On Wednesday the Texas House Higher Education Committee will consider legislation that could force Texas colleges and universities to allow student organizations to discriminate. House Bill 360 by state Rep. Matt Krause, R-Fort Worth, would withhold state funding from a public or private institution of higher education that requires religious and other student organizations to allow students to participate regardless of those students’ “beliefs or status, including race, gender, and sexual orientation.”
Rep. Krause says his bill is intended to protect the religious freedom of student organizations to exclude those who don’t share their beliefs. Yet his bill could force college campuses to allow — and even fund — student chapters for anti-gay hate groups and racist organizations like the Ku Klux Klan if they claim that their discriminatory practices are based on their religious beliefs.
Click here for more about HB 360. Then call members of the Higher Education Committee (click here for contact information) and urge them to oppose HB 360. Tell them:
- HB 360 could require colleges and universities to fund student organizations that engage in discrimination based on race, gender and sexual orientation.
- HB 360 puts protection of biases like racism, sexism, and homophobia ahead of protecting students from improper discrimination.
- HB 360 could force schools to provide taxpayer funded facilities and funds from student activity fees to support extremist organizations like the Ku Klux Klan and Aryan Nations.
Discrimination, bigotry and prejudice by any character assasinate the very character of America and we stand for. Those wanting to effect change to accomodate their narrow-minded dogma rails against the teachings of everything good and every religion. Wake up Texas! Carefully review those currently representing us in Austin. This is the reality the TEA-types must face as they try to morph themselves nationally, but prove otherwise in local and state elections. They have hijacked the respected values and the (R), when in fact they should have used their own (T). The once proud party of Abraham Lincoln, Ronald Reagan and Teddy Roosevelt has been bastardized at the very least! If you are tired of the stalemate in Austin and Washington, get involved, get registered and be sure to vote! Make yourself noticed in 2014, 2016 and 2018 by pushing voters to the polls. The 2014 Mid-term is a-coming! Get registered and V.O.T.E.(Vote Out The Encumberances)
This bill was likely prompted by an incident that occurred at Vanderbilt University during the past two years. Tennessee right wing nut jobs (a.k.a the majority state legislature) jumped all over this and made it a national issue so their fellow right wing nut jobs in other states would have a new outrage to occupy their time and raise money. The Vanderbilt administration oversees a private sector university, so they told the RWNJs and the state legislature to go f-bomb themselves. That made them even more angry, but Vanderbilt is sticking by its policy—last time I heard.
NO