Administrators at Lindenwood University, the liberal arts school in St. Charles, Missouri, finally caved in and agreed to let students form a gay-straight alliance. So long as they don’t mention anything about sexual orientation.
Last week, after calling the proposed GSA “parochial and self-serving,” the school reached a compromise of sorts with students lobbying to set up an official group on campus. It will be called Spectrum Alliance, and officially it’s a “social justice” organization, because administrators also required it to include “other students in need of understanding and support.” And that’s good enough for Jack Sago, the grad student who led the project. “I think at the end of the day, we accomplished our goal. … It’s still an LGBT group. We can pick our own topics, speakers and own events and functions.”
Why form an officially sanctioned GSA in the first place? Because doing so means Lindenwood’s resources, and fundraising, are at the group’s disposal. But also because of the message it sends: That Lindenwood is an inclusive university.
And yet it was anything but when, on Feb. 5, student activities director Kerry Cox rejected the group’s application, telling Sago in a letter: “The rationale for organizing the club does not meet either our educational or our social service criterion for approval. Rather, its principal purpose appears to be the support and promotion of a particular lifestyle. [… Such a group] does not coincide with the traditional values of Lindenwood University.”
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Lindenwood does, however, have seven student groups specifically devoted to Christianity.
Mike
“But also because of the message it sends: That Lindenwood is an inclusive university”.
Yet they won’t let you mention its a GSA and the “administrators also required it to include “other students in need of understanding and support.”
Anyone smelling the CONFLICTED STATMENTS there ?
Dan
I AM A LINDENWOOD STUDENT….. and I think everyone needs to hear this!
First – The decision to have an inclusive organization rather than the GSA on campus was a decision made by administration and the board of directors…….
Not only Kerry Cox, He had to pass on the news because it is his responsibility as Director of Student Activities.
Kerry Cox has good relationships with many members of the GSA movement and you might be surprised that they are still friends today…..
Second – Many members of the GSA movement and the majority of the on campus residents support the idea of an inclusive organization similar to the Social Justice Alliance because there will be more people involved and in turn more awareness and advocates to many causes.
Third – I know much of the administration and a large portion of the student body. I know the administration and the student body is fully supportive of any students lifestyles. Everyone knows that changing a name is never going to stop something a student is passionate about.
I live on campus, am active in many organizations, and have a gay room mate so please take my word for it…… This can be a good thing we all just have to take advantage of it.
Feel free to ask any questions……
Joey
Dan, I have a question for you: why are you apologizing for the homophobes at the university?
RomanHans
Okay, Dan, so confirm this for me. Lindenwood has a Feminist student group, an African American student group, an Asian student group, but the administration forced the LGBT student group to call themselves an all-inclusive “Social Justice” student group? Tell me this isn’t pure, unadulterated homophobia.
Mark
Traditional bigotry wins the day at Lindenwood. It’s as asinine as DADT. They should sue and have Mr. Cox defend his blatant discriminatory decision.
mulletkitty
Dan, you settled for a closet when you could have easily won a court case. High school students all across the country have waged more successful battles than Lindenwood college students.
John
I believe that Lindenwood University has pushed for diversity in all senses and it seems contradictory for them to impede or block students to form a group for the LGBT students. I believe everyone should be treated equally and Lindenwood should back such proposals it would not be the only university with activist supporting equality for all as Washington University in St. Louis and Saint Louis University sponsor.