A discussion about the groundbreaking Federal Investigation against Brigham Young University for its treatment of LGBTQ+ students with attorney Paul Southwick and Legal Fellow Joe Baxter. We discuss the investigation and its relation to recent changes in LDS and BYU policy. We also analyze BYU’s initial response to the Office of Civil Rights and what you can do to help advance equality at BYU.

!!!URGENT CALL TO ACTION!!!
*Anyone can file a Title IX Complaint
*File online at https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/complaintform.pdf
*Instructions are available here: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/howto.html
*Current BYU students can reach out to The Reap at info@thereap.org

*Anyone can file a COMMENT regarding BYU’s upcoming accreditation
*Mail your comments to:
NWCCU
Attn: Third Party Comment
8060 165th Ave NE, Ste 100
Redmond, WA 98052
*Comments must written, signed, and received by March 6, 2022
*Keep your comments respectful and focused on student safety and school transparency

*Accreditation Equity Policy: https://nwccu.org/equity-resource-library/
*BYU students, alumni, and staff who have evidence of non-compliance with the Accreditation Equity Policy can file a COMPLAINT here: https://nwccu.app.box.com/s/w2t7vonu5b1c084gtomyt3c6sbftipfl

*Donate to the Religious Exemption Accountability Project
https://secure.actblue.com/donate/reap-fund

“BYU is under federal investigation for how it disciplines LGBTQ students,” by Courney Tanner, Salt Lake Tribune, January 20, 2022
https://www.sltrib.com/news/education/2022/01/20/byu-is-under-federal/

“BYU responds to federal investigation of its LGBTQ policies,” by Tad Walch, Deseret News, January 20, 2022
https://www.deseret.com/2022/1/20/22893902/byu-responds-to-federal-investigation-of-its-lgbtq-policies-mormon-civil-rights-complaint

“LGBTQ dating ban at BYU probed in federal investigation,” Associated Press, January 21, 2022
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/lgbtq-dating-ban-at-byu-probed-in-federal-investigation/2022/01/20/b2ac33f0-7a2d-11ec-9dce-7313579de434_story.html

Religious Exemption Accountability Project
https://www.thereap.org/

David Archuleta’s Instagram post about struggling as a gay Mormon
https://www.instagram.com/p/CYwbqm8hqfu/?utm_medium=copy_link

Find out how much your college or university receives in federal funds
https://datalab.usaspending.gov/colleges-and-universities/

“Permission to Make Mistakes,” Mayim Bialik’s interview with David Archuleta in which he says church leaders told him he could date men

Jeffrey Holland’s BYU speech in August 2021, in which he called for “musket fire” in defense of their anti-LGBTQ policies

BYU President Kevin Worthen’s letter responding to the investigation
https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/t9-rel-exempt/brigham-young-university-request-11192021.pdf

“Going Forward with Religious Freedom and Nondiscrimination,” address by Dallin Oaks at the University of Virginia on November 12, 2021
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5MbR…

Mormon Stories interview with Gerardo Sumano
https://www.mormonstories.org/podcast/a-mexican-mormon-story-gerardo/

Tabernacles of Clay: Sexuality and Gender in Modern Mormonism by Taylor Petrey

Gay Rights and the Mormon Church: Intended Actions, Unintended Consequences by Gregory Prince

00:00:00 Introduction and opening remarks
00:09:43 LGBTQ students know there’s an Honor Code at BYU, so why don’t they just go to a different university?
00:22:48 The feds are investigating BYU after a student complained that changes to the Honor Code were reversed, resulting in discrimination
00:38:29 The civil rights implications of ambiguous school policies
00:43:26 How this could affect BYU’s accreditation
00:50:33 Title IX and the legal ramifications of discrimination when accepting federal money
00:58:18 BYU President Kevin Worthen’s response to the investigation
01:16:40 The history of the Family Proclamation
01:24:02 A CALL TO ACTION! How you can help
01:34:26 Closing remarks

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