On Monday, June 13, a video was published on social media showing newly graduated students each presenting a gift to their rector. However, the item supplied was a sign of protest as it was an LGTBIQ+ pride flag in the hands of someone identified as homophobic.
“Point of View: The president of your university believes that being LGBTQ+ is a ‘lifestyle choice’ and a ‘moral issue,’ so decide to give him a graduation gift,” the video’s description reads the EngaygeTheCulture TikTok account .
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Students at Seattle Pacific University (SPU) in the United States raised their voices in protest at regulations introduced by Peter Menjares, their principal. According to The Seattle Times, the organization Associated Students of Seattle Pacific (ASSP) reported that the board led by Menjares had banned homosexual relationships among its employees.
The medium Veces also reported that a former teacher sued the facility because he could not be promoted just because he was gay. The complaint spread to state courts after the Senate conceded to the SPU faculty that it had “no confidence in the board.”
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It is worth noting that the institution is affiliated with the Free Methodist Church of the United States, which would justify its actions. However, opposition from her students is growing, going so far as to call for the separation from the Church and the resignation of all those teachers who have endorsed the SPU’s homophobic policies.
“Students are also asking to leave the Free Methodist Church because if our affiliation discriminates against them, then why are we a member?” ASSP President Laur Lugos told KING-TV.
The leader confirmed that if there are no reforms, the protest will continue, and even former students will join the demand. Meanwhile, the ASSP has raised money to file a lawsuit against the board.