KY University Kicks Gay Student to the Curb

The University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, Ky., has kicked out a sophomore because he revealed he was gay on his MySpace.com page, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported. The university has a policy that says, “Any student who engages in or promotes sexual behavior not consistent with Christian principles (including sex outside marriage and homosexuality) may be suspended or asked to withdraw from the University of the Cumberlands.”

“We are different by design, and are nonapologetic about our Christian beliefs,” said university president Jim Taylor in a written statement.

While I am convinced that it is NOT in any way Christian to reject or otherwise exclude people, I think we have to allow people their beliefs. However misguided they may be.

I feel sorry for this young man, but if this were the policy when he enrolled, he should have selected another school. I would tell Ruth Malhotra the very same thing. I wrote about Ruth in another article posted today. Apparently she, as a member of the College Republicans (you know, training ground for the likes of Jack Abramoff, Karl Rove, and Ralph Reed), is suing the Georgia Institute of Technology because they have a ban on speech that puts down others because of, among other things, their sexual orientation. I’d tell Ruth she also should have selected a different institution if she didn’t agree with the policies in place when she enrolled.

I have a strong suspicion that Ruth is applauding the action by the University of The Cumberlands, and has probably made the same comment I made. Unless she’s just hateful enough of people different from her that she believes those people shouldn’t have an education in the first place.

I hope when a judge hears Ruth’s case, he or she will note this University of The Cumberlands situation, and make the point to Ruth that she can’t have it both ways. Either the school is entitled to have their own policies and students have to make choices consistent with their own beliefs, or no school can have any policies related to discrimination, hate speech, or sexual orientation. But then again, Ruth is a white anglo-saxon protestant republican…so she’s part of the ruling elite, and probably can have it both ways.