I just wanted to tell you and everyone participating in the Equality Ride
that what you are doing is tremendously commendable and so necessary.
Having attended four years at ORU (and graduated), I know all too well the
fear we all go through attending a Christian school as a homosexual
individual. I knew that if I were to let anyone know I was gay while going
there, I would have lost most of my friends and probably been kicked out of
school. Of course, going to ORU also contributed very heavily to my
complete denial of being gay until I slowly began to accept it my senior
year. It was an extremely slow acceptance though that even after college
took another year or two to truly achieve. I would not wish what I went
through on anyone. The constant promises I made to myself and God that I
could never have held to left me feeling like I was a total liar. If I
hadn’t felt compelled to lie to myself and hide my true nature, I would have
accepted the truth so much more quickly and easily. Attending ORU is one of
the greatest regrets of my life, because of the profoundly negative impact
the school and its policies made me endure. I find it very sad that I have
to say that about the school I spent four years of my life at.
I suspect the journey you are about to embark on is not going to be an easy
one by any stretch of the imagination. Please keep up your courage and
strength to show the students, faculty, and administration of these
universities that we are not something to be feared and that we are people
just like everyone else. Live every moment in love and understanding
despite the bigotry and hate that will undoubtedly be heaped on you
regularly. Know that you are going to constantly be in the public eye, and
show through your actions that we are above their discrimination.
At ORU, there is constant talk of being “an ORU whole man or
woman”–balancing the academic, physical, and spiritual. All over campus
you will see a logo showing an equilateral triangle meant to represent this
balance that we should strive for. Please show everyone there that we GLBT individuals can live our lives to this standard and ideal just as easily a heterosexuals can.
Show ’em what we’ve got!
An ORU Alumnus