OUTLaw is a group of over fifty LGBTQ+ law students and allies at Samford University's Cumberland of School Law. On Thursday, October 20th, President Beck Taylor informed OUTLaw's leaders of the University's decision to deny the group's request to be formally recognized as an official student organization. He made it clear that allowing LGBTQ+ law students the freedom of fellowship—to congregate and associate with one another in the same way that so many other Samford students are able to do based on their shared identities—would run contrary to University's central tenets, values, and beliefs as a Christian, faith-based educational institution.

The University's decision prevents OUTLaw from participating in the same activities, events, and traditions that are enjoyed by countless other identity-based organizations recognized by the University. For example, OUTLaw cannot reserve a room in the law library for its meetings or host a table on the university quad. OUTLAW is barred from from identifying with Samford or Cumberland by name, which means we cannot include the name of our own law school in our organization’s name, on its social media pages, or any of OUTLaw's merchandise, apparel, or other marketing materials. OUTLaw cannot participate in Law Week as a group, they cannot sponsor a Bar Review, nor can they invite or host guest speakers on campus. OUTLaw's members cannot even list “Cumberland OUTLAW” on our resumes.

Worst of all, Samford's decision to deny OUTLaw official status solely because of its LGBTQ+ identity only sends harmful messages about LGBTQ+ people—that LGBTQ+ people are inferior to our non-LGBTQ+ peers by virtue of our design, that we should be ashamed of who we are because of who we love, or that we are anything less than fearfully and wonderfully made. 

Sign this petition with your own message and let President Taylor know that we won't buy into the lie that Samford's trying to sell us--the lie that one can claim to love their neighbor while continuing to facilitate and espouse the very sort of policies and beliefs that harm them. Tell Samford University that OUTLaw deserves to be treated equally and recognized as official student organization.