Will The Ousting Of Lesbian Soccer Coach Lisa Howe Actually Make Belmont University More Gay-Tolerant?

Will the ouster of lesbian soccer coach Lisa Howe actually help the the climate of acceptance for Belmont University’s gays? Pushed out of a job after she revealed to her athletes her partner was pregnant, Howe was just the latest gay-related stain on the private Christian university’s reputation. As we all know, the school has refused to grant formal recognition to student LGBT groups. But might all that change?

Robbie Maris, who runs the campus’ unofficial gay group BridgeBuilders, says the national attention Belmont has received after Howe’s ouster has pushed the administration to, like, act reasonable — and possibly facilitate the acknowledgment of BridgeBuilders. In the meantime, WSMV reports, school officials have been meeting with Andrew Marin of the Marin Foundation, which helps religious and queer groups find a middle ground. “We can find a way to bring them together to foster some type of productive conversation, dialogue that will end up a best-case scenario for both sides as much as that can happen,” says Marin.