(Hey ya’ll – another guest post from Zach. PS, hope you don’t mind my saying “ya’ll.”)

A year ago, a group called Soulforce organized two buses of queer and allied folks, mostly students, to ride around the country visiting colleges with discriminatory policies – i.e. religious and military ones. The East Coast bus visited Gordon College, my alma mater, and the same week two students and I released a booklet of anonymous stories by LGBTQ and questioning Gordon students, which had never been done on that scale before. From what people on campus told me, both events had quite an impact, and there was recently a “what’s happened since then?” event.

Being two years gone, I don’t really know what it’s like on campus. And honestly I don’t really care to know except in outline – hearing detailed arguments about Romans 1:24 gets tedious after the 37th time or so, and so does splitting hairs trying to reconcile the irreconcilable. But Gordon occupies a fascinating niche between evangelicalism and the cultural mainstream, such that I’ll keep paying attention to what goes on there long after my friends have all graduated.

So I read with interest an article in the Salem News last week, about how a proposal to start a LGBT support group was voted down 7-6 by the Student Association. Read that, browse the comments if you like, and come back.

* * *

The first thing that struck me was the way the article, glossing as a newspaper must over the hard theological issues, can only treat it as an emotional issue, tut-tutting the Student Association for not being more compassionate. The solution, one would suppose, would be for them to let their hearts grow a few sizes and hold a revote, and all would be well.

But it’s not that easy, because it’s not just about homophobia in the emotional sense, like it would be at most schools. It’s also about a millennia-old intellectual system that denigrates queerness (at least in most versions). And someone who give serious assent to that system with their head cannot accept queerness even if their heart wants to.

And yet, the cure for what ails evangelicalism here is not simply more theological panels and books. Because most people, I think, even those under the sway of an ideology like evangelical Christianity, are driven enough by nonrational factors that they will eventually change their beliefs to fit their evolving values. It’s a rare person who can hold the above head/heart tension in place for very long – Gordon’s Dean of Students being one example.

* * *

Which is why, on balance, I support this article, despite the above problem and despite its multiple inaccuracies. Press like this keeps Gordon’s feet to the fire, in however small a way – a little sensationalist press is like a nice dash of paprika.

The Student Association and the Dean of Students have responded, in a campus email which has been posted here. Basically, they say that the Student Association really wants to support LGBT students, they just think it perhaps should be kept on a shorter leash by the administration, e.g. the Chapel Office or the Center for Student Development. And they’ve organized some committees which will make recommendations for actions to be taken sometime later – maybe next year.

I’m sure some of this is motivated by sincere concern. But I can’t help but note that in a year, troublemakers like Tania will have graduated, and recall the theme from civil rights that “later” is often just a way for people to say “no.” (Ever the bane of campus activism – the establishment is there for decades, while the activists are gone within four years.)

But I’ve heard of other small positive signs, so hope springs eternal.

If you want to read more on this topic, you might check out blogs by the Soulforce riders, the booklet linked above, or a local gay paper’s article about it. Me, I’m remembering how utterly depressing religious heterosexism is, so I shall leave you with the following classic video. (See also: Star Wars version)

Bonus question: I don’t imagine many gay men would find this version offensive, but what about the original? (Probably NSFW.) Read this article first. (See, queer excogitations in a secular context are SO much more fun)

Update 5/16: The Hamilton Chronicle covered the story this week, more sensitively and accurately some are saying, and I’ve heard rumors of a Boston Globe article in the works.