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SALT LAKE CITY — Six years ago BYU got hurt for not being a research institution and now the new problem may be discrimination toward the LGBTQ community.
The latter could have far more serious implications.
After BYU got bypassed by the Pac-12 in favor of Utah, the university’s latest attempt to get invited into a Power 5 conference hit a roadblock this week when a coalition of LGBTQ advocacy groups urged the Big 12 not to admit the LDS-sponsored school. Athlete Ally, which conducts LGBTQ awareness campaigns for sports leagues, joined with the National Center for Lesbian Rights to send a letter to Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby outlining what they believe are discriminatory policies by BYU.
The letter, first reported by Fox Sports, said in part BYU “actively and openly discriminates against its LGBT students” and given the school’s homophobic, biphobic and transphobic policies that BYU should not be rewarded with Big 12 membership. Ashland Johnson, Athlete Ally's director of policy and campaigns, said LGBTQ student-athletes, coaches and fans who travel to BYU will not have protection against discrimination.
The next day, BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe posted on Twitter that “LGBT players, coaches and fans are always welcome to the BYU campus. Everyone should be treated with respect, dignity and love.”
The BYU administration also issued a statement indicating BYU welcomes as full members all whose conduct meets university standards. “One’s stated sexual orientation is not an issue,” said spokeswoman Cari Jenkins.
The point is BYU handles same-sex attraction as long as students don’t engage in homosexual activity, much like the case with premarital sex. The difference is BYU forbids homosexual activity of any kind, whereas certain heterosexual behavior is acceptable.
Back and forth it goes. The situation could hinder BYU's attempts to gain membership into a Power 5 conference and beyond.
"It is a serious issue," an industry source familiar with the Big 12 discussions told the Dallas Morning News. "Whether it keeps them out or not, it is a serious issue."
Related:
BYU at important crossroads of sports, politics
Despite the complexities of the issue, BYU and the Big 12 are in the ideal arena to discuss college athletics and the role of the LGBTQ community.The connection to sports in all of this remains fuzzy to some. BYU’s accomplishments throughout a comprehensive athletic program should be enough for a Power 5 conference, but something keeps getting in the way.
Too bad.
In this case, as long as the conference can deal with the school’s policy of not playing on Sundays, the Big 12 should invite BYU. None of the other candidates comes close to the Cougars in the football-driven decision.
While the LGBTQ advocacy groups certainly have rights to voice opinions and protest, some of the arguments have holes. Instead of singling out BYU, the groups should also go after other institutions that have similar policies and organizations that do business with them.
Big 12 member Baylor, also a private religious institution, last year reworded a policy to eliminate a phrase from its student policy on sexual misconduct that forbade “homosexual acts.” The revised code did not appear to alter the school’s policy barring same-sex relationships.
The new policy reads: “Baylor will be guided by the biblical understanding that human sexuality is a gift from God and that physical sexual intimacy is to be expressed in the context of marital fidelity. Thus, it is expected that Baylor students, faculty and staff will engage in behaviors consistent with this understanding of human sexuality.”
As Holmoe intimated in his tweet, BYU is right to take issue with Johnson’s statement that LGBTQ student-athletes, coaches and fans who travel to BYU will not have protection against discrimination. Really?
For years, Big 12 programs have traveled to BYU for athletic competitions without incident. An openly gay basketball player from the University of Massachusetts played last season against BYU in the Marriott Center without any problems.
In such a hotly debated issue, there are no easy answers to satisfy all sides. For BYU’s sake, all politics aside, it could come down to which schools make the Big 12 the most money.
