Recently, North Carolina State University celebrated the opening of its new Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) Center. Located on the first floor of the Talley Student Center, it is supposed to focus on “educating” the university community and serving as a “support system” for people of different “sexual orientations” and “gender identities.” This is presumably because GLBT people (whom I refer to as Gilberts) are emotionally fragile and need psychological support and constant affirmation by straight liberals.
Dr. Jose Picart, NC State's vice provost for diversity and African-American affairs, recently admitted that diversity is not always “harmonious.” So, he – just like other supporters of the GLBTs - is trying to force something on the university that does not come naturally. I think that’s a pretty appropriate philosophy given that the gay rights movement really is about forcing things that are not natural.
Dr. Deb Luckadoo, director of NC State's Campus Activities unit, and Justine Hollingshead, director of the GLBT Center, will be in charge of scheduling activities for the new center. Among those activities will be a "brown bag" lunch on the last Thursday of each month. Among those topics will be the creation of “transgender awareness” as well as the creation of GLBT "allies" - those people who are more than just “tolerant” of Gilberts. Allies will be accepting of Gilberts, too.
Dr. Luckadoo says that the center also plans to invite speakers who focus on combating hate and discrimination. One such event will be the showing of "Journey to a Hate-Free Millennium," a nationally recognized documentary. The showing will be followed by a facilitated discussion. I plan to drive up to Raleigh for that discussion on Feb. 18 at 7 p.m.
When I arrive at NC State on the 18th of February, I will have some pointed questions for Dr. Luckadoo. Most of those questions will focus on NC State’s policies towards Christians wishing to share the Gospel on the public university campus.
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Last semester, Dr. Luckadoo approached two pastors who were handing out Biblical literature on campus and asked them to stop. She said they needed a permit in order to engage in solicitation. One of the pastors pointed out that they were not “soliciting” anything. They were simply handing out something free of charge.
Luckadoo responded to the common-sense retort by saying that the pastors were “soliciting thoughts” and, therefore, would need to confine their activities to certain areas and to obtain a proper permit in advance. I would argue that the pastors were engaging in protected First Amendment religious expression which, when not otherwise disruptive, should be free from government intrusion, especially on a public university campus.
Dr. Luckadoo recently referred to GLBT Center programs as a “support system” that “benefits everybody” at NC State. But certainly she must be aware that many in the NC State community disapprove of the new GLBT Center. Indeed, numerous Wolfpack alums sent me information from the NC State website when the Center’s opening was announced. To my knowledge, all who did so were Christians who were understandably upset about the use of tax dollars to teach people to be “allies” who are more than just “tolerant” of Gilberts.
Besides managing the GLBT Center, Justine Hollingshead will conduct diversity training across campus. Perhaps at her next session, she could mention that the First Amendment right to the free exercise of religion predates the constitutional right to sodomy found in the … say, which Amendment was that based upon?
The fact that Justine Hollingshead founded the university's "Project SAFE" program - which has already trained more than 300 faculty, staff and students to be GLBT allies – shows something rather obvious: NC State does not need a Gilbert Center in order to teach the masses that the Old and New Testaments are both wrong about homosexuality.
Nor is there any evidence that Gilberts are being harassed in any significant way. But the same cannot be said about Christians wanting to share the Gospel at NC State. They are running into troubles that should be addressed if Justine Hollingshead was at all serious when she said "Creating a place that is a safe, non-judgmental environment for all people - including members of the GLBT community - is one of the university's priorities." I read that quote from the university website so I guess she must have been serious.
Many of my friends want to see the new GLBT center abolished. But I disagree. At NC State University, we should allow the gay community to have its own resource center. But, in exchange, we should demand that the administration rescind speech zone and permit policies that have been used disproportionately against Christians sharing the Gospel.
In a free and open marketplace of ideas, we can best show Wolfpack students the truth of the Christian message via its juxtaposition with the falsity of moral relativism.
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