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In mid-October, controversy erupted on the Freedom Wall over anonymous comments posted in response to a student’s counter-petition on bringing a Chick-fil-A to campus. SGA then passed a resolution written by Iturri denouncing hate speech and homophobia. SGA posted a pride flag quoting Bible verses on the Freedom Wall, along with a copy of the resolution.
Just days later, the flag and the resolution were no longer there, and the anonymous individual posted another response on a piece of notebook paper denouncing sodomy for religious reasons. The recent events of the Freedom Wall and statements from SGA cast light on a larger, ongoing conversation about the relationship between Pepperdine and its LGBTQ+ students.
Background Reading:
- James Moore’s and Alex Neis’ reporting of this story, ‘Freedom Wall Saga Casts Light on Relationship between Pepperdine and LGBTQ+ Students.’
- Alex’s coverage of the Student Government Association’s resolution condemning hate speech, in response to the comments posted on the Freedom Wall.
- A PDF document of the letter from former President William Banowski to the U.S. Department of Education requesting exemption from Title IX stating that elements of the law were inconsistent with the tenets of the Church of Christ.
- Shannon Hansen’s 2016 story, “Coming Out Day at Pepperdine,’ about the formation of Pepperdine’s first LGBTQ+ group, Crossroads.
- Lauren Davila’s 2016 story about the censorship of a Dance In Flight dance piece on the basis of its LGBTQ+ content.
Listen in, and tell us what you think. Email us at peppgraphic@gmail.com. Follow James Moore on Twitter: @james25moore. If you’re interested in advertising with “The Graph,” write to us at PeppGraphicAdvertising@gmail.com.
“The Graph” is made by Kaelin Mendez, Channa Steinmetz, Madeline Carr, Jeremy Zerbe, Natalie Rulon, Elizabeth Smith, and Courtenay Stallings. This episode was recorded in the KWVS podcast studio studio. “The Graph” is a Pepperdine Graphic Media production.
