Christian university chooses LGBTQ student group over $3M donation

Samford Together logo

Well, this is interesting. A few days ago I heard about a Christian university that faced the choice of accepting a large donation from a Baptist convention that wanted the school to shut down its LGBTQ student group, or standing by their students and turning the money down. I thought it was obvious how that would go. Well, the decision is in and I was wrong:

An American university has rejected $3m (£2.3m) funding from a Christian organisation that demanded it shut down an LGBT students' group.

Samford University, a Christian institution founded by Alabama Baptists, declined a donation offered by state churches on the condition the group was stopped from forming.

Earlier this year, students applied for permission to form Samford Together to provide "a forum for students who want to discuss topics relating to sexual orientation and gender identity...[in] an open-minded and accepting environment".

The university's faculty approved the group in April, although it has yet to be formally recognised by Samford's board of trustees.

Following the faculty's vote, Alabama Baptist Convention - an association of the state's churches - said it was "saddened" that the university had "voted to affirm the recognition of a student group that identifies with values contrary to biblical teachings on sexuality".

Surprising news, at least to me. Religious schools aren’t typically known for doing right by their LGBTQ students. Note that Samford still hasn’t granted their LGBTQ group full recognition, which would be less odd if they hadn’t just rejected $3 million in order to protect them. Why turn down that much money for a group they aren’t willing to officially recognize?

Nonetheless, once enough time passes and it becomes evident God won’t smite the school for defending their minority students’ right to exist, maybe they’ll serve as inspiration for other religious institutions across the US to do the same. Baby steps.

(via @fark)