Baylor University Allegedly Offers 'Homosexuality As Gateway Drug' Course

Texas' Baylor University found itself in the midst of a blogosphere firestorm last week after it allegedly offered a sociology course titled "Homosexuality as a Gateway Drug."

After reports turned up on various websites and news blogs, the Waco-based university changed the course's name to "Special Topics in Sociology," and said it had been intended as an independent study, under the direction of assistant professor Martha Sherman, for one student rather than as a group course.

View the course listing in question below:

It's not the first time the university has taken heat for its approach to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues. A Baptist institution, Baylor reportedly denied status to the Sexual Identity Forum, a student group "promoting discussion of homosexuality and other sexual preferences," earlier this year, according to The Baylor Lariat. Although it previously ranked No. 11 on the Princeton Review’s list of “LGBT unfriendly” schools, the university is reportedly no longer included on the 2011 edition of the survey.

Watch a news report on the controversially-named listing below:

Comments

[MumsToo]

05:18 PM on 11/17/2011

I'm not surprised. I was in a Diversity class in which the instructor made an anti-gay joke just about every day. Even after I explained that I was gay and that his comments were completely out-of-line, he continued with the jokes and gay bashing. In addition, whenever we would talk about famous people who fit into a particular ethnic group, he would refuse to acknowledge that they were either gay or famous--for example, George Takei. By the end of the semester I ended up driving home in tears after each class... especially when he would laugh at or encourage gay bashing jokes from other students in the class. When I brought this to the attention of the the administration, the instructor lied the whole time, stating "I'm not homophobic. I have gay friends." When I said I could provide witnesses (other people in the class), the administration said it wouldn't be necessary. The teacher still works at the school teaching diversity.

[lacrosselamore]

03:45 PM on 11/17/2011

What else would you expect in Wacko Texas.

[Oneandoneandone]

01:32 PM on 11/17/2011

Oh it's a Baptist school. Less surprised now.

[Eric Chamberlain]

09:56 AM on 11/17/2011

The course title fits in well with the opiate of the masses theme.

[PerfumeisToxic]

06:03 AM on 11/17/2011

I think homosexuality IS a gateway drug. A gateway to happiness, truth, personal fulfillment, freedom. This is what some people are so scared of. They have a vested interest in human misery. Happy people are less likely to come to church and do as they are told.

The greatest enslavement today is compulsory gender exaggeration. Men as brutal, women as weak. This fake behavior denies people happiness and freedom, which some people benefit from. Gay people with their more androgynous ways are a threat to this system of social control.

Until this phobia about compulsory strict gender roles is challenged there will be homophobia. We need to not just "tolerate" non gender conformist people. We need to say that androgyny is beautiful. Because we all know it is. Time we shouted it out and become proud.

[tjMoose]

09:20 AM on 11/17/2011

I'm happy, I'm NOT gay and I go to church. Whats wrong with that? I know gay people, I dont have a problem with gay people... That is, until they try to change the way I live to accommodate their own sexual agenda. I dont care what you do in your bedroom. I dont ask what you do in your bedroom. I dont want to be forced to know what goes on in your bedroom! If I want porn there are places that you can get it. I dont want it. I want people to keep their PERSONAL lives PERSONAL!! Let me live in peace....

[Eric Chamberlain]

09:54 AM on 11/17/2011

The only thing we are trying to change about the way you live is what you are allowed to do to us under the law.

As a church going person, you may know it as the golden rule.

[Oneandoneandone]

01:33 PM on 11/17/2011

When has a gay person ever told you that you had to change how you live? "Excuse me sir, you cannot drive that car anymore. I need you to switch to this here bus, because it's more in line with my gayness."

[aviandonn]

02:09 PM on 11/16/2011

A gateway drug to what? Has anyone figured that out? I'm gay and I would like to know what adventure this is pointing me towards.

[Oneandoneandone]

01:34 PM on 11/17/2011

Ditto.

[Robbert Bricker]

10:00 AM on 11/29/2011

normalcy, happiness, camaraderie, freedom... you know... those evil drugs. ;)

[Sasha Evans]

02:03 PM on 11/16/2011

Who thinks that professor should be fired? Either that or she should come forward with a statement of apology.

[lacrosselamore]

03:49 PM on 11/17/2011

As a Professor of Sociology, no less. The American Sociological Association should look at her credentials.

[duncansdad]

02:02 PM on 11/16/2011

A gateway drug to what...being happy and honest about who you are? These people should have their heads examined and lose ALL government funding.

[vtrob77]

12:29 PM on 11/16/2011

“It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” Aristotle

Thank God, god, god(s), spaghetti monsters and smart people for academic freedom.

[Patchdee]

08:03 PM on 11/16/2011

Great quote! Conservatives are so afraid of differing opinions. They are afraid that even hearing it will change a person's mind. My Mom was a very conservative Catholic. I went to a Catholic college, but even there I was exposed to new ideas and it freaked her out.

She scolded me, "We sent you to college to learn, not to think!" Much to her chagrin I never stopped questioning and learning. (And I left the Catholic Church upon graduation from college.

[gmazzarell]

01:16 PM on 11/17/2011

IF YOU SAY SO.

[lacrosselamore]

03:50 PM on 11/17/2011

I was taught to question things at my Catholic College. I also left the faith when I found out they really didn't have any answers.

[thtrmgr]

10:46 AM on 11/16/2011

Supervised independent studies are fairly common; less common are the titles of the students' plan of study being published as the "title" of the course (although I have seen it happen). Sorry, I've got to side with Baylor on this one as it seems a manufactured controversy. With or without knowing what the student's thesis is or was, it's difficult to even take umbrage with the student, much less the professor, the department or the university. He or she had an idea, a prof he or she planned to work with and a planned general direction--the point of the "course" was to get somewhere eventually. Could his or her intent been to extoll the "evils" of homosexuality? Possibly, but we don't know if true or even where he or she would end up... I once had a plan to argue against affirmative action but by the time I was done I had not only changed course but had become an advocate. Hopefully the supervising instructor encourages critical thinking and opening one's mind. In most cases, scholarship enhances tolerance and liberal views (the reason why most universities lean left) so in the absence of an understanding of her thesis and the absence of any documented proof that the supervising instructor is a right-wing idealogue intent on brainwashing the student, I, for one, prefer to trust in the process.

[vtrob77]

12:30 PM on 11/16/2011

wait, now... you mean you can't judge a book by its cover? :-)

[Bosfarcal]

10:20 AM on 11/16/2011

Who's teaching it? Marcus Bachmann?

[hellaci0us]

11:24 AM on 11/16/2011

hahahaha

[RhynoH]

10:18 AM on 11/16/2011

New Baylor PSA: "Why attend some other college to expand your mind. Come to Baylor and we'll teach you how to close your mind to those who think differently..."

[Casey Plant]

10:12 AM on 11/16/2011

Homosexuality is a gateway drug to....self acceptance? freedom? love?

The class title makes no sense, and seems to be an excuse for people to sit around and bash homosexuality. At times like these, I just like to keep repeating DINOSAURS WILL DIE.

[cdl088]

09:54 AM on 11/16/2011

As a baylor graduate I find this to be incredibly embarrassing. I'm not surprised by the negativity towards the lgbt community that I saw at Baylor. For every great, open, and accepting person I met there, there were equally as many close-minded idiots. I am, however, surprised that this is an independent study class. That is totally inappropriate, and all I can hope is that the students' studies proved that the idea of homosexuality as a gateway drug is idiotic. On a side note, not all of this private baptist university this judgmental. In my classes at BU we frequently touched on homosexuality and it was never in a negative way.

[Bellla]

10:08 AM on 11/16/2011

Both BU and BYU are not really institutions for higher education, they are more into perpetuating false dogmas and places where their respective "students" can be "protected" from humanist thoughtforms.

[DMDAY44]

10:18 AM on 11/16/2011

If you say so.

[cdl088]

11:06 AM on 11/16/2011

Personally, I would say you're being judgmental and are misinformed, but to each his own. Perhaps you had a terrible experience at both of these schools. That's the only way I could understand you making such a harsh statement with such fervor. I can't and won't speak for BYU since I haven't attended that school, and I refuse to make statements about something that I don't actually know to be true. I will, however, say with confidence that Baylor is a highly academic school that I was very fortunate to be able to attend.

[lacrosselamore]

03:52 PM on 11/17/2011

That is good to hear cd. Thanks for sharing that information.

[Guardian Weasel]

09:28 AM on 11/16/2011

A gateway to what? The priesthood?

[cichlid mom]

09:55 AM on 11/16/2011

lol - irreverent but funny.

[RhynoH]

10:16 AM on 11/16/2011

Now THAT is funny! F&F