Religious school first restricts, then dismisses gay student

A former student at John Brown University in Arkansas said he was dismissed from the school, where his parents work, after the administration raised questions about his homosexuality and imposed restrictions on his campus life. Michael Guinn, 22, said the private Christian liberal arts school dismissed him January 13 for violating campus lifestyle guidelines.

Guinn said he was asked to adhere to behavior codes not required of other students; John Brown officials declined to discuss Guinn's case specifically. "In all cases, students who have been disciplined have violated agreed-upon behavioral expectations. These behavioral expectations are based upon JBU's biblical and cultural core values," said a statement by Steve Beers, the vice president of student development.

Guinn said he began dealing with his homosexuality at age 12. "When all the boys started liking girls, I realized that I liked the boys," he said. Guinn said he has decided to live a celibate life and that he has not doubted his Christian faith. Guinn said the university learned last summer that he was gay after someone e-mailed the administration a link to Guinn's online journal.

In a meeting with administrators, Guinn said, he was given a code of conduct tougher than what other students had to follow. According to Guinn, he was told to not dress in women's clothing, not slap others on the buttocks if he was a member of a sports team, not hug or shake hands with other men for too long, not "broadcast" his lifestyle, and not tell other students he was gay until he knew them well.

Guinn said it was difficult to make friends under the restrictions. "I know from so much experience that when you tell certain people you're gay, they drop you," he said. Guinn also was asked to e-mail his roommate to inform him of his sexual orientation and give him a chance to decline to share quarters. The roommate decided to stay. "He and his mother prayed about it, and she told him to be my roommate. She said just because homosexuality was my sin, it didn't mean it would become his," Guinn said.

Guinn's father is an English professor at John Brown, and his mother is a campus nurse. (Advocate.com)

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