GAY TRUTH

15 Of The 'Absolute Worst' College Campuses for LGBTQ Youth, Via Campus Pride As summer slowly winds to a close, students across the country are heading back to their college campuses for the start of a new academic year. This transitional time can still be incredibly critical for students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or questioning (LGBTQ), many of whom may be leaving home for the first time in their lives. That’s why Campus Pride researchers hope to steer those students right with its 2016 Shame List , rating the 95 “absolute worst” college campuses for LGBTQ youth.  GOT IT ABSOLUTE WORST? WHO DO LGBT ADVOCATES THINK THEY ARE? Released Monday, the Shame List comprises campuses that “openly discriminate against LGBTQ youth in policies, programs and practices,” according to a press release. The second annual list aims to complement the Campus Pride Index , which is a national benchmarking tool to access the LGBT-friendly nature of individual co...

Years ago, I was assigned to write a series about the huge growth of Christian colleges in the United States and I got to select the 10 I wanted to profile. To no one’s surprise, four of them were in California because I wanted to go someplace warm. While enjoying the March sunshine, I also learned there are tons of Christian colleges all over the state, ranging from a Nazarene university on the ocean to a Catholic college in the orange groves east of Santa Barbara. Religious higher education is a huge industry in the Golden State and this has been the case for decades. Sports and civil rights are important too, as everyone knows. That's why journalists everywhere, including California, did that full-court press the other day following the death of boxer Muhammad Ali. However, the media – even newsrooms in California – seem to be ignoring a bill going through the California state legislature that would have a huge impact on dozens of religious colleges in the state and, even...

Biola University (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) This latest news about the existence of the " Biola Queer Underground " should set alarm bells ringing. Faculty and administration of Christian colleges all over the country are learning that LGBT students exist on campus, and it is getting increasingly difficult to ignore these students or expect them to stay silent and invisible. The students of BQU are not demanding that Biola University change its policy against same-sex sexual intimacy. They are asking to be open about their identities without fear of repercussions.  They want to attend a Christian college but ignore scripture and its mandate. Last year One Wheaton , a group of LGBT Wheaton students and graduates, expressed similar concerns about Wheaton College , about the fear and hiding and hurt they've experienced as students there. This year GCN ( Gay Christian Network ) executive director Justin Lee has been travelling and speaking at Christian college...