LETTER: Misunderstood motives

The Hustler recently ran an article on a new bill that has been introduced in the Tennessee state legislature related to Vanderbilt’s nondiscrimination policy and the attorney general’s concerns about the bill’s constitutionality. Although this article was generally objective and fair, one line in particular stood out in my mind as blatantly false and in need of correction. When speaking about the nondiscrimination policy, the article says, “Christian groups have protested the policy, saying it forces them to allow nonbelievers and gay students to join.”

The concerns that were raised about the nondiscrimination policy had nothing to do with group membership or with homosexuality. Most, if not all of the groups, opposed to the policy already allowed any undergraduate to be a member, regardless of beliefs. They were and are very supportive of this part of the policy. In addition, no group was advocating or defending barring gay students from membership or leadership.