Two Massachusetts Colleges Make the “Shame List” for LGBTQ Students
Monday, August 29, 2016
GoLocalWorcester News Team
Campus Pride today releases its 2016 “Shame List,” highlighting for the first time a national list of “The Absolute Worst Campuses for LGBTQ Youth.” The national listing includes 102 campuses that openly discriminate against LGBTQ youth in policies, programs and practices as documented on the site listing. Two Massachusetts colleges made the list.
“Most people are shocked when they learn that there are college campuses still today that openly discriminate against LGBTQ youth. It is an unspoken secret in higher education, how they use religion as a tool for cowardice and discrimination,” said Shane Windmeyer, Executive Director of Campus Pride. “This lists uncovers the religion-based bigotry that is harmful and perpetuated against LGBTQ youth on these campuses,” continued Windmeyer.
The Massachusetts colleges are:
Gordon College has qualified for the Shame List because it has a long and well-documented history of anti-LGBTQ discrimination, including the administration’s retaliation against a professor who criticized the school’s ban on hiring sexually active LGBTQ people; and college president Michael Lindsay’s request for a religious exemption to President Barack Obama’s non-discrimination executive order to protect LGBTQ students under Title IX.
Boston Baptist College has qualified for the Shame List because it has applied for an exemption to Title IX in order to discriminate against its students on the bases of sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, pregnancy or receipt of abortion while still receiving federal funds.
The Shame List was first published last December in 2015 as a way to highlight fifty-seven campuses who had received or requested Title IX exemptions to freely and openly discriminate against LGBTQ youth. At that time, the campuses applying for these discriminatory waivers did so privately. It was not public information. According to Campus Pride, often times even faculty, staff and students did not know.
“I attended Westmont College in California. While they have not applied for a Title IX waiver, it is clear that their past and current policies and practices are anti-LGBTQ,” said Donald Scherschligt, a Campus Organizer working on this project with Campus Pride. “Nobody should have to live my experience. I hope this listing will help colleges like Westmont realize the future is one of inclusion, especially within higher education. We need to call out these shameful acts.”
Since then the United States Department of Education has published online the letters of campuses related to Title IX exemptions. Campus Pride spent the last six months compiling a database and researching all public records related to anti-LGBTQ policies, programs and practices at these campuses. The criterion to be the “absolute worst” campus includes either of the following: 1) Received and/or applied for a Title IX exemption to discriminate against LGBTQ youth and/or 2) Demonstrated past history and track record of anti-LGBTQ actions, programs and practices.
“Ultimately these campuses are dangerous for vulnerable LGBTQ youth and others. All families and youth deserve to know this information – and so do corporations who do business with these campuses – from those who hire and recruit, vendors who contract food service, sell books, make donations and in any other way provides goods or services to a college or university,” Windmeyer said.
