Brigham Young University LGBTQ history

LGBTQ[a] students and staff have a long, documented history at Brigham Young University (BYU),[4][5]: 59, 60  and have experienced a range of treatment by students and school administrators since its founding in 1875. Large surveys of over 7,000 BYU students in 2020 and 2017 found that over 13% had marked their sexual orientation as something other than "strictly heterosexual", and another that .2% had reported their gender identity as "transgender or other".[6][7]: 2 BYU is the largest religious university in North America and is the flagship institution of the educational system of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church)—Mormonism's largest denomination.

Historically, experiences for BYU students identifying as LGBTQ have included being banned from enrolling due to their romantic attractions in the 60s;[5]: 379  being required by school administration to undergo therapy in the 1970s, including electroshock and vomit aversion therapies in "special cases";[8]: 155  having nearly 80% of BYU students refusing to live with an openly homosexual person in a poll in the 1990s;[9] and a ban on coming out until 2007.[10][11] Until 2021 there were not any LGBTQ-specific resources on campus, though there is now the Office of Student Success and Inclusion.[12][13][14] BYU students are at risk of discipline and expulsion by the Honor Code Office for many expressions of same-sex romantic feelings like same-sex dating, hugging, and kissing,[18] for gender non-conforming dress, and students and faculty are still banned from meeting together in a queer-straight alliance group on campus.[19][20][21]

Several LGBTQ rights organizations have criticized BYU's policies around queer students[22] and The Princeton Review has regularly ranked BYU as one of the most LGBTQ-unfriendly schools in the United States.[23][24][25] Although BYU policies specific to same-sex romantic expressions have existed since the 50s, these were only available to administrators, and the first publicly available explicit mention of homosexuality in the language of the school's code of conduct was not publicly published until the fall of 2009.[26][27] The first LGBTQ-specific campus-wide event was held in April 2017.[28] Though faced with this historical and current environment, LGBTQ individuals have continued to enroll in and attend BYU with many participating in unofficial LGBTQ BYU communities.

  1. ^ Shankle, Michael D. (2006). The Handbook of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Public Health: A Practitioner's Guide To Service. Haworth Press. ISBN 978-1-56023-496-8. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
  2. ^ Parent, Mike C.; et al. (June 2013). "Approaches to Research on Intersectionality: Perspectives on Gender, LGBT, and Racial/Ethnic Identities". Sex Roles. 68 (11–12). Springer: 639–645. doi:10.1007/s11199-013-0283-2. S2CID 144285021.
  3. ^ Davis, Chloe O. (2024). The Queens' English: The Young Readers' LGBTQIA+ Dictionary of Lingo and Colloquial Phrases (1st ed.). New York City: Simon & Schuster. p. 259. ISBN 978-1-6659-2686-7.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Revolution was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Dynamics was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Survey was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference Climate was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference Multiply was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference Ban was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference Century was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference Ask was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference Inside was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ Gleeson, Scott (August 10, 2016). "Could BYU's LGBT Policies Really Deter Big 12 Move?". USA Today.
  14. ^ Levesque, Brody (August 27, 2021). "BYU announces Office of Belonging; LDS Elder attacks LGBTQ+ people". Washington Blade. Washington D.C.
  15. ^ Cite error: The named reference Celibate was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  16. ^ Cite error: The named reference Code was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  17. ^ "LGBT BYU students explain why they chose to attend and stay". Daily Universe. BYU. Associated Press. November 4, 2016. The decision by LGBT students to attend or stay at BYU comes with the price of being unable to participate in the university's dating culture. It oftentimes means staying home while roommates go on dates or watching as they get engaged. It's knowing that two straight friends can hug, or go on a friend date, but that two LGBT students who are the same gender can't do the same.
  18. ^ [15]: 1[16]: 1[17]
  19. ^ Cite error: The named reference Assault was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  20. ^ Cite error: The named reference Struggles was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  21. ^ Cite error: The named reference Decided was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  22. ^ Cite error: The named reference Dying was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  23. ^ "Ranking Categories: Demographics". Princeton Review College Ranking. The Princeton Review.
  24. ^ Knox, Annie (August 11, 2015). "BYU, other Christian schools ranked among the least LGBT-friendly campuses". Washington Post. Washington D.C.
  25. ^ Lee, Ashley (September 14, 2016). "BYU added to LGBT organization's 'Shame List'". Daily Universe. BYU.
  26. ^ "2008 Church Educational System Honor Code". BYU. Archived from the original on June 8, 2014 – via Internet Archive.
  27. ^ "2009 Church Educational System Honor Code". BYU. Archived from the original on September 3, 2011 – via Internet Archive.
  28. ^ Dobner, Jennifer (April 28, 2017). "LGBTQ students discuss challenges faced at Mormon-owned BYU in first-ever forum". The Salt Lake Tribune.


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