Sexual minority students are alleging discrimination at an evangelical Saskatchewan Bible college..Two years ago, Jordan McGillicky started at Briercrest College and Seminary in Caronport, about an hour east of Regina..McGillicky is not religious. but went to Briercrest because the college was running its sports programs during the COVID-19 pandemic.. Briercrest Bible College CampusBriercrest Bible College Campus .McGillicky said the college drove her away because of her bisexuality..“I was not expecting what happened to me next, because it’s advertised as such an open place,” McGillicky told the Canadian Press..McGillicky said the school’s code of conduct says to respect “homosexuals.”.However, she found that “it’s not” respecting sexual minority students..When McGillicky was a resident adviser, students found photos on the internet with her girlfriend and “outed” her as bisexual..The college told her to choose the $500 per semester for being a resident advisor or her girlfriend..“I was told either choose between $500 a semester [as a resident adviser] or … your potential soulmate, your potential wife,” said McGillicky..“I said no because I didn’t see it as fair.”.Eight former sexual minority students told the Canadian Press they “experienced homophobia, abuse, and discrimination” and want the Saskatchewan government to stop funding the college..Briercrest received $250,000 this school year..The students had counsellors tell them to pray away the gay, another professor wrote a derogatory word about homosexuals on the board, and they brought speakers on campus telling them to marry the opposite sex and deny their sexuality..Briercrest President Michael Pawelke compared sex outside of heterosexual marriage as the same as sex with animals, robots, and corpses in a 2019 school address..“It’s a departure of the ideal. It’s the truth we need to embrace,” said Pawelke said on the college’s YouTube channel..The student handbook says homosexuals will not go to heaven..Some former students said they were offered voluntary counselling which was conversion therapy and invited to professors’ homes for dinner to discuss their sexuality..Ben Ross was outed as gay during his time at the college between 2006 and 2010 and assigned a paper on how being gay is wrong..“I had to write an essay on why I don’t believe being gay is right, how I denounce all of it. And basically, if I didn’t do that, I wouldn’t graduate,” Ross told the Canadian Press.. Scott Moe Oct 27 2022Scott Moe .Ross and other former students are now getting religious trauma therapy..Lauren Jordan came out to a professor when she attended from 2013 to 2015 and was told that gay people cannot graduate and seek counselling..“The fear still stays with me. The loss of relationships really stays with me. That trauma is not going to go away, but I certainly have come to terms with who I am and I am proud of who I am,” said Jordan..The Saskatchewan Party government knew of some allegations as far back as 2015..Premier Scott Moe was the Advanced Education minister in 2015 and he had an independent provincial college oversight board investigate the claims.The oversight board recommended any institution funded with provincial education money meet the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code and the Saskatchewan Employment Act..Advanced Education ministers after Moe all rejected the recommendations.
Sexual minority students are alleging discrimination at an evangelical Saskatchewan Bible college..Two years ago, Jordan McGillicky started at Briercrest College and Seminary in Caronport, about an hour east of Regina..McGillicky is not religious. but went to Briercrest because the college was running its sports programs during the COVID-19 pandemic.. Briercrest Bible College CampusBriercrest Bible College Campus .McGillicky said the college drove her away because of her bisexuality..“I was not expecting what happened to me next, because it’s advertised as such an open place,” McGillicky told the Canadian Press..McGillicky said the school’s code of conduct says to respect “homosexuals.”.However, she found that “it’s not” respecting sexual minority students..When McGillicky was a resident adviser, students found photos on the internet with her girlfriend and “outed” her as bisexual..The college told her to choose the $500 per semester for being a resident advisor or her girlfriend..“I was told either choose between $500 a semester [as a resident adviser] or … your potential soulmate, your potential wife,” said McGillicky..“I said no because I didn’t see it as fair.”.Eight former sexual minority students told the Canadian Press they “experienced homophobia, abuse, and discrimination” and want the Saskatchewan government to stop funding the college..Briercrest received $250,000 this school year..The students had counsellors tell them to pray away the gay, another professor wrote a derogatory word about homosexuals on the board, and they brought speakers on campus telling them to marry the opposite sex and deny their sexuality..Briercrest President Michael Pawelke compared sex outside of heterosexual marriage as the same as sex with animals, robots, and corpses in a 2019 school address..“It’s a departure of the ideal. It’s the truth we need to embrace,” said Pawelke said on the college’s YouTube channel..The student handbook says homosexuals will not go to heaven..Some former students said they were offered voluntary counselling which was conversion therapy and invited to professors’ homes for dinner to discuss their sexuality..Ben Ross was outed as gay during his time at the college between 2006 and 2010 and assigned a paper on how being gay is wrong..“I had to write an essay on why I don’t believe being gay is right, how I denounce all of it. And basically, if I didn’t do that, I wouldn’t graduate,” Ross told the Canadian Press.. Scott Moe Oct 27 2022Scott Moe .Ross and other former students are now getting religious trauma therapy..Lauren Jordan came out to a professor when she attended from 2013 to 2015 and was told that gay people cannot graduate and seek counselling..“The fear still stays with me. The loss of relationships really stays with me. That trauma is not going to go away, but I certainly have come to terms with who I am and I am proud of who I am,” said Jordan..The Saskatchewan Party government knew of some allegations as far back as 2015..Premier Scott Moe was the Advanced Education minister in 2015 and he had an independent provincial college oversight board investigate the claims.The oversight board recommended any institution funded with provincial education money meet the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code and the Saskatchewan Employment Act..Advanced Education ministers after Moe all rejected the recommendations.