By John Mack Freeman
LeTourneau University in Texas is an interdenominational Christian and NCAA Division III school. As originally reported by OutSports this week, it has banned its student athletes from same sex dating and public support of same sex marriage in the new student athlete handbook which is available on the school’s website. Via OutSports:
The school’s student-athlete handbook, complete with NCAA logo, now reads:
Consistent with our desire to celebrate and model a Scriptural approach to sexuality;, the University prohibits same-sex dating behaviors and public advocacy for the position that sex outside of a biblically-defined marriage is morally acceptable.
The addition of the anti-gay language is new for the school. The student-athlete handbook from the 2011-12 academic year did not contain any reference to homosexuality. The movement by trustees and administrations to explicitly marginalize LGBT students on college campuses across the country is growing, even as students and faculty become increasingly accepting. Recent episodes at Erskine College, Hillsdale College and an unnamed Christian school in the South have been particularly troubling.
The school has a long history of supporting anti-GLBT practices including promoting ex-gay speakers and creating an environment of harassment according to some GLBT alumni.
