Gay Christian Student Removed From Work-Study Position At South Carolina University
Stephen Lovegrove, a rising junior at Charleston Southern University in South Carolina, was informed this past Monday that he had lost his federally funded work-study position a resident advisor (RA) at his school.
Lovegrove recently began posting on the internet about how he identifies as gay and Christian, and the administration took notice.
The administration brought the situation to Lovegrove’s attention, expressing a fear that if parents typed his name into Google, they would find his posts about being gay and feel uncomfortable with having him as their child’s RA.
When asked by a local news source why Lovegrove was removed from his position, the dean of student affairs Dr. Rick Brewer cited personnel issues that couldn’t be discussed, but that Lovegrove was moved to a different position with the same pay.
Dr. Brewer also pointed out that Lovegrove is still technically a student at the school, but Lovegrove has announced that he is not returning to CSU in the fall. Not only has he lost the thousands of dollars that were helping him pay his tuition through his work-study as an RA, but he no longer feels comfortable at a school that can’t accept him for being gay.
Even through his hardship, Lovegrove maintains hope.
“Even through the pain of recent events, my story is reaching people and giving them hope. I have hope in a God who says that what humans mean for evil, He can use for good. Finally, I have hope that this a turning point in our nation’s history, and things really will get better if we can begin facing the reality of discrimination,” Lovegrove stated. “I would invite any person of faith to listen to my story and join the discussion, and I would urge all churches and ministries to begin finding ways to reach out to LGBT people and include them in their communities.”
Stephen’s story matches the story of other LGBT students at conservative Christian schools like Point Loma Nazarene University, and Biola University. We will continue to amplify his story, as well as others who face discrmination at their school.
Originally posted by GLAAD
Comments (14)
Bob L.
this is nothing more than a
this is nothing more than a dirty deed and fear of what “people may think”… I see a fine young man, in the university and I’m sure completing his studies. This is a terrible tragedy to impose on a fine young man. Stop and think how many other students in your university are gay or lesbian and so afraid… but here is someone who could be a helpful and stable resource to those kids. And you know as well as I (a retired educator for 39 yrs) that these parents want the best for their kids. This University needs to step up to the plate in support of ALL their students and stop running afraid.
Bernadine G.
I’m proud of you Stephen for
I’m proud of you Stephen for standing up for what you believe in. Continue to be yourself and never be ashamed to love. Your voice will be heard.
DR
And why was he kicked out of
And why was he kicked out of his “church”? For being gay. Same reason he was kicked out of Biola. And the “loving” university that “took him in” kicked him out of his position for being gay, his federally funded position. How convenient for you to leave out those earlier details, the spiritual persecution you Christians who embrace anti-gay theology are operating within is almost astounding, it is so deeply self-absorbed and entitled.
Jay Sutton
Careful. What you are writing
Careful. What you are writing is subject to libel laws. Did any ask him about being removed from his own church? No. Did he tell anyone? No. Did anyone ask him why he came to CSU? No. Hey Bob, did you know his parents, both teachers at Bob Jones University kicked him out of his house and he had no place to live. Who took him in, supported him, financed his summer stay at the college? Answer: CSU. Hannah, can he prove he lost one cent in scholarship and financial aid? Ask him. The ‘fine young man’ you are referring to manipulates the truth for his own interest. Get the facts straight, then write.
C Shipley
Bob Jones University has
Bob Jones University has never been an accepting environment. If you read in the article it doesn’t say that he lost his financial aid for this year, it implies in the future. And what was written in an article about a young man who lost his position due to his sexual preference.
Amy
Hey, Bernadine, did you know
Hey, Bernadine, did you know that you are spending way too much time on this subject? There are so many other issues. Leave these people alone and find a bigger fish to fry.
Marie A-H.
I am as outraged as the next
I am as outraged as the next person over this story, but the sensationalized statement about the “thousands of dollars” the young man is losing is contradicted barely a sentence before by that statement that he was given a different work study job with the same pay. The story is bad enough. There is no need to distort the facts. In fact, it diminishes credibility.
Pattysboi
Jay Sutton, can YOU prove
Jay Sutton, can YOU prove beyond a shadow of a doubt the allegations that Mr. Lovegrove “manipulates the truth for his own interest”? I doubt it. In short, grow UP and get a life. What this so-called “college” did is just plain WRONG.
Sara Wickline
The Federal Government should
The Federal Government should cut the school’s funding.
J Brown
Whether he was offered
Whether he was offered another job or not, it is illegal for a federally funded program to remove a student from a job because of sexual orientation. Stephen Lovegrove was out to his employers for several months, and to many of his peers, but it only became a problem when he decided to be more public about it, which essentially is saying, “Excuse me, but you must have misunderstood us. We don’t actually accept you for you, and now we have to do something about it. What a chore it is keeping up our reputation. Can’t you just pretend to be straight for two more years? No? *Sigh* Very well. No leadership position for you, then. You’ve been deemed unworthy.” Having grown up in a similar environment to Stephen, and having first hand experience of life in the Bob Jones University bubble-sphere, I can see how this attitude of flagrant disregard for not only federal policy but also protection of students could have cowed this young man, once more, into a position of subservience and docility just to get by, a pattern that the conservative movement applauds and encourages at nearly every turn. Instead, he is moving on. No one wants to be told that one isn’t good enough. But he is using this to prove that it’s no longer acceptable to be marginalized, in any way, merely due to sexual orientation. He is very brave.
Charlie
I was drawn up on
I was drawn up on disciplinary charges by my conservative Catholic college outside of Charlotte for “practicing the occult” (I had an assortment of tarot cards, a Koran, a statue of Buddha, various religious items, ect.) and “violating the Christian sexuality policy” (they found condoms and a rainbow flag in my room).
Much sympathy.
Andy
If CSU has a stated policy
If CSU has a stated policy about openly gay students and prohibiting homosexual behavior (which as a Christian school is its right), then Stephen should have known the consequences of coming out.
As a parent and one formerly in higher education for years, I am glad some schools are sticking to their biblical principles.
Bobel
Remember God is Love, He so
Remember God is Love, He so loved the world that “who so ever” will, let them come. Jesus still invites you and the rest of the world to come to HIM, Jesus does not discriminate, kicking out some…. as far as BJU… I knew well two missionaries in P.R. who would have been kicked out if they had come out in college.
lana
I’m a Brit living in the
I’m a Brit living in the south for 3years and I have to laugh because i see this same behavior coming from those” christians” who claim to love and serve the lord but extremely quick to discriminate against gay people or people of color our god is a loving god right? So where is the love in ..not saying that all christians are like that but the ones that I have had the unfortunate
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