National Organization For Marriage Warns Against Allowing Students to Have Gay Friends.

Sometines I really believe that the National Organization for Marriage ("NOM") is working desperately to garner a hate group designation.  Originally, NOM's fat cow spokeswoman, Maggie Gallagher (who is married to a Hindu, by the way) bloviated incessantly about how NOM's sole agenda was to "protect marriage."  But then a funny thing happened.  Nom's deep seated loathing for gays started to seep out as it advocated in support of fraudulent "ex-gay" therapy, declared gays to be a threat to religious freedom, and now is advocating that parents discourage their children from having gay friends.  God forbid the little darlings learn that we are normal humans and not some sort of vermin to be eradicated.  Is it a coincidence that (1) the tactics being used by NOM - a Catholic Church front group in my assessment - look to be increasing  modeled on the Nazi propaganda plan against the Jews and (2) the Catholic Church is headed by a Pope who is a former Nazi youth member?   I think not, although readers are free to draw their own conclusions.  A piece in Think Progress looks at NOM's latest hate initiative.  Here are excerpts:

The National Organization for Marriage has sunk to a new low of intolerance. In a “Thanksgiving Message” from Jennifer Roback Morse of NOM’s Ruth Institute, she warns that young people are being “pressured” to support LGBT equality because they have gay friends and peers.  Morse relates a story of a Catholic resident assistant (RA) at a college who didn’t want to participate in the “drag party” being organized by her gay supervisor.

MORSE: I think a lot of our students are encountering this type of situation in their dorms and on their college campuses… What I want to say to you, is that the other side has RAs in the dorm where your young people are going to school. There’s no TV message that is going to do the job of countering that type of influence. Somebody’s got to be there talking to young people one at a time in the places where they’re hanging out and doing the things that they’re doing. There’s no mass media strategy by itself that will solve this problem. [...]

And this holiday season, when your young people come home from college, ask them about this. Ask them if they have a gay RA in their dorms… So please, talk to your young people about this and see what kind of pressure they may be under that maybe even they don’t realize how much it’s having an impact upon them.

Apparently, simply knowing a gay person now constitutes “pressure” that conservative Christians are unfairly subjected to. Morse’s inherent solution seems to be that young people should ostracize (or disobey, in the case of someone in a supervisory position like an RA) anybody who might be openly gay and to only talk to other equally anti-gay people, like those provided by NOM.

NOM is surely right to be concerned about the growing generation gap on marriage equality and overall LGBT acceptance. Encouraging a culture of exclusion, however, will not likely endear many young people to the group’s cause.

Davidson College Suspends Relationship With Chick-fil-A

Evidencing the fact that exercising one's "freedom of speech" is a two way street, Davidson College in North Carolina is suspending its relationship with Chick Fil-A.  The Christofascists who rallied around Chick Fil-A framed their support for the anti-gay funding company as all about free speech.  Of course, Christianists believe that only they are entitled to this constitutional right.  The Advocate looks at freedom of speech as exercised by Davidson College. Here are highlights:

Responding to a petition, North Carolina's Davidson College will stop serving Chick-fil-A at itsmonthly After Midnight events.  .   .   .    after president Dan Cathy's statements condemning same-sex marriage and anyone who believes in it, a petition circulated against serving the chain's food; 500 signatures were received. The school will now stop serving any Chick-fil-A items until university board members decide to make the move permanent.

"The Davidson College Union Board is firmly committed to building an inclusive community that serves each member of our student body," read part of a statement from the school.

Campus Pride executive director Shane Windmeyer released the following statement: "Chick-fil-A's President Dan Cathy is in for a surprise. College students are not going to tolerate a corporation that donates profits to documented hate groups or antigay causes. Davidson College is a perfect example of how colleges will be slowly distancing themselves from the Chick-fil-A brand, even if it will take time. The company is out of touch with the next generation who just wants a good chicken sandwich, hold the hate. The real issue at hand is not freedom of speech, but Chick-fil-A’s secretive funding of documented antigay hate groups. There is no justification for such a business operating on our nation’s campuses. Students and administrators alike need to know that revenues going to Chick-fil-A drive funding for groups that are almost certainly in conflict with campus nondiscrimination policies and are harmful to creating a safe campus climate for all students."

Northeastern University Cancels Chick-fil-A Eatery Plans

This blog in the past has addressed the large amounts of money given to anti-gay organizations by Christianist owned Chick-fil-A. Moneys derived from the eatery are distributed to virtually a who's who of anti-gay organizations whose primary goal is to denigrate and ostracize LGBT individuals. Now, North eastern University - rightfully in my view - has cancelled plans to have a Chick-fil-A restaurant on campus after students complained about Chick-fil-A's anti-gay agenda. Yes, the owners of Chick-fil_A are free to give their money as they wish, but by the same token institutions are free to refuse to do business with corporations that denigrate and seek to indirectly harm their students. I can already hear the professional Christians and members of the Christian Taliban whining that Chick-fil-A is being persecuted. The truth, of course, is that Chick-fil-A and its owners are the ones engaging in the persecution of other citizens. The Boston Globe looks at Northeastern University's decision to kick Chick-fil-A to the curb. Here are highlights:

Plans to bring a Chick-fil-A fast food restaurant to the Northeastern University campus have been canceled after the student government denounced the chain over its support of groups opposed to gay and lesbian rights.

In a move applauded by the university, the student Senate passed a resolution, 31 to 5 with eight abstentions, Monday night “stating that the student body does not support bringing CFA [Chick-fil-A] to campus,” the association said via social media.

The Equality Matters website reported that the Atlanta-based company's charitable arm, WinShape, has donated millions to anti-gay causes in recent years. "Based on the outcome of Monday night's senate resolution, Chick-fil—A will not be part of the group of vendors considered for the renovation of the student center," Northeastern said in a statement.

“We are proud of the decision that affirms our university’s commitment to be an inclusive, diverse community that is respectful of all," college spokeswoman Renata Nyul said in another statement.

Northeastern is the latest college campus to raise concerns about the company. The issue has also arisen at New York University, Marshall, and Duke, among other places.

The company did not respond to several requests for comment today. In an interview last month with The Atlanta-Journal Constitution, Chick-fil-A president Dan Cathy defended the company and said he was not "anti-anybody. ... Our mission is to create raving fans."

If Mr. Cathy isn't lying - like most Christianists do routinely - then he has to explain why Chick-fil-A and its affiliate are financing groups that are clearly anti-gay. Which to me is certainly anti-someone. I ceased giving my money to Chick-fil-A years ago and hope more consumers will come to realize the bigotry that they are financing when the eat at Chick-fil-A.

Princeton Review's List of Least Gay Friendly Colleges

For any younger readers looking to go to college or for parents of LGBT students soon to be headed off to college, Princeton Review has released its latest rankings of the colleges to be avoided because of the LGBT unfriendly atmospheres. The top ten worse choices for LGBT students are as follows:

1. Wheaton College in Illinois
2. Grove City College in Grove City, Pennsylvania
3. Brigham Young University in Utah (not exactly a surprise if you ask me)
4. Hampden-Sydney College here in Virginia (again, no surprise)
5. College of the Ozarks in Arkansas
6. University of Notre Dame in Indiana
7. Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula, California
8. Boston College in Massachusetts
9. University of Dallas in Irving, Texas
10. Texas A&M University in College Station, Tecas.

Obviously, it's no surprise that three out of the top ten least LGBT institutions are Catholic institutions. With the Church, gay sex is fine as long as its confined to priests molesting same sex victims far younger than themselves. On the other end of the spectrum ar the colleges and universities that are the most gay friendly. Here are the top ten institutions in this category:

1. New York University in New York, New york
2. Stanford University in Stanford, California
3. Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts
4. Wellesley College in Wellesley, Massachusetts
5. Bennington College in Bennington, Vermont
6. University of Wisconsin - Madison, in Madison, Wisconsin
7. Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota
8. New College of Florida
9. Prescott College in Prescott Arizona
10. Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York

There are many things to consider in selecting a college. However, no one needs to go to a college or university where they need to hide in the closet and otherwise be miserable or treated badly.

Finding a Gay-Friendly Campus

The New York Times has a story that looks at a phenomenon that is becoming more common - a college fair for LGBT college applicants where colleges and universities market themselves as being open to diversity and where LGBT students can feel safe. The phenomenon is clearly lost on Virginia's Opus Dei style Catholic Attorney General, Ken Kookinelli, who a little over a month ago did all but tell LGBT students that they are not welcome at Virginia's public institutions and that. if the do come to Virginia, they have no non-discrimination protections. Kookinelli is truly an ass and a crazy one at that. But I digress. In today's competitive collegiate atmosphere, top schools cannot just take it for granted that LGBT students will flock to their campuses if the atmosphere is unfriendly and/or not safe for sexual minority students. Here are some highlights from The Times story:
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The scene was similar to one that plays out thousands of times a year in gyms and auditoriums around the country: a college fair. . . . The only thing that might have made this one appear out of the ordinary was the preponderance of handouts with rainbow designs, and the fact that the fair was being held at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center in Greenwich Village. This college fair, and several like it around the country, was devoted to recruiting gay students.
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While Ivy League schools are often represented, the fairs also attract lesser-known institutions like Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. Scott A. McIntyre, associate director of admissions there, says that his university attends some 500 fairs each year, and that including one for gay students made sense.
“The more I can help my institution be open to diversity of all different kinds,” he says, “it’s just going to make us a stronger university, and it’s going to make our student body be more robust.”
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Students are looking for colleges where they will feel comfortable and safe, Mr. Windmeyer says. Also, he says, “straight students who have gay family members want to find a campus that is welcoming,” so, for example, two moms can show up for parents weekend without a ripple. “They don’t want to pick a college that’s not going to be accepting of people they love.”
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Another reason for a student to be up front about sexual orientation: scholarships and other financial help have emerged from such groups as the Point Foundation, the League Foundation at AT&T, and Colage (Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere).
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The University of Pennsylvania made waves this year when the online publication Inside Higher Ed reported on the university’s new outreach policy: applicants whose essay identifies them as gay are put in touch with gay students and organizations on campus. Eric J. Furda, the dean of admissions, told the publication that it was doing for gay applicants what it has long done for other groups.

Gay Marriage Support Increasing Among Students

A new report will no doubt cause Maggie Gallagher and her fellow professional Christians to redouble their efforts against gay equality. Why? Because they may be winning some battles, but long term they are losing the war. Hence they will seek to throw up as many obstructions as possible before their homophobic, religious based discrimination ends up on the scrap heap of history. The report confirms, as have others, that the younger generations are increasingly supportive of gay equality and gay marriage and that as the old homophobes literally die off, there will be a sea change in attitudes down the road. If some religious denominations were thinking about their long term membership, they would understand that continued anti-gay jihads will eventually cost them dearly. Here are some highlights from the Advocate:
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A new report shows that support for same-sex marriage among college freshmen has increased by nine percentage points in the past decade. According to the Higher Education Research Institute, acceptance of gay marriage is higher among first-year students than almost all other groups sorted by race, religion, and political leanings.
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Sixty-five percent of college freshmen surveyed last fall support gay marriage, up from 56% in 2000. Since the survey began asking about the topic in 1997, research indicates that support for same-sex marriage has jumped 21 percentage points among left-leaning students, 16 percentage points among politically moderate students, and two percentage points among right-leaning students.
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Evan Wolfson, executive director of the pro-marriage equality group Freedom to Marry, pointed to personal experience as a source of growing support among students. "Young people who know gay people, talk with them, and examine why marriage matters in the lives of real people move in support,” he told the Chronicle of Higher Education.

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The Chronicle of Higher Education has more details on the study. The report ought to send a message to Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell and Ken "Cooch" Cuccinelli that their anti-gay policies are not helping the GOP - or Virginia - in the long term either. Here are some additional highlights:
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The Higher Education Research Institute also broke down freshmen's support for same-sex marriage by sex, race, and religious affiliation. Women were 72 percent supportive and men 57 percent supportive, compared with national rates of 43 percent for women and 34 percent for men, according to the Pew survey.
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Among freshmen, Hispanic students were 69 percent supportive, white students 65 percent supportive, and black students 53 percent supportive. Support among those groups in the population at large was lower: 45 percent among Hispanics, 39 percent among whites, and 26 percent among blacks.
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Students who identified themselves as Jewish, Buddhist, or nonreligious were most supportive, with at least 87 percent in each group favoring legal same-sex marriage. Sixty-six percent of Catholic students and 58 percent of Muslim students expressed support, as did between 50 and 75 percent of students affiliated with most Protestant Christian denominations.

LGBT-Friendly Campus Climate Index

I had previously posted about TopOutColleges.com and a reader passed along to me more information on campus climate indexes. Here is a press release about the LGBT Friendly Campus Climate Index- http://www.campusclimateindex.org/release.aspx. Also, you can find information about LGBT College Admission Fairs @ http://www.campusclimateindex.org/collegefairrelease.aspxThe following contains some highlights from the press release about the Climate Index:

LGBT-Friendly Campus Climate Index Sets National Standard for Higher Learning - New Online Tool Measures Progress and Highlights Gay-Friendliness of Colleges and Universities

CHARLOTTE, September 27, 2007 - Now is the time for colleges and universities to reach out to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students. This week, Campus Pride launched the LGBT-Friendly Campus Climate Index ( www.campusclimateindex.org ), the only online resource of its kind that assists colleges and universities in learning ways to make the educational experience more inclusive, welcoming and respectful of LGBT and Ally people.

To date, nearly one hundred public and private four- year campuses are listed online, and nearly twice that have committed to an assessment in the near future. In development since 2001, the LGBT-Friendly Campus Climate Index was created in response to the increasing demand for tools and resources to support campuses in assessing LGBT-Friendly programs, policies and practices. The index was developed by Campus Pride with a team of national LGBT researchers, including: Brett Genny Beemyn, Ph.D.; Susan R. Rankin, Ph.D.; and Shane L. Windmeyer, M.S, Ed.

Every campus listed online has participated in a comprehensive self-assessment process based on more than 50 questions under eight different LGBT-friendly categories. Each institution participating in the voluntary program receives a confidential report with results and recommendations to improve the quality of campus life for LGBT & Ally people. "Not only do campuses now have a way to measure their LGBT-Friendly progress, but prospective LGBT & Ally students and their families have a reliable and free public resource to help find the schools that are the most committed to providing a respectful learning environment," said Windmeyer.

New Website Will Rate Colleges for LGBT-Friendliness

A fellow blogger alerted me to a new site that will soon be coming on line which should be rather interesting. The site will allow students and alumni to rate their colleges and universities on the basis of their LGBT-friendliness. A more detailed description can be found at http://topoutcolleges.wordpress.com/, including a plan to launch a marketing blitz aimed directly at current and prospective college students. Here are a few details on the site:

"Essentially, we will contact virtually every LGBT campus organization we can get our hands on," says Brent Robinson, owner of TopOutColleges.com.

The site lists the “Top 500″ most LGBT-friendly American colleges as rated on a five-star scale by college students and alumni, according to their overall experiences with campus issues, i.e. life in the dorms, campus LGBT events, contact with campus LGBT groups, etc. As students and alumni rate their colleges, those rankings change and are displayed in real-time. Colleges are also ranked and rated by their state, region, and conference for easy searching and organization for prospective students researching their future college. Additionally, each college has its own ranking page, where students can post event announcements and stories of their LGBT experiences on their campus.

The ultimate goal of this campaign is to improve LGBT-friendliness on college campuses, ” says Robinson. ”As users start to vote, it will become evident which colleges tend to float near the top, and which fail to make the cut. That is the kind of information that LGBT prospective students are looking for, especially since the ratings are coming directly from the students at that college. When prospective students start choosing certain colleges over others, those bypassed colleges will start to take notice, and hopefully will want to do something about it. That is why it’s so important that students get on the site and vote, and we feel that 1 million votes is a great start.”

Colleges Rated by Gay Friendliness

Here are the Top 20 Gay Friendly Colleges compiled by the Princeton Review (http://www.princetonreview.com/home.asp):

1.) New College of Florida

2.) Macalester College

3.) Wellesley College

4.) Eugene Lang College/New School University

5.) Mount Holyoke College

6.) St. John's College (MD)

7.) Bryn Mawr College

8.) Lawrence University

9.) Emerson College

10.) Harvey Mudd College

11.) St. John's College (NM)

12.) Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering

13.) Wesleyan University

14.) Marlboro College

15.) Carleton College
16.) Smith College
17.) Haverford College
18.) Reed College
19.) Bard College
20.) Oberlin College

The least gay friendly:

1.) Hampden-Sydney College, Virginia
2.) University of Notre Dame
3.) Baylor University in Waco, Texas.

Hampton Sydney is in a very small town of the same name located basically over an hours drive from anywhere in Virginia even remotely progressive (progressive, of course being a highly relative term when associated with Virginia). I was there once in my frat days and it has probably changed little in the intervening 35 years.