School Asks Students to Write Letter Convincing Friend Not to Be Gay

A private Christian middle school in Kentucky assigned homework asking students to write a letter to an imaginary gay friend telling them their sexual identity was wrong and would never bring them satisfaction in life.

Kentucky business owner J.P. Davis posted screenshots of the assignment at the Christian Academy of Louisville to his social media after a concerned parent alerted him.

He told The Courier-Journal the parent said her son was "upset" with the assignment.

"Her kid is in the class that was given the assignment, and he and her are both uncomfortable with it," Davis told the paper. "She doesn't know how to handle it."

Students were asked to write an imaginary letter to a "same gender" questioning or gay friend from their church they have known since kindergarten.

"The aim of your letter should be to lovingly and compassionately speak truth to the person you're talking to in a way that does not approve of any sin," the assignment read. "Instead, TRY TO PERSUADE THEM OF THE GOODNESS OF GOD'S DESIGN for them."

The assignment called for a letter with a minimum of eight sentences using "the Bible, reason, and your personal friendship" to demonstrate how "God's design for them is good, that homosexuality will not bring them satisfaction, that you love them even though you don't approve of their lifestyles."

Kylee Marcy, who graduated from the school in 2002, told The Courier-Journal that she was angry about the assignment after finding out about it online. Marcy said she's reached out to alumni and parents of children at the school.

"I would not call this out of character in any way," Marcy said. "But I was still really disappointed because I've been gone 20 years, and I would've hoped that in 20 years maybe they would have learned that love is the way to go, as opposed to the fire-and-brimstone hate. But it doesn't seem like it to me."

In an emailed statement to the media, Christian Academy of Louisville School System Superintendent Darin Long confirmed and defended the assignment.

"This particular assignment, in context, was how a person could discuss homosexuality with a friend from a biblical perspective with compassion and love. This hypothetical friend conversation was for our students to review the class discussions and their perspectives on the subject. Moving forward, we will review this assignment to ensure there is clarity in its purpose and language."

After noting the "Christian Academy of Louisville is a Christian-based private school system that partners with families that desire a Christ-centered educational environment," Long affirmed the school's belief that "God created the marriage covenant to be between one man and one woman" and that "sex is a good gift of God, to be celebrated within the confines of the marriage covenant" and that any other type of "sexual expressions go against God's design."

Long's statement was not enough for Davis. While he acknowledged the school is a private religious institution and allowed certain protections in the curriculum, he disagreed with its interpretation of the Bible's teachings on the matter.

"I know it's a Christian school, but that's not my Christianity. That's not my values," Davis told The Courier-Journal. "And that's not what Jesus, if they want to make that argument, represented. Jesus didn't go around asking people to judge and tell other people how they're wrong and shame."