Sloan criticizes Lariat editorial supporting gay marriage_22304

Posted: 3/01/04

Sloan criticizes Lariat editorial supporting gay marriage

By Marv Knox

Editor

WACO-—A Baylor University student newspaper editorial supporting gay marriage deviates from “traditional Christian teachings” and “comes dangerously close to violating university policy,” Baylor President Robert Sloan said.

An editorial in the Feb. 27 Baylor Lariat affirms a lawsuit brought by the city of San Francisco, which seeks to declare unconstitutional the California Family Code’s definition of marriage—a union between a man and a woman.

A tagline at the end of the column indicates the Lariat editorial board voted 5-2 in favor of the position.

More than 3,200 gay couples have been married since Feb. 12, when Mayor Gavin Newsom announced the city would provide them with marriage licenses, the editorial notes.

The editorial outlines response to that event, including California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s attempt to prevent the city from issuing marriage licenses to gay couples and the city’s legal challenge to the definition of marriage.

“San Francisco officials believe barring gay marriages violates the equal protection and due process clauses of the state constitution,” the editorial says. “The editorial board supports San Francisco’s lawsuit against the state.”

The editorial also offers the board’s rationale for gay marriage.

“Taking into account equal protection under the law, gay couples should be granted the same equal rights to legal marriage as heterosexual couples,” the editorial stresses. “Without such recognition, gay couples, even those who have cohabitated long enough to qualify as common-law spouses under many state laws, often aren’t granted the same protection when it comes to shared finances, health insurance and other employee benefits, and property and power-of-attorney rights.

“Like many heterosexual couples, many gay couples share deep bonds of love, some so strong they’ve persevered years of discrimination for their choice to cohabitate with and date one another. Just as it isn’t fair to discriminate against someone for their skin color, heritage or religious beliefs, it isn’t fair to discriminate against someone for their sexual orientation.

“Shouldn’t gay couples be allowed to enjoy the benefits and happiness of marriage, too?”

Sloan refuted the newspaper’s assertion.

“This position held by five students does not reflect the views of the administration, faculty, staff, board of regents or student publications board, which oversees the Lariat,” Sloan said in a statement distributed to media March 1. “Nor do I believe this stance on gay marriage is shared by the vast majority of Baylor’s 14,000 students and 100,000 alumni.”

The editorial touched off a torrent of response, Sloan acknowledged.

“We have already heard from a number of students, alumni and parents who are, as am I, justifiably outraged over this editorial,” he said. “Espousing in a Baylor publication a view that is so out of touch with traditional Christian teachings is not only unwelcome, it comes dangerously close to violating university policy, as published in the student handbook, prohibiting the advocacy of any understandings of sexuality that are contrary to biblical teaching.

“The student publications board will be addressing this matter with the Lariat staff as soon as possible.”

In his statement, Sloan sought to draw a line between free expression and inappropriate advocacy.

“While we respect the rights of students to hold and express divergent viewpoints, we do not support the use of publications such as the Lariat, which is published by the university, to advocate positions that undermine the foundational Christian principles upon which this institution was founded and currently operates.”

Lacy Elwood, editor-in-chief of the Lariat, and Wallace Daniel, chairman of the student publications board, could not be reached for comment.