On the surface, it seems like Houghton has done an excellent job of trying to maintain unity. And if we remember that, then we will actually be able to be brothers and sisters in Christ.. However, the changes are not just technical. Mullen shared an open letter which was posted on the schools website (see: https://www.houghton.edu/blog/an-open-letter-from-president-mullen/). Why are the LGBTQ students so upset? A few months before the accusations were brought up, this student had received campus wide attention with his announcement in chapel that God had delivered him from his homosexual desires, and the college went on to provide him multiple venues for telling his story. Art is meant to express the totality of the human experience and we cannot exclude an entire social group from being represented simply because their lifestyles do not align with another groups moral convictions. Other participants hoped I could provide insight into ways Houghton College, as a traditional institution, could support these students as well. Actions speak louder than words, and performative allyship is something that we see a lot these days, said Coon. The project was initially prompted by some of the Supreme Court cases around religious organizations' ability to discriminate in their hiring, specifically against LGBTQ individuals. And over the summer, Houghton alumni Joshua Duttweiler and Amy Coon came back to their alma mater to collaborate on an exhibition called "We are all Houghton.". When fellow Christians critique the actions of other Christians, particularly regarding issues of justice and love, the proper response is not youre welcome to leave, but rather, Please, join us at the table. Now, in order to tap into the financial potential of such a nostalgic era of filmmaking, Disney is releasing live-action remakes of these stories. During my sophomore year I was a resident assistant at Rothenbuller Hall. : Same-sex Attraction and the Christian College., Every few years as students turn over theres a difference in the way students think said Jordan when asked why he decided to give the talks. I was fired from my job as an RA and forced to move out of my living space just three weeks before the end of the year. I am still pursuing ordination, now with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. I was looking forward to all three of Dean Jordans talks; I think there is something for everyone to get out of all three of them no matter your viewpoint said Casey Greene 18. Fairness for All legislation would "secure basic human rights for the LGBT community at the national level in exchange for strong and perpetual protections for religious freedom," according to a. I want to shed light on the fact that students wish, and sometimes even pray for the LGBTQ+ community to leave Houghton College. Upon discovering my true self and sharing what should have been happy, celebration-worthy news, I found that most of my closest friends from Houghton abandoned me. God has called you his own, and no one can take you our of his hands. The inability to speak about sexuality openly and in an informed way led to much fear, confusion, and anxiety in my own life, often for reasons I didnt even understand.'. After open discussion ended the SGA voted on whether or not to reject and edit the proposed language. I have found a faith tradition where I feel welcome. 8 Christian Colleges That Have Sanctioned LGBTQ Student - Newsmax Many of the responses from current students did take this theological approach in showing their disagreement with the project. I was born and raised in Houghton, as well as attending the school. It's one thing to show up to a vigil or send out an email. Now, in order to tap into the financial potential of such a nostalgic era of filmmaking, Disney is releasing live-action remakes of these stories. International Conference on LGBT studies | Berlin Ohio State University (OSU) I was respectful, even supportive of him taking the path he believed was right for him. They werent a part of the culture of the church in the first place, even if they are invited to be. Student Leadership. Jesus accepts everyone into his community. Current Students | Houghton University I just hope that from this we learn to not corner someone into some category or theological argument, but learn to listen to understand, said Rachel Caine (23). I was following Gods call upon me to become an ordained minister in the Wesleyan Church. I am still pursuing ordination, now with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Following the devotion, Vice President for Student Life, Robert Pool, spoke about the intent behind the proposed changes to the Community Covenant. They told me that telling this student information about my sex life constituted a form of sexual harassment before the information was not invited, despite the fact that there was precedence in our friendship to talk about our experiences. You cannot love your brothers and sisters in Christ while also viewing them as a tragedy. The value is to fix the wrongs of the world," said Duttweiler. Afterwords I approached him, hugged him, and asked if there were any hard feelings between us. Halvorson is one of only a few openly LGBTQ students at Houghton and has now become an advocate. The gist of the concern right now is legislation on the horizon that identifies the gender preferences of people in the LGBTQ community as protected rights but seeks to exempt religious institutions from protecting those rights. But the most courageous thing I was inspired to do was to begin speaking out on behalf of LGBT Christians, even though I did not tell most people that I was one of them. We are one Houghton community. Houghton's position in this case isn't surprising, but it does reiterate the boundary lines of the community that sits at the core of Houghton's identity. This has never not been the case. And the exercising of my newfound freedom and courage would not come without cost. I could very easily blend in amongst other women, but just knowing that their hearts would be hardened if they knew who I was makes returning an unappealing thought. Our community tells straight couples that their sexual desires are (or can be) beautiful, holy, worthy of public celebration. My generation was raised on the The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, and Beauty and the Beast. The retreat, as always, was heavily advertised through various media, including The Star. Emily Warner (21) values the way that the project has called Houghton to act, both now and in the future. Their day is ending, and a bright new day is coming. I believe my years there were the most formative years of my life although in ways which no doubt would disturb certain faculty, staff, and students. : Same-sex Attraction and the Christian College., on Student Lecture Promotes Unity With LGBTQ Community, My Experience: Asexuality and Coming Out in a Christian Environment, We Are All Houghton Project Challenges School to Listen to Past and Present LGBTQ+ Experiences at Houghton, https://www.houghton.edu/blog/an-open-letter-from-president-mullen/, LGBTQ Christians: Why We Need To Do Better, Student Lecture Promotes Unity With LGBTQ Community. As Pool said, The intent is that the entire community agrees on the language. I concealed my identity from others because the message I received was very clear: you are not allowed to share that aspect of yourself and be a part of this community. Christian college group formally endorses LGBT protections in federal Also within the ace spectrum people can be anywhere from sex-repulsed to sex-positive (this refers to the way we perceive the thought of sex in general, not sexual attraction). We recognize that controversy surrounding this topic is ongoing, particularly regarding the recent paintings of the Spirit Rock. I had certainly never sexually harassed anyone. According to Cronin, traditionalists who use outdated or inaccurately-narrow labels like homosexual or same-sex attracted to refer to the LBGTQ community send an implicitly demeaning message: Our complexity does not matter. Someone who identifies as asexual (ace) is someone who does not experience sexual attraction. And as gospel people, this an issue you have to think through., Some students seem to agree. Some of us may also feel disturbed by this whole matter. In an open letter to the Houghton College community, Mullen wrote. She sent out an email that was really beautiful and really supportive explaining that she wants to stand in solidarity with us and show that she truly believes and wants for us to have a place at Houghton, said Halvorson. She said her goal is to make the group an official club before new leadership comes in; Mullen is set to retire in the spring. The student newspaper of Houghton University for more than 100 years. Amici disagree with the findings of the Sixth, Second, and Eleventh Circuits below that discrimination on the basis of transgender and transitioning status constitutes sex discrimination because it is analytically impossible to fire an employee based on that employees status as a transgender person without being motivated, at least in part, by the employees sex, (Amicus Br. If you have been here for a few years, you have probably seen a number of chapel speakers talking about what it looks like to be gay and Christian. You need to be considering what theological tools you should be using to make what is essentially a theological decision he said. has left some Christians angry. Faculty and staff at Houghton College work to improve the campus climate surrounding same sex attraction through a new study, community voice document, and discussion group. I was being accused of a long list of transgressions against the covenant and I was to be subject to a trial. Its another thing that your policies explicitly say something else.. Houghton junior Sarah Halvorson is part of an unofficial LBGTQ student group on campus. Queer people are the church, said Cronin. I hadnt even the faintest notion that by sharing this exciting news with someone I thought was my friend, I would be opening myself up for one of the worst experiences of my life to date. 2. We are one body of Christ. The way popular forms of media create and imitate culture has always been a point of contention amongst consumers with a religious eye. Certainly anyone can come in and listen, just as anyone can go see a film, but it would be ridiculous for a non-religious visitor to hear people affirming the existence God in such a place and attempt to boycott the church. Houghton President Shirley Mullen agreed, responding that the decisions regarding LGBTQ+ discrimination should be made by Congress, and is the reason why Houghton joined in the amicus brief. He disagreed, basically saying that homosexuals dont exist and that they were just confused straight people. They told me that telling this student information about my sex life constituted a form of sexual harassment before the information was not invited, despite the fact that there was precedence in our friendship to talk about our experiences. Louisiana College quits CCCU over LGBT policy | Baptist Press This means that art is inherently tainted by the reality of sin nature the same way that humanity is. Now, years down the road, those wounds have healed, but there are still scars. We need to try harder to walk beside our bisexual and transgender brothers and sisters. My Resident Director, a man I considered a friend and who I trusted, offered me no defense. They dont have to. Houghton College is a private, Christ-centered institution established in the state of New York. Br. For the majority of Westernized culture, Disney is a synonym for family wholesomeness. Why does it anger us so much to think there are students with a different theological position than what is popular? Despite the hostile environment codified right into the colleges covenant, the education I received gave me the intellectual tools to see that faith is a wider and deeper thing than the fundamentalist dogma which previously had been all Id known. I am happy to call you a friend. I am not saying you should change your theological stance and affirm same-sex relationships. Thinking about selling your car, boat, motorcycle, truck or other vehicle? The office of Student Life found me guilty on all charges. Coon said she has seen a lot of growth in the community since her time at Houghton, but the real change is reflected within the schools policies. December 3, 2015 2 Comments A lot of people discover their sexuality during their college years. What are your thoughts on the We Are Houghton project? The college also maintains satellite campuses in Buffalo and Utica, all three of which require full-time students to attend chapel at least twice weekly. All I did was point out that he, as a self-identified ex-bisexual, had opposite-sex attractions all along, and that homosexuals do not have the kind of option available that he, as a bisexual person, had. Why he would fabricate accusations of sexual harassment against me, or why he would divulge my private information told to him in confidence, I will never know. He says that having an LGBTQ faculty member would have helped him feel more comfortable on campus. President Mullen responded, saying The reason that Houghton signed the amicus brief was to say that the petitioners claims should be reviewed in CongressThe question at stake is whether the very best way to provide protection for LGBTQ persons is to ground that protection in the definition of sex as that was established in Title VII and Title IX.. For the project, Duttweiler and Coon gathered stories from current students and alumni and projected their words in large print on campus buildings. "And so Houghton ends up in some ways making it kind of really hard to figure that stuff out.. I was told all my life that sex should be saved for marriage, but I never understood what was so exiting about sex. This is pertinent because it interprets that Title VII protects LGBTQ+ Employees. Cronin focused on a refusal to acknowledge both the complexity of the LBGTQ community and the complexity of the human beings within that community. Its important for us to be talking about this not only our decisions but how were thinking about making them., Houghton is sponsored by the Wesleyan Church, which has declared, as per their website, We do not, cannot, and will not endorse homosexual activity as a lifestyle. The site goes on to say that the denomination has arrived at this conclusion from an overwhelming preponderance of biblical evidence. Jordan, who has stated in chapel that he agrees with the official Wesleyan position, affirmed the importance of the Bible in the decision making process. Jordan said, I think part of the message of Jesus is that we understand things about God better in relationship with other people. Jordan said he hoped the forum and discussions like it would give students practical, relational experience that would prepare them for future interactions with people who hold differing beliefs on sexuality. Coming out is an act of integrity, and I hope someday my alma mater's integrity includes its queer alumni. Now that we have explored and defined the different aspects of asexuality, I would like to talk about my own experience with being ace. He was far more experienced than I was, so it was rather natural for me to tell him when I had my first sexual experience with another man. Artists Amy Coon and Joshua Duttweiler collaborated using light projections of quotes by LGBTQ+ alumni around Houghton's campus. The position that the amici took, which included Houghton College, was that the language in Title VII (which also relates to Title IX), does not and should not include protection for LGBTQ+ employees. And over the summer, Houghton alumni Joshua Duttweiler and Amy Coon came back to their alma mater to collaborate on an exhibition called "We are all Houghton.". I was loved as teachers stayed late after office hours to listen to my woes. They say students feel pressured to uphold the religious values outlined in Houghtons student handbook and community covenant, a written commitment that everyone in the colleges community is expected to follow. By, Community Resources for Those Impacted by Mass Shooting, Comprehensive Coverage of the Crisis in Ukraine, Invisible Army: Caregivers on the Front Lines, Turn Your Car Into The Public Radio Programs You Love, Birx encourages Houghton grads to 'stay true to your moral self', COVID while gay: 'Horrificness' for an already marginalized community, LGBTQ people are going undocumented in NYS' COVID-19 health data, Don't rely on HR to protect your rights, NYS says. I have talked to friends and some of my professors about asexuality and I have received mixed reactions. The inability to speak about sexuality openly and in an informed way lead to much fear, confusion, and anxiety in my own life, often for reasons I didnt even understand. I realized that I couldnt continue to pretend to be somebody that I wasnt. Halvorson, who identifies as queer, said she feels supported by the administration. I would like to encourage everyone to intentionally learn more about the LGBTQ+ community and its diverse aspects. He accepts saints and sinners and never once turned away the undesirables. Being at Houghton lead me to believe that Christianity and homosexuality were at absolute odds with each other and that to be gay was to be a sinner and for that I was so ashamed. However in the end I dont want Houghton to change their position because they 'feel bad' or due to federal policy or a lawsuit - I want them to be genuinely transformed in their thinking. When the rainbow flag that the group painted on a large boulder on campus was painted over with an American flag, the LGBTQ students organized a vigil and invited Mullen and other members of the college community to participate. On Monday evening the Student Government Association (SGA) held its second public forum about the proposed changes to the Community Covenant. However, I question how many of us realize that homophobia is not actually something that is rooted in Christ. I think its good hes not avoiding the subject said Emilia Gildemiester 18. I was devastated, confused, and humiliated. Halvorson, who identifies as queer, said she feels supported by the administration. They chose to reject and edit, and will create an editing committee comprised of the Executive Council and class presidents. The evening then moved to a question and answer session where Jordan and Cronin interviewed each other using anonymous audience-submitted questions. 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