In August, a group of Baylor students sent a letter to both the Big 12 conference and the NCAA asking them to take action on Baylor’s treatment of its gay, transgender, and queer students, citing discrimination in university policies. This is the latest in a series of events and discussions about diversity and LGBTQ students at Baylor, a conversation that has intensified over the last two years. This is not a new point of contention on campus, however. Over the last ten years, the dialogue about diversity, homosexuality, and Inclusion at Baylor has been a consistent presence on campus and amongst leadership.
In 2011, students founded what is considered the first “official unofficial gay club” at Baylor. This club, now called Gamma Alpha Upsilon, has continued to seek official charter from the university but has not received this recognition.
A few years later in 2015, the university chose to change language in its student policy on sexual misconduct. This included dropping a phrase that specifically forbade homosexual acts, along with incest, adultery and fornication, a shift that came in response to the university wanting to better reflect, “Baylor’s caring community,” said a Baylor spokesperson.
While students of Gamma Alpha Upsilon continued to seek official charter during the years that followed, the issue was not brought back to the foreground again until 2018, when two separate groups of faculty members sent separate letters to President Linda Livingstone, each letter espousing different views over the Implementation of Title IX policies at a Baptist university.
One letter cited concern over a trend toward “Identity-related theories” that, the authors stated, “encourage group conflict rather than reconciliation.”
This letter noted a need for the “distinct Christian mission’ to be clarified,” and asserted that the University should, “employ faculty, recruit students, and hire administrators who are in accord with Baylor’s mission.” In response, another letter was addressed to President Livingstone. This letter offered support for, “the University’s efforts to address the many injustices that have occurred through an array of Title IX violations on campus,” and affirmed, “the value and practice of diversity as continuous with the moral vision of the Christian gospel.”
Then, earlier this year, the issue escalated between student groups when the student group Young Americans for Freedom (YAF) invited Matt Walsh, a conservative blogger, to campus. To promote Walsh’s appearance, YAF posted fliers across campus that contained an image of a hammer and sickle on a rainbow flag. (The student chair of the organization has since said the flyer art was a poor choice and did not convey its intended message). In response to Walsh’s appearance, a letter and petition, authored by alumni, was circulated urging Baylor administration to formally recognize LGBTQ groups. The letter gained more than 3,200 signatures.
With this issue at the forefront on campus, at their July meeting, the Board of Regents heard a presentation from Dr. Janet B. Dean, an associate professor of psychology at Asbury University who has written about queer students’ experience at religious colleges and universities. Dr. Dean also led a discussion amongst attendees aimed at finding ways to create a supportive, safe environment for LGBTQ students. The board took no action regarding students’ request for recognition of an LGBTQ student group on campus.
Conversations about diversity and LGBTQ students on campus are not likely to stop anytime soon at Baylor, and a response to the recent letters to the Big 12 and NCAA is yet to be known. “Baylor is committed to providing a loving and caring community for all students, including those who identify as LGBTQ,” a Baylor spokesperson said. “We believe that Baylor is in a unique position to meet the needs of our LGBTQ students because of our Christian mission and the significant campus-wide support we already provide to all students.” How this plays out at the university remains to be seen.
