Queer Student Alliance (QSA) held a protest at DU’s Carnegie Green on Tuesday, Oct. 11, as a demonstration of support for nationwide Queer college students on National Coming Out Day. Their main goal was to stand in support of Brigham Young University’s (BYU) Queer students—who are prohibited from dating or displaying affection for people of the same sex under university policies.

“As you stand here together, to challenge and hold accountable your University administrations, we are joined by so many other students, allies, faculty and staff across the nation,” said Patty Barajas, president of QSA, during opening remarks. “Today we all walked out on universities that have failed its LGBTQIA+ students. Today we walked out so that we could walk into a revolution; demanding the rights that we all deserve as students in the United States of America.”

Among their demands, QSA pressed for wider access to Title IX resources; support for transitioning, exploring and questioning students; a redesign of required university course curriculum to adhere to diversity and inclusivity standards; and a guarantee of the protection of the right of all students, staff and faculty, at any and all college and university campuses, to have the ability to exist completely as themselves regardless of any diverse background.

“What I see happening to queer students at Brigham Young University is appalling. BYU’s enshrined policies and honor code specifically targeting queer couples and queer students create a hostile and discriminatory environment,” said Sergio Hernandez, Director of Student Advocacy of the Undergraduate Student Government (USG). “Previously, BYU has been able to skirt by on a technicality because they have a ‘religious exemption’ to guidelines and standards set forth by Title IX.”

Universities controlled by religious organizations, such as BYU, can be exempted from Title IX criteria to the extent that the application of Title IX would be inconsistent with the religious tenets of the organization—allowing these institutions to enact policies that discriminate against LGBTQIA+ students.

Although DU complies with Title IX standards, there is still much left to be done. 

“DU is quite unclear and is unfortunately very informal about how they address trans students. Even when students are requesting to live together, they are often still separated based on sex and not gender identity. There is not anything here [at DU] that is actually set in stone. And that is the problem,” explained Ellery Ellison, Executive Chair of Gender and Sexuality Equity of USG. 

The protest ended with a reminder that QSA and ally students are not going to back down from this fight.

“There is power behind our unity, despite the physical distance that might be separating us from the other universities participating in this demonstration. Today and until the end of this fight, we, together, are calling for the striking out of homophobia and we want you to join us in seeing this through to the very end,” concluded Barajas.

Click here to learn more about QSA’s petition calling upon religious universities to enact the changes demanded.