In a letter this week, investigators said BYU is rightfully exempt from federal laws prohibiting gender-based discrimination.
“I’m not sure how long we will allow ‘religious liberty’ to supersede the rights of queer people,” said Zachary Ibarra, a gay Latter-day Saint who graduated from BYU in 2018. “I should not be surprised, but it is still deeply disappointing. When will the rights of queer students be upheld to the law without exception?”and for queer students to be accepted at the school.
This type of federal scrutiny is rare, typically happening only in places where there are believed to be potential systemic or serious issues. Students say they believed that was occurring at BYU and anticipated the government stepping in to stop discrimination.“The Department of Education’s decision is nearly as heartbreaking as BYU’s coordinated campaign against its queer students is,” said Cal Burke, a recent BYU student who is gay.
. The school declined to say whether it would take action against the professor. He feels BYU picks and chooses what it wants to enforce, creating an environment that is particularly difficult for LGBTQ students who don’t know if they will be turned in for something minor.“We queer students will never give up because we are right and God is on our side,” he said. “We will not give up until all queer Latter-day Saints are free, and safe, and loved.
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