2008 Woodie Awards
Student examines homosexuality on our campus
Ben Nielsen
Issue date: 4/20/07 Section: Forum
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Writer's note: The following is the first part of a three-part series about homosexuality. This week's installment is focused on the argument for acceptance and / or tolerance of homosexuality at Southwest Baptist University. Next week's installment will delve into why we should continue our current stance on sexual impropriety. The final installment will focus on student reaction. Readers should remember that SBU does not have a policy solely directed at homosexuality, but it does have a policy on sexual impropriety. See the student handbook for details.
There is a typical student, let's call him "John." He likes sports, naming the St. Louis Cardinals and Kansas City Chiefs as his favorites. He likes to play "Madden 2007" on his Xbox 360 and is looking into pursuing a post-graduate degree in something other than his major after he graduates. But there is something that separates him from other students at SBU: he is gay.
Whether students at Southwest Baptist University are aware of it or not, there are several people on campus who are living homosexual lifestyles. Some students who have engrossed themselves into the issue have estimated that, at minimum, many dozens of students at SBU are homosexual.
John is one of those students. Requesting to remain anonymous, John began to tell stories of how he came to SBU to "cure" him from the different things he was feeling. As time went on, however, things did not change.
"I went to counseling at SBU for two years," said John. "I wasn't told to go there, I went there on my own will. I wanted to seek counseling to "cure me." I wouldn't say SBU fostered [me being gay], but they did offer me an opportunity to step out of my life and look at it from a different perspective. It gave me a chance to see what it means to be gay and be a Christian. If anything, it kept me from coming out sooner."
John's revelation of things he has gone through as a homosexual at SBU led me to wonder what exactly the campus policy is towards homosexuality. What I found is that there is not a specific policy towards homosexuality, but there is one that covers homosexual acts.
There is a typical student, let's call him "John." He likes sports, naming the St. Louis Cardinals and Kansas City Chiefs as his favorites. He likes to play "Madden 2007" on his Xbox 360 and is looking into pursuing a post-graduate degree in something other than his major after he graduates. But there is something that separates him from other students at SBU: he is gay.
Whether students at Southwest Baptist University are aware of it or not, there are several people on campus who are living homosexual lifestyles. Some students who have engrossed themselves into the issue have estimated that, at minimum, many dozens of students at SBU are homosexual.
John is one of those students. Requesting to remain anonymous, John began to tell stories of how he came to SBU to "cure" him from the different things he was feeling. As time went on, however, things did not change.
"I went to counseling at SBU for two years," said John. "I wasn't told to go there, I went there on my own will. I wanted to seek counseling to "cure me." I wouldn't say SBU fostered [me being gay], but they did offer me an opportunity to step out of my life and look at it from a different perspective. It gave me a chance to see what it means to be gay and be a Christian. If anything, it kept me from coming out sooner."
John's revelation of things he has gone through as a homosexual at SBU led me to wonder what exactly the campus policy is towards homosexuality. What I found is that there is not a specific policy towards homosexuality, but there is one that covers homosexual acts.
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