South Carolina college bans homosexuality after two volleyball players come out as gay

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Last edited Sat Feb 28, 2015, 03:55 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: Washington Post

By Marissa Payne February 27 at 1:26 PM
@marissapayne

Erskine College in Due West, South Carolina, describes itself as a “liberal arts” institution, but as far as that freedom applies to the hearts and minds of its students, it seems limited. In response to two male athletes on its volleyball team coming out in an article published on OutSports.com last year, the college, which is aligned with the Associate Reformed Presbyterian tradition, has chosen to ban homosexuality from its campus. The policy, which was submitted by the Student Services and Athletic Committee and adopted by the board of trustees last Friday, reads:

{snip}

The so-called “Statement on Human Sexuality” will now be added to the school’s official manuals and used to further make procedural rulings, according to an article posted to Erskine’s official Web site on Thursday.

“The release of this statement makes me disappointed because I have never received anything but kind treatment from everyone at this school, and my sexual orientation is no secret. So it took me by surprise,” Juan Varona, who along with Drew Davis, was one of the two volleyball players who came out, said via OutSports.com. “I understand the religious stand on adultery, which is part of the Ten Commandments in the Bible, and that would apply to heterosexual and homosexual people. But when I saw the mention of sexual orientation being an issue, it just made me sad and worried for other gay people who might be struggling with confidence to come out.”

Reaction from those outside the college has been mostly negative, with many taking to Twitter to denounce what they see as a step in the wrong direction in a state that has already legalized gay marriage.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/early-lead/wp/2015/02/27/south-carolina-college-bans-homosexuality-after-two-volleyball-players-come-out-as-gay/

---

The Washington Post is a day behind Outsports:

South Carolina college with two out gay athletes bans homosexuality in the name of God

ETA: Also, see posts #18 and #25. There may be some clarification needed. The college has issued a statement saying that it has not "banned" anything. Rather, it has issued a “Statement on Human Sexuality.” Thanks, riversedge and passiveporcupine.

ETA some more: I checked the Washington Post on Saturday afternoon to see if it had changed the headline, and indeed it had. The headline is now "South Carolina college denounces homosexuality after two volleyball players come out as gay."

I don't know if LBN rules permit a change at this date.

[niyad]

1. what century is this again?

[olddad56]

34. it is obviously the dark ages in South Carolina.

[romanic]

2. Fuck South Carolina

.

[ColesCountyDem]

4. It's the church denomination's position, not South Carolina's. n/t

[romanic]

8. You're right.

I'm just so used to crossing off places that treat gay people like the plague that it just comes as a reflex. Sorry.

[ColesCountyDem]

21. I understand. No blood, no foul.

[7962]

3. Makes about as much sense as banning baldness. Jeeze Louise! nt

[mahatmakanejeeves]

5. Baldness is a choice. Just ask Donald Trump.

Uh, maybe not.

[christx30]

12. It's Adam and Eve.

Not Adam and Forehead glare.

[riversedge]

13. Gov Scott Walker, a few months ago actually his bald spot was from hitting

his head on a kitchen cupboard he was fixing. Lots of jollies over that one. He has definite male pattern baldness setting in--yet he publicly made that announcement out of the blue one day.


I know this changes the subject--but just had to jump in on that one.

[In_The_Wind]

6. Another WTF moment.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

7. Reminds me of the passage in "Jane Eyre" in which the puritanical headmaster

of the boarding school gets angry at one of the girls for having naturally curly hair.

[TNNurse]

9. Not really specializing in education are they?

I hope graduates send their diplomas back. I hope students transfer in huge numbers.

Do they have any kind of accreditation? Pretty sure that should be gone, too.

[Quantess]

10. That'll work!

[GeorgeGist]

11. What would they say ...

if they knew that Jesus was gay?

[blkmusclmachine]

17. We know they won't ever accept that fact.

[Gore1FL]

23. Or that he never existed. n/t

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

14. You can't "ban" homosexuality.

All you can do is force it back into the closet. I wish all gay, bi, transgendered, etc. people would withdraw from that school. It would be nice to see their enrollment plummet within a 4 year period, as everyone starts to boycott them. That'll teach 'em.

[blkmusclmachine]

15. What a f/cking joke this "school" is.

[procon]

16. South Carolina is in Russia??? Who knew! nt

[riversedge]

18. This statement says it does not BAN homosexuality....

But I can understand that gays may not feel all that welcome by some.




This link came up when I clicked the Policy highlighted word in the OP:

http://news.erskine.edu/context-for-erskines-statement-on-human-sexuality/


Context for Erskine’s Statement on Human Sexuality

Posted on February 27, 2015

download-1The recent coverage of Erskine’s Statement on Human Sexuality has generated considerable confusion based on an inaccurate understanding of the nature of the statement and its intent.

This statement describes a position. It does not prescribe a policy and does not ‘ban’ any individual or class of individuals from attending Erskine. No students have been asked to leave Erskine based on this statement.

[passiveporcupine]

25. thank you

While this policy change is very disturbing for a college (even though this is a religious based college), especially when SC is trying to accept gay marriage, this is not a BAN, and I wish to hell newspapers would quit doing this. Especially news sources with a left wing bias. This makes us all look bad.

Most people won't check out the story...they just run with what they read in the headlines.

what gets me though is they also say they are against sex outside of marriage. At a college. Good luck with that one.

[Warren Stupidity]

30. that is just damage control

In Action We believe the Bible teaches that all sexual activity outside the covenant of marriage is sinful and therefore ultimately destructive to the parties involved. As a Christian academic community, and in light of our institutional mission, members of the Erskine community are expected to follow the teachings of scripture concerning matters of human sexuality and institutional decisions will be made in light of this position.

Seems quite clear to me, no matter how much bullshit they toss out for damage control, what the policy is.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

35. The Washington Post changed the headline.

Last edited Sat Feb 28, 2015, 05:01 PM - Edit history (1)

I checked the Washington Post on Saturday afternoon to see if it had changed the headline, and indeed it had. The headline is now South Carolina college denounces homosexuality after two volleyball players come out as gay. The article contains these paragraphs:

The statement will now be added to the school’s official manuals and used to further make procedural rulings, according to an article posted to Erskine’s official Web site on Thursday.

It is unclear how the newly adopted statement will affect student life going forward, however, Erskine said in a followup statement on Friday that the new language “does not ‘ban’ any individual or class of individuals from attending Erskine.” It will, however, make students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT), including Juan Varona, who along with Drew Davis, was one of the two volleyball players who came out last year, feel unwelcome and disappointed.

I don't know if LBN rules permit a change at this date. I think I have to go with what it said originally.

Thank you, riversedge, passiveporcupine, and sinkingfeeling, for noting the inaccuracy in the original headline.

[sinkingfeeling]

19. Here's what the college says about the so called 'ban':

"This statement describes a position. It does not prescribe a policy and does not ‘ban’ any individual or class of individuals from attending Erskine. No students have been asked to leave Erskine based on this statement."

"Our conduct policies do not stipulate any minimum mandatory sanctions (such as expulsion) for any behavior or belief. "

"Erskine recognizes the complexity of current issues regarding sexual morality, marriage, and other expressions of human sexuality such as same-sex attraction, gender identity, and sex outside the covenant of marriage. Therefore, the Erskine community is advised to practice humility and prayerfulness when engaging in any conversations or other actions related to these topics. Erskine’s conduct policies and procedures seek to uphold biblical standards, promote repentance and grace, and point people to Jesus Christ."

http://news.erskine.edu/context-for-erskines-statement-on-human-sexuality/

[Warren Stupidity]

31. weasel words.nt.

[hatrack]

32. Back and fill, back and fill, back and fill . . .

[cstanleytech]

20. Sounds like its time to get the NCAA involved imo and ban the colleges team from

participating in NCAA games.

[Gamecock Lefty]

22. Not SC!!!

Geez, Erskine, how do you ban homosexuality on campus? As a Carolina graduate (and gay man) in my home state of SC I must say this surprises me about Erskine. I am not surprised by the likes of ‘institutions’ like Bob Jones, but Erskine – I am surprised.

Come on down to Carolina in Columbia – we’ll gladly take you!

[lark]

24. I was thinking of going on vacation there.

Now there's no way I'm giving any money to that crazy state.

[Skittles]

26. that'll teach 'em

[YOHABLO]

27. Idiots, complete idiots. These people are scary. And I mean 'Nazi' scary.

[AlbertCat]

28. Is bisexuality only half banned?

[markpkessinger]

29. What the college did is despicable and beneath contempt . . .

. . . but the author of the article should really look up the meaning of the term "liberal arts," which really has nothing at all to do with relative degrees of liberalism, social or political.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

33. Many years ago, Pres. Gerald Ford created "WIN," in a misguided,

poorly designed, and utterly worthless effort to stop hyperinflation in the US (which was basically oil driven). WIN stood for Whip Inflation Now. Although some S&M folks got a kick out of the Whip part, the rest of the world yawned, and wondered if the US would ever develop non-petroleum energy sources, which would have been a far more beneficial and productive approach.

This move strikes me as impotent and useless as Ford's.