Belonging
A Journey Towards LGBTQ+ Inclusion at The King’s University
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1558/rst.27003Keywords:
Christian higher education, Canada, Alberta, Diversity, LGBTQ , sexual orientation, Christian faithAbstract
Christian higher education in Canada is caught in a culture war. The pressure to conform to either a faith position or secular position on the topic of sexual orientation is putting institutions and perhaps, more importantly, people at risk. The King’s University (King’s) became a focal point for this issue when in 1991 King’s released an employee who was in a same-sex relationship. The resulting landmark case contributed to establishing sexual minority rights in Alberta and in Canada. This paper describes the journey King’s has been on towards LGBTQ+ inclusion. It will relate the process by which King’s came to a statement on inclusion, the impact on King’s culture and reflect on possible implications for the future of Christian higher education.
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