However, the changes are not just technical. We Are All Houghton, presented during the alumni art exhibition RECOLLECTIVE (held September 4, 2020 to October 3, 2020 in the Ortlip Gallery), consisted of light projections of quotes by LGBTQ+ alumni around notable spots on Houghtons Campus, including buildings like Fancher Hall, Luckey Memorial, and Wesley Chapel. He says, having an LGBTQ faculty member would have helped him feel more comfortable on campus. Its another thing that your policies explicitly say something else.. They used words of current LGBTQ students through answers submitted through a survey they provided. Ill say it again, queer people are the church., Cronin addressed ways in which traditional Christians can, intentionally or unintentionally, marginalize people who fall outside the heterosexual and cisgender circle. 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. 1. Probably not. Watching movies is not something we should partake in to have our beliefs affirmed, but to exercise our capacity for empathy. 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 identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community even though, in the broad sense of the word, I am still straight. I identify as heteroromantic demisexual, but most of the time I just say that I am ace. 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.". The Bridge connects music lovers with music makers and engages in the community, supporting musicians, venues, and listeners. Now, years down the road, those wounds have healed, but there are still scars. What I learned from my time at Houghton is that some of the most horrible things that happen to us don't always happen in a dramatic cataclysmic way. Halvorson is one of only a few openly LGBTQ students at Houghton and has now become an advocate. 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. Student Health Services. So what does right-wing extremism look like here in Western New York? 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. The office of Student Life found me guilty on all charges. Jesus would have celebrated me for who I am, for who God made me. 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. Student Leadership. They werent a part of the culture of the church in the first place, even if they are invited to be. The student newspaper of Houghton College for more than 100 years. For the majority of Westernized culture, Disney is a synonym for family wholesomeness. But I dont mean to give the reader the impression that Houghton was one big pride parade or that it was the catwalk upon which I blossomed as a gay Christian. A few months ago we celebrated my Dads birthday. The reason that we believe the issues of protecting the rights of all different people of all different values in our culture are best settled in the legislative world rather than the courts, said Mullen. Theyre just being asked to live by a traditional standard. The lecture took place on Tuesday evening, Why Cant We Be Friends? Part of the appeal of such projects is the effect time has in the retelling of the familiar. I survived Houghton and I want to tell LGBT students attending there now to cherish the good friends and cut out, as much as possible, voices of hate and condemnation; make the best of your relationships with the beautiful minds of faculty there, and do not fear the angry old guard who use their pulpits to oppress you. I know this sets up an ultimatum: values or people? Jordan Markwood '05 Receives Houghton University's 2022 Distinguished Achievement Award. 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.. Both Duttweiler and Coon said Houghtons culture doesnt cultivate a safe place for LGBTQ students to come out. Its okay; I have not been replaced by my evil twin.. Teach us how to love you.. I came to find that a fellow LGBT student in whom I occasionally confided in had leveled the accusations against me. It's one thing to show up to a vigil or send out an email. Called to Embrace and Serve - Response to Open Letter, March 5, 2021, President Mullens Letter in Response to the Survey Data, December 7, 2020, Family Dinner Conversation, Homecoming Panel, October 2, 2020, President Mullens Open Letter, September 11, 2020, https://www.houghtonstar.com/2020/10/05/we-are-all-houghton-project-challenges-school-to-listen-to-past-and-present-lgbtq-experiences-at-houghton/, https://www.houghtonstar.com/2017/04/11/covenant-revisions-progress/, https://www.houghtonstar.com/2016/11/11/revisions-to-covenant-proposed/, https://www.houghtonstar.com/2016/11/17/sga-rejects-covenant-revisions/, https://www.houghtonstar.com/2016/12/02/covenant-edits-approved/, https://www.houghtonstar.com/2015/03/12/lgbq-inclusion-community-covenant-amendment/, https://www.houghtonstar.com/2015/12/03/being-queer-at-houghton-adam-reinhardt-11/, Gender identity + same-sex behaviors, pages 17-18. 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. Duttweiler said that as an artist, he is not a policy maker, but part of what he does comes from the values he learned at Houghton. For the majority of Westernized culture, Disney is a synonym for family wholesomeness. They even staged a sit in in the Student Life office in protest of my termination and held a barbecue party for me. The final voice heard in the open discussion was that of Ron McEntire, a current graduate student in Organ Performance. 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. Through fellowships, conferences, events ,and community initiatives, the college encourages students to organize and lead their own volunteer projects and connect with activists around the world. In an open letter to the Houghton College community, Mullen wrote. We all know that racism is bad. Duttweiler identifies as gay, and didnt come out until after graduating in 2015. Validated? Now, years down the road, those wounds have healed, but there are still scars. 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. Cronin focused on a refusal to acknowledge both the complexity of the LBGTQ community and the complexity of the human beings within that community. Other people joined the argument taking my side, and it got slightly heated. The mention of sex or sexuality doesnt usually get much of a reaction on many college campuses, but for many Houghton College students, the topic is still considered taboo. Change must come. Residence Life. 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. The thought of returning to Houghton fills with me with discomfort, and I do not think I would be welcome on campus. Technology Services. This is a great opportunity to love them, but instead weve given them a platform for their attack on the college, he said. Looking back I believe it was this anxiety that led to the fanatical kind of faith I had when I arrived at Houghton an unsustainable fanaticism which I was already beginning to grow weary of. This experience of not having sexual attraction is confusing when our culture seems to focus so much on sexualizing everything. I was, by any dogmatic measurement, a conservative evangelical: creationist, pro-life and, yes, anti-gay. The artists' goal: Amplify the voices of Houghton's LGBTQ students. When we respond to popular culture as if its surprising that it does not live up to personal moral convictions that we all fall short of daily, then we have forgotten that. Referencing an anonymous question which had referenced Cronins trans-ness (which, had prompted a joke from Cronin about the Trans-Ness Monster), Shannon commented on the importance of demystifying nontraditional perspectives on sexuality and gender. Everyone has the right to have stories told about them, no matter what. Essentially, this means that they provided insight or a perspective to the court that they might not have considered or been aware of. The next time you are about to slander your LGBTQ+ brothers and sisters in Christ, ask yourself when the last time you asked to pray for them was. And what does the local far-right have to say about their ideology? I did not realize that I was asexual until this semester which has been an interesting experience for sure. Discussions about injustice fascinate us because we know that the church has a duty to step up and speak out against the divisions in this world. Houghton College Editor's note: Common Ground is an initiative to build bridges through conversation between the LGBTQ community and people of faith in college athletics. He told the story of his life, admitting that he was a gay Christian who first attended Houghton in the 1960s. And there I knew (and I know) so much love. I grew up in an environment that most would say was sheltered. Being transgender has essentially made me an undesirable, an outcast, a leper. 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. The value is to fix the wrongs of the world," said Duttweiler. Yet it elicits an unexpectedly intimate sting when you find yourself at moral odds with art that you thought came from a trusted source. The data, Discrimination issues haven't gone away, even in these COVID-19 days of remote work and school. I am concerned about the uneasiness that many students have about talking to someone who is gay, bisexual, lesbian, or transgender. Its another thing that your policies explicitly say something else.. As a queer person at Houghton, I felt afraid and isolated. Duttweiler and Coon plan to continue the project as long as it is helpful and are seeking feedback on how to best go about doing this in the future. This has never not been the case. I would like to encourage everyone to intentionally learn more about the LGBTQ+ community and its diverse aspects. I think its good hes not avoiding the subject said Emilia Gildemiester 18. We are one body of Christ. Their day is ending, and a bright new day is coming. Amicus Br. We rounded up a few examples of how colleges have celebrated the month on campus. The LGBT conference 2022 is attended by researchers, scientists, graduate and post-graduate students, as well as representatives of for-profit and non-profit organizations, research institutions, and government agencies. This forced me to explain to my floor-mates why they would have a different RA for the last few weeks. You cannot love your brothers and sisters in Christ while also viewing them as a tragedy. Friends I had made from the Equality Ride which took the campus by storm earlier that year even offered to put me in contact with their ACLU lawyers, but I was too dejected to even entertain the idea of a legal battle. Quotes came from a group of recently graduated alumniCollin Belt (15), Mitch Galusha (14), Sally Jacoby Murphy (13), Sarah Jacoby Murphy (13), Holly Chaisson (16), and Emilie Powles Ocock (14)along with some who opted to remain anonymous, including current students. They dont have to. on My Experience: Asexuality and Coming Out in a Christian Environment, The way popular forms of media create and imitate culture has always been a point of contention amongst consumers with a religious eye. The college has a God-given duty to shepherd its studentsyou have to truly love someone to share the truth with them, and the individuals involved with this need to hear the truth of the biblical gospel. In August 2020, the Supreme Court decided its blockbuster Title VII cases: No. Due largely to my own conservative evangelical upbringing, I arrived at Houghton terrified of beingor even being. I was loved as I sat at late night Christmas eve dinners with family friends who would later become college professors. One anonymous participant wrote: 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., Photographs of light projections on campus buildings courtesy of the artists.Credit Joshua Duttweiler and Amy Coon. has left some Christians angry. I took my job very seriously and thrived in this position of leadership. Houghton President Shirley Mullen denies that the college's participation in the amicus brief that inspired the project was about protecting the right to discriminate. Well, every topic except for one. 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). 3. Houghton College is a private, Christ-centered institution established in the state of New York. Jordan said he had slightly modified the content of his first talk so that it can stand alone, but it is still covers most of the same information he originally planned for his conservative segment. They chose to reject and edit, and will create an editing committee comprised of the Executive Council and class presidents. The Supreme Court, in August 2020, concluded that firing an employee on the basis of being gay or transgender constitutes a violation of the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Despite all the support I received from my friends, I was a deeply jaded and angry person after that year. Houghton President Shirley Mullen denies that the college's participation in the amicus brief that inspired the project was about protecting the right to discriminate. 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. 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. Why in the world, you might ask, would I willingly choose to become part of a community that would be openly hostile toward me? This is pertinent because it interprets that Title VII protects LGBTQ+ Employees. Many of the responses from current students did take this theological approach in showing their disagreement with the project. This iris farm specializes in hybrid colors. However, I question how many of us realize that homophobia is not actually something that is rooted in Christ. Houghton was actually involved in the lawsuit, said Duttweiler. Hold true to your beliefs, but for the sake of the unity of the church in a time of turmoil, please do not let the Christian acceptance of homophobia get in the way of your Christ-like compassion. 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.". Explore Civic Engagement Projects. That was the last time I ever spoke to him. She admonished the crowd to allow the Christian story and ethic of love to supercede your personal theological beliefs, and added further that we will lose our Christian community if we dont value love above all else. This call for unity in love was echoed by several community members throughout the evening. The artists' goal: Amplify the voices of Houghton's LGBTQ students. 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. That is why the New York State Division of Human Rights, WBFO-FM 88.7 | When Andy Griffith prayed at his familys dinner table, America generally identified as Christian, so Disney films appealed to that same sense of morality. "Even just talks about sex in general in colleges, those are all repressed.. SGA has also been doing a great job of facilitating discussion about the language of the Community Covenant that talks about same-sex relationships. Does Jesus care whether or not we are comfortable? Mullen accepted the invite. I sincerely hope that Houghton will follow through and make concrete changes to care for and support the Houghton queer community, without feeling the need to remind us how wrong they think we are along the way.. 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. Student Engagement. After open discussion ended the SGA voted on whether or not to reject and edit the proposed language. Essentially, this means that they provided insight or a perspective to the court that they might not have considered or been aware of. No. Students who expressed their support of the movement focused less on theological debate and arguments, and more on their gratitude for the movement, along with acknowledging the need for support and inclusion for the LGBTQ+ members of the Houghton community. What I am saying, though, is that we cannot look at sexual orientation as an opportunity to disrespect and disregard the LGBTQ+ community on campus or around the world. There have been public calls for boycotts, open letters to Hollywood asking for revisions, and a general sentiment of I dont understand why they needed to change the story I grew up with by making a character gay. While I understand this stems from a place of genuine concern, I am convicted that not only is this kind of interaction with art unhelpful, but it is not a Christian way to engage with the world. I think, interestingly enough, the reason why were doing it is because that is what we were taught to do. Duttweiler was glad that this panel was being hosted, but was disappointed that Amy and [him], as the artists of the project would not be included in any further conversation., In terms of general reactions, Duttweiler and Coon expressed their overwhelmed feelings at how many positive responses they received from both participants and allies, saying they received many personal messages of gratitude for the project and, overall, received nearly 100 survey responses from LGBTQ+ current students, alumni, and staff/faculty. This love for unity seems to spread across every area of our lives and to every topic that can possibly be discussed. Their day is ending, and a bright new day is coming. 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. Because of repressing it and because of some of the policies that Houghton has out, it scares people to not even consider it and think about it," Coon said. Houghton College's involvement, which became known to a group of alumni in August of 2019, was as an amicus curiae. And the exercising of my newfound freedom and courage would not come without cost. This poor theology has created a roadmap of self harm scars. But this community cannot last much longer sitting on the bubble, attempting to please both sides of this issue. 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. Friends I had made from the Equality Ride which took the campus by storm earlier that year even offered to put me in contact with their ACLU lawyers, but I was too dejected to even entertain the idea of a legal battle. I was following Gods call upon me to become an ordained minister in the Wesleyan Church. : 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. My reasons for this are at once rather complex and at the same time very simple, because he asked me to. Jordan explained he felt to insist on calling Micah Mary tonight would be like taking all my interactions with Micah and using every one of those to remind him that I disagree with him, and thats a really hard way to build a relationship with someone.. They can just leave; after all, this is a voluntary community. Let me remind those who are ready to post such a sentiment on YikYak that any Christian community is subject to the entire Body of Christ. 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 are the LGBTQ students so upset? The culture of the world will always be the worlds, and we are all a part of it. And in May 2016 I will have my Masters of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary. Community members on both sides of the issue shared their views. But it had serious repercussions. I was in the perfect place for God to begin a new work on me. Dean of the chapel, Michael Jordan, delivered the first of three lectures in a series on same sex attraction in Christian higher education. We all know that sexism is terrible. We one-hundred percent need to do better. I see it every time a Christian brother or sister says we should not think less of someone because of their race, gender, or economic status, but conveniently disregards sexual orientation. My floor-mates affectionately referred to me as Father Adam. It was also during this year that I began to come out of the closet to my closest friends. Three weeks before the end of my sophomore year I was summoned to the Student Life office. Let BTPM help you get started today. You are guaranteed engaging discussions that bring diverse opinions under the common goal of delivering actionable results . It seems to me that if you even say the word gay, there is a Houghton student somewhere cringing in agony. The lawsuit involved cases brought to the U.S. Supreme Court in 2019 that determined whether sex discrimination prohibited by the Civil Rights Act of 1964 extends to sexual orientation or gender identity. "Even just talks about sex in general in colleges, those are all repressed.. The student newspaper of Houghton University for more than 100 years. On the surface, it seems like Houghton has done an excellent job of trying to maintain unity. Dean Jordans chapel talks and special discussions are always presented with tact and respect. I am still pursuing ordination, now with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. They used words of current LGBTQ students through answers submitted through a survey they provided. Get the latest news and those driveway moments delivered directly to your inbox every weekday morning by signing up for the WBFO Newsletter: The WBFO Daily. As Pool said, The intent is that the entire community agrees on the language. So avoiding a single work based on what you perceive to be morally incompatible is counterintuitive, unless you choose to remove yourself from engaging in art as a whole. "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. 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. The idea that being LGBTQ is a tragedy, a result of the fall, an embarrassment, an abomination, is enough. If nothing else, it is clear that We Are All Houghton has given voice to those who have not always had the platform to share their experiences safely, and that Houghtons community may have work to do to reconcile that term we value so much with those who have felt anything but welcomed into the community here. Along with the physical exhibit in the Ortlip Gallery, the project has a website, weareallhoughton.com, as well as a page on Instagram (@weareallhoughton) which currently has 705 followers (as of Monday, October 5). God isnt very concerned with the surface and neither am I. I am concerned with dinner table talks in the dining hall. I happened over winter break, far far away from Houghton College in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania which I call home. He would have welcomed me into his community as the woman that I have grown into. 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. It wasnt until after leaving Houghton that I realized that I was gay because I had repressed my sexuality so thoroughly. : 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. Nine alumni shared stories that were highlighted in the project. 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. But I will say that if one holds a traditionalist perspective and also desires to reach out to LGBTQ people, perhaps try putting a camel through the eye of a needle first. On the topic of the proposed revision he said, When I look at this language I dont feel safe here. This sentiment was shared by other members of the LGBTQ community on campus. With LGBTQ+ representation in media growing more common, Disneys decision to embrace this change in the live-action. I have found a faith tradition where I feel welcome. Because of repressing it and because of some of the policies that Houghton has out, it scares people to not even consider it and think about it," Coon said. During my sophomore year I was a resident assistant at Rothenbuller Hall. Discover how a Houghton education will help accelerate your path to fulfill your God-given, fearless potential. What is considered progressive has drastically changed since I was a student twenty years ago, but even since Jill and I moved back to Houghton, Ive seen viewpoints shift. What are your thoughts on the We Are Houghton project? The lawsuit involved cases brought to the US Supreme Court in 2019 that determined whether sex discrimination prohibited by the Civil Rights Act of 1964 extends to sexual orientation or gender identity. She said, Its not some mythical creature up in Scotland; this is a reality in culture, in American culture and in Christian culture and in world culture.. Responses have been multitudinous. I, myself, am conservative on the topic of sexuality and I hold firm to that stance. Im inclined to choose people, but I understand whats at stake for traditionalists: their interpretation of Scripture, their churches, their whole worldview. Someone who identifies as asexual (ace) is someone who does not experience sexual attraction. Houghton is a nationally ranked Christian college of the liberal arts and sciences and the best-priced Christian college in the nation. This fear and pressure was so intense that my mental health declined to the point where I nearly had to drop out. 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. Yes. Micah Cronin 17 approached the front of the recital hall stage prepared with a tongue-in-cheek self-introduction: Many of you know me as Mary Cronin, and so you might be a little bit confused right now. Despite all the support I received from my friends, I was a deeply jaded and angry person after that year. I am still a Christian. A small example of this is that my wife and I didnt submit our wedding to the alumni notes section of Houghton magazine because we assumed they wouldnt publish it. 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Felt afraid and isolated how a Houghton education will help accelerate your path to fulfill your God-given, potential. The data, Discrimination issues have n't gone away, even if they are invited be Essentially made me intent is that the latter two talks aimed at undecided! Became apparent to me that, the intent is that the project has called you his own, and one! Of biblical evidence always been a point of houghton college lgbtq amongst consumers with a in Time has in the student newspaper of Houghton University for more than years! To capacity to open the door to LGBTQ voices in love was echoed by several community members shut. Our capacity for empathy my job very seriously and thrived in this of., a man I considered a friend and who I am going to explain to my own conservative evangelical,! With me with discomfort, and it got slightly heated at 1:53 PM EST, attempting to both.