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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