Tell Baylor University To Let Students Talk About Sexuality!

The Issue

Baylor students are trying to start the Sexual Identity Forum, a neutral discussion group about sexuality issues such as hate crimes, homophobia, and LGBT suicide prevention. The Sexual Identity Forum is intended to be open to all Baylor students, regardless of religious or political leanings, gender/gender expression, or sexuality. The SIF has tried twice to get chartered by Baylor this semester-and has been denied both times. The University has raised several concerns including: potential violation of Baylor's Christian mission, potential violation of the sexual misconduct policy (which regulates students' sexual activity), and potential extreme activism. Now, this group has not even had the opportunity to officially prove to the University that these concerns are unfounded. The University, it seems, is simply making assumptions based on misperceptions about students who want to talk about sexuality. The students in SIF are being denied their freedom of speech since they're not allowed to talk about these issues. We are left asking, why doesn't Baylor want to talk about LGBT suicide prevention? Or hate crimes? Or homophobia? Also, LGBT students on campus are being told by the denial of this group, that the issues that concern them and sexuality aren't important. Join us in telling Baylor, the largest Baptist university worldwide, that all students, gay, straight, bi, and transgender, have the right to talk!

This petition had 1,731 supporters

The Issue

Baylor students are trying to start the Sexual Identity Forum, a neutral discussion group about sexuality issues such as hate crimes, homophobia, and LGBT suicide prevention. The Sexual Identity Forum is intended to be open to all Baylor students, regardless of religious or political leanings, gender/gender expression, or sexuality. The SIF has tried twice to get chartered by Baylor this semester-and has been denied both times. The University has raised several concerns including: potential violation of Baylor's Christian mission, potential violation of the sexual misconduct policy (which regulates students' sexual activity), and potential extreme activism. Now, this group has not even had the opportunity to officially prove to the University that these concerns are unfounded. The University, it seems, is simply making assumptions based on misperceptions about students who want to talk about sexuality. The students in SIF are being denied their freedom of speech since they're not allowed to talk about these issues. We are left asking, why doesn't Baylor want to talk about LGBT suicide prevention? Or hate crimes? Or homophobia? Also, LGBT students on campus are being told by the denial of this group, that the issues that concern them and sexuality aren't important. Join us in telling Baylor, the largest Baptist university worldwide, that all students, gay, straight, bi, and transgender, have the right to talk!

The Decision Makers

Kevin Jackson
Kevin Jackson
Vice President for Student Life

Petition Updates