WACO, Texas — Baylor President Dr. Linda Livingstone released a statement on human sexuality on the university website Tuesday, months after a campus LGBTQ group put in a charter request to give the organization official university recognition.
Livingstone began her statement emphasizing Baylor's commitment to all students.
"Let me be crystal clear: Baylor is committed to providing a loving and caring community for all students – including our LGBTQ students," Livingstone wrote.
She then announced the launch of Baylor's Human Sexuality Statement web page, which includes the university's unchanged statement on sexuality under the sexuality policy.
The statement calls both "homosexual behavior" and sex outside of heterosexual marriage "temptations to deviate" from the biblical norms of "purity in singleness and fidelity in marriage between a man and a woman."
The statement also says Baylor students will not be part of groups promoting ideas that go against those norms.
"It is expected that Baylor students will not participate in advocacy groups which promote understandings of sexuality that are contrary to biblical teaching," the statement reads.
Livingstone said the university remains in compliance with anti-discrimination laws.
"In order to provide additional clarity, I would like to set forth a few facts:
- Baylor is in compliance with Title IX and other federal and state regulations regarding the services and the support we provide to our LGBTQ students.
- Students are not disciplined or expelled from Baylor for same-sex attraction.
- In addition to the ongoing presence of many caring, trusted faculty and staff members, Baylor provides resources for LGBTQ students through the Title IX Office, Bias Response Team, Chaplain’s Office and Spiritual Life, and the Counseling Center.
- Baylor counselors do not practice or condone conversion or reparative therapy."
The Human Sexuality Statement encourages students "struggling with these issues" to call the university's Spiritual Life Office or the Baylor University Counseling Center.
Livingstone closed her statement with the promise of conversation going into the fall semester.
"As we begin the fall semester, we pledge to continue these ongoing conversations with faculty, students, staff, alumni and members of our LGBTQ community and to provide support for all of our students in keeping with Baylor’s Christian mission," Livingstone wrote.
Livingstone's full statement and the university statement on human sexuality can be read below.
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