheaton alumni (above).

I will be interested to watch this process of coming to terms with the diversity of human sexuality as it unfolds on Christian campuses in the coming years.