The Santa Barbara Transgender Advocacy Network and Pacific Pride Foundation stand with Spectrum Ministries in their efforts to fight institutional discrimination in our community and statewide. —Pacific Pride Foundation; and Max Rorty, founder and board president, SBTAN
Christian colleges across the state scrambled to stop SB 1146, a bill made to protect LGBT students from discrimination at religious colleges. Given the news on August 10 that vital sections of the bill were cut, it looks like they got what they want. No longer will the bill include that colleges cannot receive publicly supported Cal Grant funds if they apply for or hold an exemption to the federal mandate Title IX, which prohibits schools that receive federal funding from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. Just as bad, the revised bill strips students of the right to privately sue their college for discrimination.
Christian colleges twisted these mandates to claim they are the true victims of this bill, rather than the LGBT students they actively oppress. Two weeks ago, Santa Barbara’s own Westmont College also spoke up when college president Gayle Beebe sent out a letter in which he wrote, “About 13,000-16,000 students who qualify for need-based Cal Grants attend faith-based schools, and they will likely lose their opportunity to attend institutions like Westmont unless this bill is defeated.”