BYU student Jillian Orr said she hopes students realize 'the sooner they live their life authentically, the sooner they can tap into true happiness.' - NBCOUT
Jillian Orr said she hopes other Brigham Young students realize "the sooner they live their life authentically, the sooner they can tap into true happiness."
BYU, which is owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, restricts LGBTQ students from dating or showing signs of affection while enrolled at the university. Students who do so can be reported to school officials and are at risk of being expelled.Orr, who was raised in the church and served an 18-month church mission in Oregon, said she didn’t realize until she was halfway through her education at the university that she was bisexual.
“It was a blessing,” she said of not having to be on the campus during that time, but added that the last two semesters of school were challenging. She specifically recalled how she had to take a class about marriage and family to fulfill her general education requirements. In one of the quizzes, she was asked to fill in the blank.
On Friday, as she saw her fellow students stand up and make their way toward the stage, her nerves started to set in.The last thing she remembers is handing her name card to the announcer, she said. For the rest of the audience, they saw Orr walk across the stage and raise her arms up, revealing the rainbow flag underneath as the announcer read her name.
“If a student commandeers a graduation podium intended to represent everyone getting diplomas in order to announce his personal sexual orientation, what might another speaker feel free to announce the next year until eventually anything goes?” Holland said.
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