An

Open Letter to Our OBU Family Recently, Christopher Yuan spoke to the OBU community during a chapel service about his sexuality. We were troubled by Mr. Yuans message and write this letter to offer a counter-voice and message of acceptance and tolerance to the OBU community. Our goal is to encourage a meaningful dialogue within the OBU community, including the students, alumni, faculty, staff, and administration, so that we may all engage a diverse world as the OBU mission proclaims. As OBU alumni, living throughout the country and engaged in diverse professions, we identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Genderqueer, or as Straight Allies (LGBTQ). While growing up and during our time at OBU, we often heard messages much like Mr. Yuans. We repeatedly heard voices preaching to us that homosexuality was sinful and the only options were to seek out God to change us or to suppress it. We heard our fellow OBU alum, Dennis Jernigan much like you did earlier this year tell his story of being set free from homosexuality. We still vividly remember feeling a sense of depression and emptiness after Mr. Jernigans talk, we questioned why God would not change our sexual orientation or align our gender identities even though we spent countless hours praying for it. It was, perhaps ironically, through our incredible liberal arts education at OBU that we each encountered an alternative narrative that we would like to share with you today. To LGBTQ members of the OBU family who are struggling to understand their sexual orientation or gender identity, we know all too well the deep pain and hurt that messages like Mr. Yuans and Mr. Jernigans cause. These messages communicate the idea that something is wrong with you, and even more dangerously, that you need to be fixed. We know that many of you live in silence and invisibility. Please hear us clearly: nothing is wrong with you and you do not need fixing. Mr. Yuan states, My identity is not gay or straight, homosexual or heterosexual. But my identity [is] as a child of the living God. We say to you today, the LGBTQ members of the OBU community, that your sexual identity is an intrinsic and beautiful part of who you are, a part of who God created you to be. To deny your sexual orientation, or continue to suppress it, is to continue to silence your heart and soul. Listen as we cry out: we see you, you are loved, and you do not need to change who you are. To our larger OBU Family, we implore you to thoughtfully and empathetically hear the voice of your LGBTQ family; to bring them from the margins into the center. The

April 5, 2013

example of Jesus and the prophets show us clearly that to be like Jesus is to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God. Condemning the members of the OBU family and Christian community who are LGBTQ is a burden none should have to bear. Understand that even the seemingly soft-pedaled message of hate the sin, love the sinner is a hurtful and oppressive stance. We encourage you to reach out to the LGBTQ students, faculty, staff, and alumnae and to welcome them fully as members of the OBU community. Often times these discussions sourrounding LGBTQ issues at OBU become about Bible verses and the interpretation of those voices. We are confident that your OBU education is leading you to think critically and examine your world, just as it did for us.Know that there are many thoughtful, prayerful, and well-informed perspectives on those verses that differ widely. Such scholars and teachers as Justin Lee, John Boswell, and Mel White offer scholarship that remind us that those verses are often misunderstood. Those misunderstandings, sadly, lead to so many in the OBU community over the years being told, both explicitly and implicitly, that they are not as good and that they need to change their sexuality. These messages can be extremely harmful. We know all too well that these messages lead to depression, attempts at self-harm, and even suicide. Many of us have struggled with depression, suicide ideation and attempts, and deep pain because of the misunderstanding of those verses. So long as our OBU family is divided into Straight and LGBTQ, we cannot be one family. So long as one of us is burdened, we all are burdened. We ask that you, the students, faculty, staff, and administration of OBU accept and welcome your LGBTQ OBU family and through this, bring blessings to OBU. Sincerely, Ryann Aaron, 2009, Class President Bud"Ballinger III, PhD", 1993 Charles Bates, 1998, Resident Assistant Brian Bost, 2004 Dylan Byrd, 2008, Steering Committee Co-Chair Molly Cariker, 2008, Theta Sigma Chi Heather Cook, 1994 Lindsey Faught Craig, 2009, SGA Vice President Nicole Davis, 2009 Betsey Dewey, 2012 Lauren Topliffe Disel, 2007 Tyler Douse, 2008, Class President Sebastian Dutton, 2012 John Ellis-Etchison, 2005 Samantha-Elizabeth Ann Emery, 2009 Natali Estes, 2008 Rita Fagan, 1969

Rev. Ben Files, 2003 Jeff Foresee, 2005 Dalton Funkhouser, 2012, Chapel Crew Tyler Geohagan, 2011 Dr. Jacob L. Goodson, 2002, Visitng Assistant Professor of Religious Ethics, Department of Religious Studies, College of WIlliam and Mary JoBeth Hamon, 2012 Sarah Jane Harris, 2009 John Heinze, Ph.D., SGA President, 1970 Rebecca Williams Heinze, 1970 Kristen Holloway, 2009 Parker Jackson, 2011 Abby Jeffers, 2008, SGA President Rev. Dr. E. Scott Jones, 1996, SGA Vice President Chris Jones, 2001, The Bison Editor-in-Chief Elizabeth Jones, 2002, Elissa Moseman Jones, 2003 DeSay Judd, 2008 Brenden Laughlin, 2012 Jaxon Lindars, 2008 Holley Mangham, 1996 Lani Stackel Martin, 1994 Ashley Miller Ford, 2008 Kelly Moore, 1992 Josh Mugler, 2010 Suzanne Williams Nichols, 1968 Jennifer Owens Hill, 1994 Dana Phillips, 2005 Rachel Piontak, 2009, Steering Committee Co-Chair Patrick Quick, 2008, Class Senator Kamaca Reavis, 2006 Daniel Reeves, 2009 Fiona Rene, 2008 Veronica Risinger, 2011 Nathaniel Rogers, 2006 Nicki Hopkins Sherman, 1995, 2001 Scott Stearman, Ph.D, 1988 Tony Tyler, 2007 Ashley Walker, 2008, Steering Committee Co-Chair Chad Ward, 2012 Kendra Watkins, 2010 Scott Yarbrough, MFA, 1991