"Bias Motivated Incident Support Team"

MLCarr · Nov 10, 2008

Also called BMIST. They've started it at Baylor, and it's supposed to suppor anyone that's in a minority. A few of my also gay friends were worried that if homosexuals went to them they would get 'ratted out' to the university and possibly kicked out. Here's the letter I wrote (with the help of my guy friend Justin) and the response I got.

Please read it, let me know what you think. We are planning on meeting with this professor, without giving names, tomorrow at 3:00. So help sooner rather than later...

To Whom This May Concern:

I have a matter of concern that I would like to address with the members of BMIST. Before I address that, I must say that the only reason I am sending this as an e-mail from an account other than my student account is due to fear of "backlash" from Baylor University. The Lariat ran an article about you in Friday's paper that stated: "The Bias Motivated Incident Support Team is intended to create a safe environment for students to seek counsel if they feel they've been treated unfairly because of their gender, race, ethnicity or anything else." As a student who has suffered mistreatment under the "anything else" category, I would like to bring attention to the problem of religion-based bigotry on our campus. Bigotry is a big problem at Baylor and I question whether or not you fully know the extent of this behavior and its effects on its intended targets.

Have you ever heard of the Baylor Underground, a collection of groups who don't fit the "Christian Moral Standard" that is preached by those who go to church three times a week, spend their days working with children and read the Bible to get their questions answered? If you have not, now you have. We do exist and for those of us who do go to church, we can't make too many friends out of fear that we will be rejected. We work with kids because they do not draw up prejudices against us. And finally we read the Bible knowing that many people will use it to condemn us. We seek the truth that lies within those condemning texts anyway.

If I have not been clear about the group to which I am referring, I'm talking about all the students, and yes there are many of us, who happen to be homosexual at Baylor. I am one of them. I'm a female, sophomore, and I choose Baylor because I love God, I love the school, and I love the programs Baylor offers, especially for my major. I knew what I was getting into before I even applied. I knew Baylor was a very conservative school, and I'm not asking to change everyone's mind on how they feel personally about homosexuality or homosexual marriage. However, just because I'm gay doesn't mean I have an underlying "agenda" to crusade for homosexual rights.

All that aside, I further worry that you will misadvise students who are homosexual on how to handle harassment or offensive behavior at Baylor. For me, offensive behavior is a daily problem. Every day I hear from people, even roommates, the phrase, "that's so gay." What do I do about it? Nothing, because if I did it would turn into more than just a behavior, it would turn into a harassment situation that would be ongoing. I almost walked out of chapel last year when the young male speaker was talking about how we can be trained, like dogs, to do what the Lord wills. He specifically mentioned homosexuality and that it is a misdirection of love. You have no idea how much that can confuse and hurt people, even those who are completely secure within their sexuality.

What I ask is that you do not misadvise those who come to you as a minority support group. Telling them they can change does not help. I know there are many people who you would like to point out to me as an 'ex-gay' but in truth, I know it doesn't work. It's all mental; the physical attraction is still there. Please trust me, I've been called one of those 'ex-gays' and was 'cured' by my church before. I would advise that you tell them to just lie low, because that seems to be the best policy here at Baylor. If it's physical, they need to go to the Waco PD, not the Baylor PD. Why? Because the Baylor PD can report it back to Baylor and we can have what you called "backlash" in the article from people who work for Baylor.

Again, I urge you, do not try to change these young people who need help. The best thing you can do to help them is simply listen to them and take their report as a serious problem. This type of bigotry happens frequently and whether or not you agree with it should not be a part of the report.

If you have any questions please feel free to e-mail me back at this e-mail address. I would be happy to answer anything that would be relevant to helping these students.

Sincerely,

-Concerned Baylor Student
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And their response:

Dear Concerned Baylor Student,

I can’t tell you how profoundly glad I am to receive this email, and welcome your honesty, criticisms, and courage. As a person of color, I understand some of what you mean when you speak. As a heterosexual male in a position of power (professor), I’ve no idea, and for that I can only say am sorry for the treatment you’ve received, as it besmirches not only Baylor, but as you say, scripture, the church, and the god we’d like to represent. Would you be willing to meet, for I really need to hear your, and others’, stories. We could meet somewhere “neutral” (of course there are finally no such places) on campus and you’d never even need to disclose your name. There is also “more to the story” that you should hear, some of which may make it easier for you and your peers to develop growing trust with this group. The Lariat ad was rushed because of circumstances but there were things that could have gone in that story that would have painted a fuller picture, had there been time to do so. In other words, this group is meant to protect you from as much as possible, including backlash. I myself commit to do so, and will not allow backlash against any student who comes to us. I want to hear from you because we need to know what’s going on; I’ve been here a few short years and I’ve only the slightest sense of what it’s like for students of difference. But I cannot do much if I don’t know and I will not know unless some come forward. Would you be willing to do so? I will tell you that I am an ethics professor in the religion department and have read much and written some on ethics of gender and sexuality, and I am still trying to figure out how to think about the important realities. And I will tell you that I work through much of that material not because it is simply academic to me but more so because of long-standing friendships that commit me to work through these questions, and because though not completely analogous, sexual and racial difference share some family resemblances in the strange social milieu of America (not to mention the stranger context of central texas). I also agree that much of the discourse of “changing these people” is not simply intellectually questionable but even unethical. Either my hope in chatting with you will be to hear from you and your experience so that we can create a safe environment for you. I will be around much this week and would love to talk with you.

Peace, Concerned Baylor Person
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So as I said, Justin and I are meeting with this guy tomorrow. We were thinking of giving them the e-mail address we sent it with (something not linked to any names) and asking them that, if they see the need, they could give it out and we will contact the student who needs help....

What do ya'll think?

Midnight Angel · Nov 10, 2008

Wow, that's awesome! I wasn't expecting them to respond like they did. I hope something good comes out of you meeting him!

MLCarr · Nov 10, 2008

Midnight Angel said: ↑

Wow, that's awesome! I wasn't expecting them to respond like they did. I hope something good comes out of you meeting him!
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Ha, me too. I'm not sure what to expect, but because nothing is linked to my name...I should be able to get out of any situation. Unless they call for an IP address for the computer...in which case I'm just screwed. Let's just hope it turns out good.

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