Looking Forward
One of the purposes of this project has been to look back on the history of LGBTQ presence and activism at SPU and reflect on how the institution can move forward. We asked our interviewees what they think still needs to be changed at SPU, and what they would say to the LGBTQIA+ community now as they’re going through this particular ‘chapter’ in history. Here are some of their answers.
Messages to the Queer community:
“Find your safe space and love each other. Even when we have problems with each other. Just, I'm talking in the queer community on campus… And if you can find your safe space to be on this campus, do not be afraid to raise your voice. Do not be afraid to speak out and make people uncomfortable. But don't do it at your own expense. Make a point to take care of yourself because this campus won't do that for you.”
- Anonymous alumni 22
“I would just remind them probably for the 500th time that it's-it's not necessarily the perfectly placed argument that's going to turn people your way. It's just the being out there and being yourself… And so just- it's not always about winning the argument, but it's just about being full of love, whenever you possibly can.”
-Anonymous alumni 12
“I'd say like, first of all, like, I see you, and I think you are incredible. And I, and like, there will always be people trying to have problems with who you are, and tell you, who you are and who you aren't, and who you can be and who you can't be, and who you can and can't love. And there, you know, there's a lot of people who are wrong in this world. And I think it is such crucial work to be who you are, and be that loudly and openly and make this space.”
-Samuel Ernest
“I'd speak to the LGBTQ students specifically at SPU right now, I'd say remember, your time at SPU was short. For most students, it's going to be four years at SPU. And so find the things that you care about, make a difference where you can. But also remember that you're there to be a student first, right, and you're leaving one way or another after, after you graduate, and you're going to have a whole life ahead of you filled with activism, filled with things to fight for. And there's another generation of students by design coming right behind you, right. That's how universities work. And so don't worry about perfection. Don't worry about trying to solve everything, do what you can, and create space for the next generation of students to come in and pick up the pieces.”
-Adam Hutchinson
“So queer students of SPU I see you and I think you're rad. Keep doing what you're doing... The fighting is worth it even if it doesn't work.”
-Anonymous alumni 15
“I guess I would just say good luck. You know, keep going if you have the, the energy, the mental and emotional and physical energy, keep going because things do change.”
-Joy Bethune
“Have hope and keep fighting. I do feel like-and you're probably aware of this, but a survey was taken in the faculty and more than 70% of the faculty were clear in their support”
-Anonymous professor 5
“One of the important things, I think, is to know that whatever love and support that you feel from your friends, and from your professors, and staff members, anyone that's real. It can feel like you're being gas lit by an institution, because institutions are tricky and multifaceted.”
- Samuel Ernest
“Just telling people to think critically, and like, if they don't know why they believe something, then they should probably interrogate. And that's not in a mean way. That's in a that's actually a very, that's very possibility driven, like, freedom in like, not being trapped by the frameworks that we didn't even create ourselves. So yeah, just people to think critically about why they believe certain things is what I would, what I would encourage people who are listening to this.”
-Nathan Samayo
“I think that something that I've had to learn in order to like, tamp myself down sometimes in moments of anger at SPU is that like, while this university is important, it's an important part of the life journey of the students that come through it, that there's so much outside of it and after it, and like, even if we continue, even if, you know, Haven and other advocates, and the faculty and all these people who want these changes to happen for students and for faculty, even if they continue to fail, and the Board of Trustees continues to hold this hardline, that there's still so much good to be done. On campus and in the world, it's still worth it to have this community, it's still worth it to fight these fights, to try to get equal treatment, equal employment opportunities, equal, you know, club opportunities, it's like, always worth it to keep doing it, even if it keeps failing.”
-Hope Estes
“So thoroughly without bullshit, I love you a lot and I hope that you will be able to love yourself really, really fully. I would encourage all queer and trans kids to support themselves in the ways that they need to be supportive and work to get themselves the tools that they need to heal. And also to be strong to defend themselves.”
-Anonymous alumni 13
“I'd say keep fighting and stick to your values, it may not seem like you're making much progress in the moment. But things have changed a lot in the last decade, and will continue to change because of the work that they're doing now.”
-Haven Wilvich
“And I would also say, to those who are in in our LGBTQ plus community at SPU right now, like, I hope that knowing more about the history of where we've been in the recent past, like, is meaningful on some level, to show and to demonstrate that like, it wasn't that long ago that people are being called disgusting, that people are being questioned about their sexuality, that that there was nobody out and around who was choosing to be out there when I was there… If I had had other people to look to, I could have saved myself a lot of suffering to know that I wasn't just that I wasn't alone, you know, that it wasn't only me. So I would say like, thank you to all of those people and to you for working to increase the visibility of who our SPU community truly is, which includes all of us, right?”
-Kerri Gibbard Kline
What still needs to change at SPU?
“I think that the board needs to be a steward of the university in a way that it's not now. How, what decisions need to be made, even against the church, even against the Bishop of the church. That will prompt flourishing that will prompt success and good quality education. And it's not only about public relations, that's part of it. It's about hospitality, it's about welcoming, it's about, you know, sending a message that we are a place for all people, Christian, non Christian, points in between.”
-Anonymous professor 27
“That's what's at the heart of the gospel is, how are we treating people. And I think that my sense of the message of God's Word through scripture through history through different things is that God is concerned with lifting up those who are hurting. That's what the cross means. That's what redemption means is God placing God's self with those who are most harmed, and most hurt, and most beaten down. And so for an institution to be on the side of the people doing that harm, it places SPU in the position of being Pontius Pilate, you know, if you want to get theological about it, and I think that God's heart is there being nailed on the cross. And I think that God's heart is hurting every day with students who are still hard by this policy.”
-Kerri Gibbard Kline
“I think the number one thing is to get rid of Lifestyle Expectations. I think that they're really holding the school back. They don't reflect the breadth of Christianity, that it's within the school. And they're outright hiring discrimination policies. I think that they have always hampered the school's ability to actually serve their mission. And I think they're really hitting up against that right now.”
-Haven Wilvich
“Yeah, I mean, I think SPU-it seems like it's sort of dug its heels in on certain issues that, like, the staff, the faculty, the students, and the alumni generally agree they need to change. When it's like all of those stakeholders seem to-or a majority of those stakeholders agree that certain things should change, and like the board or the president won't budge-I mean, that just, that doesn't seem like it's going to create a very productive campus environment.”
-Abigail Stahl
“Their discriminatory hiring practices need to change, for one thing. That's pretty important. I think that lifestyle or not lifestyle, statement on human sexuality needs to be removed or significantly revised. And I think there needs to be generally a sort of re education on campus on the fact that there are queer students at SPU. There always have been, and there always will be. And the staff and the faculty need to be aware of how to support them properly. Yeah. And lovingly, with loving kindness.”
-Anonymous alumni 15
“I think the statement on human sexuality needs to be drastically changed or at least removed, or, I guess removed or at least changed to reflect a broader and more modern understanding of, you know, what sexuality is and what you know, I think that like the dignity is a really important discussion when talking about sex and about human sexuality. And I think that the statement on human sexuality lacks any real discussion of dignity… And I think it's outdated. I think it's pretty clear that a significant portion of the student body and the faculty disagree with it. And it's embarrassing for the school.”
-Hope Estes
“The policies need to change. So I mean, the statement on human sexuality, I frankly, don't know why it exists, it shouldn't exist. I don't see why the university needs to have that policy at all.”
-Adam Hutchinson
“Well, really bluntly, what needs to be changed on this is we need to, I think we just need to delete our statement on human sexuality, it's probably best we just don't have one. But if we're going to have one, it needs to be changed fairly significantly. And it definitely needs to, you know, change from its obvious hetero-normative sort of orientation right now, and one that is based around a kind of old fashioned gender binary…So anyway, second is we need to change our non discrimination language in hiring, I mean, it also applies to other parts of the campus, but I think it really wreaks the most havoc when it comes down to employment decisions. So we need to have explicit language protecting people regarding sexual identity, gender, I mean, sexual orientation, gender identity and marital status, in my opinion. And then third, we need to change our behavior...our lifestyle expectations, behavior language.”
-Anonymous professor4
“The statement on human sexuality has to go. And, like, it's always, like, that's always the problem with like, with a organization, any organization that is funded by a board, like funded by donors, is that, like, those donors are the people who like have money… And so you end up with an institution that changes much slower than it should. Right. Yeah….I don't know what you do about that problem. It's money is power, and that's bad.”
-Anonymous alumni 21
“Well, I think SPU needs to acknowledge the fact that gay and lesbian and trans people do come to SPU and they accept their tuition dollars, and they "want tuition dollars." And therefore, they need to give these students the space to be who they are and how they are. And again, the students- gay and lesbian students are not there to recruit, whatever that might mean. They are not- they are to get an education.”
-Mary Fry
"And so yeah, my fear is that that campus will maybe change this policy, but we will continue to not learn how to be better community members with each other, not learn how to love each other well and live alongside each other well, and that is the real work that we need to do on this campus. And it doesn't change with us changing the policy that doesn't come with it. Those are two different battles that need to happen."