From Deseret News archives:

BYU clarifies Honor Code about gay orientation

Published: Wednesday, April 18, 2007 12:03 a.m. MDT
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Jenkins said Soulforce has sought media coverage, not dialogue, and was not the cause of the clarifications. Thirty-one people have been cited for trespassing the past two years while watched by camera crews, reporters and few others. Eight more Soulforce Equality Riders were cited for trespassing Monday at BYU-Idaho.

Jenkins said Soulforce never asked for a meeting with Scharman.

News of the clarifications spread late last week and Monday on blogs where there was some cheering about creating change where Soulforce didn't.

BYU's Honor Code Office punished five students for joining the Soulforce protest last year, when four of them participated in the die-in that was a violation of the university's rules about campus demonstrations. Those four were cited for trespassing. One other, who marched along the north edge of campus, also was put on probation.

Last month, three students joined the Soulforce panel discussion and at least the same three joined a six-hour march around campus. The Honor Code Office will not review their actions, Jenkins said.

The effort to clarify the Honor Code extends beyond the policy regarding homosexual orientation.

"We are getting feedback from several student groups," Jenkins said.

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For example, in a section about abstinence from alcohol, the university is reviewing language that says a student is breaking the Honor Code if he or she is present when others are consuming alcohol. Students have raised the question about whether they could attend an awards banquet away from campus where alcohol is served.

The administration is also looking at sections about respecting others and about living a chaste and virtuous life.

Pierce said the group of eight sees the clarifications about same-sex behavior and orientation as part of an ongoing process that it hopes will include BYU making more resources about same-sex attraction available to students, faculty and staff.

"As long as there is misunderstanding among the students and intolerance about this issue," Pierce said, "we still have a road ahead of us that needs to be traveled."


E-mail: twalch@desnews.com

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