An evangelical organization with chapters on 667 college campuses has told its 1,300 staff members they will be fired if they support gay marriage,
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An evangelical organization with chapters on 667 college campuses has told its 1,300 staff members they will be fired if they support gay marriage, according to Time magazine.
Staff members who disagree with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship USA’s stances on marriage and sex — which oppose divorce, sex before marriage, and homosexuality — have been asked to identify themselves for “involuntary terminations” starting in November.
“Our goal is not to go, ‘Oh, we want you to do the dirty work of firing yourself,’” Greg Jao, an InterVarsity vice president and director of campus engagement, told Time. “I think our thing is, if you are in disagreement, then we are going to ask you, with integrity, to identify that and leave.”
InterVarsity’s positions were outlined in an internal paper on human sexuality published in March 2015 after a four-year review. Staff members were sent a letter in July saying, “We expect that all staff will believe and behave in a manner consonant with” the policy paper, and refrain from promoting ideas inconsistent with it.
Earlier this year, about a dozen InterVarsity staff members formed a group to advocate for LGBTQ employees and students. According to Time, LGBTQ staff members who accept the position paper and don’t engage in sexual activity can stay on, and LGBTQ students are still welcome, said Mr. Jao.
InterVarsity USA’s Twitter account responded to the article in a series of tweets Thursday night, saying that Time had gotten the group’s policy wrong but adding, “We do hold to an orthodox view of sexuality and Christian marriage.”
