By Antoine SanchezStaff Writer
A Christian student organization is on probation for one yearbecause of an incident that took place between members of their groupand the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Student Union.
LGBTSU members said they were approached by members of R.A.V.E. –also known as Victory Campus Fellowship — earlier this semesterwhile they were tabling in Aztec Center.
LGBTSU President Ben Cartwright said members blocked otherstudents from approaching their table and questioned members’morality.
The Associated Students Activities Policy Board, which grantson-campus status to student organizations, reviewed the incidentafter LGBTSU filed a complaint and unanimously decided to sanctionthe Christian organization.
According to LGBTSU’s complaint, members of R.A.V.E. criticizedthem for being immoral and said being gay was “unnatural andimmoral.”
“At one moment, a girl approached the table for information and(R.A.V.E. members) asked her if she was a lesbian,” Cartwright said.”She responded that it was none of their business and they accusedher of being ashamed of who she was and continued questioning her asshe walked away.”
Members of the group also criticized LGBTSU for having freecondoms on their table, Cartwright said.
Many students tried approaching the table, but because of thediscussion, they were discouraged and backed away, Cartwright said.
“We table to give out information, not to defend our cause,” hesaid.
R.A.V.E. President Wesley Bell did not appear at a scheduledinterview with The Daily Aztec before Spring Break and did not returncalls.
However, in the incident report, Bell said he did ask LGBTSUmembers if they were ashamed of their sexuality, but did not “chasethem away.”
According to the report, R.A.V.E. member Gino Mingo said theirorganization questions the values of others, but their motivationsare not to attack others.
In the report, R.A.V.E. member Anthony Coleman said he spoke withthe group about morality issues, but did not ask anything related totheir sexuality. He said he shook hands with a LGBTSU member at theend of their conversation and “told them he enjoyed having theopportunity to talk with them.”
Marivic Tolentino, chair of Activities Policy Board, said thatLGBTSU has been harassed in the past by other organizations, althoughthis is the first time a formal complaint has been filed.
If there are more complaints against the Christian organization,the group can be terminated from the university, she said.
Tolentino said this is the first complaint of this type against astudent organization. This issue will set a precedent for futurecases.
This week, LGBTSU is celebrating its annual Queer Awareness Week.At 6 p.m. tonight in Montezuma Hall, the group will present “LGBTCollege Hate Crimes: What can we do?” Audience members will watchHBO’s “The Laramie Project,” with a panel discussion to follow abouthate crimes on campuses.
Tomorrow, all LGBT students are asked not to speak in order todemonstrate how LGBT individuals are “silenced every day.” At 7 p.m.in Quetzalcoatl, located in lower Aztec Center, the group will host adiscussion about the day.
