Campus Climate Report: Virginia Universities an ‘Unsafe Zone’ for Students with Unwanted Same-Sex Attractions

Groundbreaking Campus Climate Report Documents Medical Inaccuracies, Discrimination, and Bias at Virginia University LGBTQ Resource Centers

Voice of the Voiceless (VoV), the only anti-defamation league for former homosexuals, individuals with unwanted same-sex attractions (SSA), and their families, is pleased to release a groundbreaking report documenting years of medical inaccuracy, discrimination, and bias at Virginia University LGBTQ Resource Centers. Titled: Campus Climate Report:Virginia University LGBTQ Resource Centers an ‘Unsafe Zone’ for Students with Unwanted Same-Sex Attractions. Click here CCR2014-Final-2 to download the 86-page report.

The report, which contains links to video and audio recordings, documents seven undercover visits to Virginia University LGBTQ Resource Centers made by two former homosexuals in September 2013, as well as evidence of discriminatory conduct from at least two universities towards Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays (PFOX), a national non-profit organization advocating for individuals with unwanted SSA and ex-gays.

Liberty Counsel, an international nonprofit litigation, education, and policy organization dedicated to advancing religious freedom, the sanctity of life, and the family continues to represent VoV, and is engaged in ongoing negotiations with the universities and the Virginia office of the Attorney General in the effort to bring reform in the 2014-2015 school year.

“As students and teachers begin to depart for their summer breaks, we are pleased to release this groundbreaking report on our findings. At the same time, we are concerned by the amount of medical inaccuracies and lack of equity for students with unwanted SSA at these centers,” commented Christopher Doyle, President and Co-Founder of VoV. “We look forward to working with university administrators in Virginia over the summer to make meaningful policy reforms for the 2014-2015 school year so that all students experiencing homosexuals feelings in our public higher education institutions are given appropriate, culturally-sensitive resources and counsel.”

Detailed in the Campus Climate Report is the following:

  • Evidence documenting a pattern of dishonest communication between University of Virginia administrators and organizations advocating for students who are ex-gay and/or have unwanted SSA. Specifically, this included an effort to suppress resources that were donated from PFOX to the LGBTQ Resource Center for students seeking sexual orientation change and tolerance for the ex-gay community.
  • Serious medical inaccuracies at James Madison University regarding the heath risks of homosexual anal intercourse and the resulting disparities of HIV infection rates between men who have sex with men and heterosexual students.
  • Inaccurate and unscientific opinions on the outcomes of Sexual Orientation Change Effort (SOCE) therapy at George Mason University, including biased counsel that students would become anxious, depressed, and ultimately commit suicide should they seek help to change sexual orientation.
  • Misleading statements on the etiology of homosexuality at Old Dominion University and the College of William and Mary, including the unscientific assertion that homosexual feelings are genetic and/or in-born.
  • Inappropriate referrals and a lack of culturally-sensitive resources at Virginia Commonwealth University, including the recommendation that Christian students with unwanted SSA attend gay-affirming places of worship, rather than be referred to faith-based ministries that support their desire to change sexual orientation and/or remain chaste/celibate.

“LGBTQ Resource Centers can be a place of support to all sexual minority students struggling or seeking assistance, but when university administrators favor one viewpoint over another, it becomes a discriminatory and unsafe atmosphere,” commented Doyle. “By offering services in a public forum, universities are obligated to represent all views of sexuality and sexual orientation and provide competent services and referrals. In our visits to these universities, we documented a clear pattern of bias, insensitivity, and discrimination towards students with unwanted SSA, especially towards those who hold to a traditional Biblical view of homosexual behavior.”

The Campus Climate Report concludes with a quote from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) that is especially relevant to these injustices: “How much we value the right of free speech is put to its severest test when the speaker is someone we disagree with most. Speech that deeply offends our morality or is hostile to our way of life warrants the same constitutional protection as other speech because the right of free speech is indivisible: When one of us is denied this right, all of us are denied . . . this is particularly true at universities, whose mission is to facilitate learning through open debate and study, and to enlighten. Speech codes
are not the way to go on campuses, where all views are entitled to be heard, explored, supported or refuted.”

Voice of the Voiceless is the only anti-defamation league for former homosexuals, individuals with unwanted same-sex attractions, and their families. For more information, visit: www.VoiceoftheVoiceless.info