Religious organisations have rarely been famous for their welcoming attitude toward the LGBT community and sadly the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints – The Mormons – have been no different. Despite some recent change, the church has a long history of non-acceptance, and with the continued teaching that homosexual acts are a sin, it’s no surprise that their university has come under fire for this very thing.
Brigham Young University is a private school funded by the Mormon Church. Students who attend this university are almost all Mormon and agree to abide by an honour code that mandates behaviour in line with the church teachings, which until recently, included a ban on any physical acts of homosexuality. In this podcast, we talk to Calvin Burke, a former student at the university who tells us about his experience there and what led to a federal investigation by the US Department of Education.