Life

BYU LGBTQ+ students take a stand for LGBTQ+ rights in iconic demonstration

By Jordan Robledo

6th March 2021

Come through BYU LGBTQ+ students! 

A group of students at Brigham Young University iconically lit up the schools famed Y in rainbow colours.

The demonstration took place for one hour and was done in an effort for LGBTQ+ acceptance, recognition.

About 40 LGBTQ+ students from the student organisation Color The Campus participated in the lighting.

Bradley Talbot, the LGBTQ+ student who organized the demonstration, told Salt Lake Tribune that he wanted to send a message to the school.

“We’re here, and we are part of this institution. We should have a place at the Y.”

Sparks of change and acceptance were seen last month after the university removed a longstanding rule that banned “all forms of physical intimacy that give expression to homosexual feelings.”.

But three weeks after LGBTQ+ students celebrated the overdue change, school officials took away any semblance of acceptance, stating that same-sex relationships were “not compatible” with BYU rules and regulations.

“That day felt like a betrayal for a lot of LGBT students. It was traumatic. So this was a day for us to reclaim that and try to turn it into something positive,” Talbot explained.

Since the lighting of the Y, BYU has released a statement denouncing the event via their Twitter account.

“BYU did not authorize the lighting of the Y tonight. The Y is BYU property and any form of public expression on university property requires prior approval.”

   Color The Campus took to Twitter to express the reasoning and importance behind the event.

“This is our symbol of love and unity with BYU. The Cougars are Out. We stand with both. It’s not black and white, it’s Rainbow. I choose both. The world is our campus.

“I invite BYU to choose to be our advocate and not our obstacle. It won’t stop us either way. Hate is loud. We are louder.”

  The demonstration also saw support from Imagine Dragons frontman, Dan Reynolds.

“Hey BYU this is an opportunity for you to celebrate your LGBTQ students. They do makeup ~ 13% of your student body. you call it vandalism, I call it divine intervention.,” he tweeted.

Reynolds has been a longstanding ally for the LGBTQ+ community.

Last week he announced his partnership with Encircle and their $8 Million, 8 Houses campaign, which creates safe spaces for LGBTQ+ youth.

This is just the beginning of the fight for LGBTQ+ acceptance at BYU and we can’t wait to see the progress they’ll make in the future.