A private Christian university in the Hamilton area is facing criticism from former students who say its policies are anti-LGBTQ and created a culture of fear among LGBTQ attendees.
Within a year of starting school at Redeemer University, Lauren Druif wanted out.
As a queer student, she knew there was a risk of being an outcast at the private Christian school in Ancaster, a suburban area of Hamilton, Ont.
But a school policy that says students will be disciplined for any sexual behaviour that occurs outside a heterosexual marriage, based on what Redeemer calls “biblical intentions,” made her feel like an outsider.
“That was a huge influence on the final decision to leave…. I can’t think of anything other than discrimination to call it,” said 22-year-old Druif of Acton, Ont., who left the school in 2016.
CBC has spoken to a number of Redeemer students, past and present. Some did not want to speak on the record for fear of reprisal from the university or because they hadn’t publicly revealed their sexual orientation, but all of them expressed concerns about a school policy they say discriminates against LGBTQ students.
The school says the policy is part of the Reformed Christian tradition and does not discriminate.
Druif’s sentiments were also echoed in the Rainbow Report, an internal document submitted to the school last year with LGBTQ alumni reflections of their time on campus and what they described as an unwelcoming climate for LGBTQ students.
Policy covers ‘broad range’ of behaviour
According to the school’s Student Conduct and Accountability Policy, obtained by CBC, Redemeer disciplines students for what it refers to as “sexual misconduct.”
“This covers a broad range of sexual behaviour by students when it falls outside biblical intentions and/or explicit guidelines. These include sexual intimacies which occur outside of a heterosexual marriage, including any type of intercourse or sexual relations or involvement with pornographic material,” the policy says.
It’s unclear how the school would discipline a student if it received a complaint, but in general, punishments range from warnings to fines to suspension and expulsion. School policies also apply beyond campus.
Before 2013, the school’s standards of conduct didn’t allow what it called “homosexual practice.”
Same-sex marriage became legal in Canada in 2005.
Policies of public universities like the University of Toronto and McMaster University only pertain to sexual violence and sexual harassment, not consensual sex between two people.
Human rights experts told CBC they see Redeemer’s policy as discriminatory and that it could be challenged in court.
Redeemer University declined multiple interview requests, but president Robert Graham responded to questions with an email.
“All people, including LGBTQ people, are created in the image of God and therefore deserve to be treated with dignity, love and respect. Redeemer condemns violence, harassment and intimidation,” he wrote.
“As an institution based in the Reformed Christian tradition, we believe that all people are sinful and that this affects everyone’s sexuality and relationships. The tradition also includes the understanding that Christian marriage is between a man and a woman and that sexual intimacy is reserved for a marital relationship.”
He said that the Ontario Human Rights Code, specifically, sections 18 and 24, protects Redeemer’s right to operate in accordance with its religious beliefs.
“What some refer to as discrimination is, in fact, freedom of association, which is protected by the law and is a core Canadian value,” Graham said.
Debates about the rules in religious universities are not new. Trinity Western University in British Columbia tried, and failed, to create a law school with a similar rule. It was a battle between LGBTQ rights and religious freedom, which saw the Supreme Court of Canada deny Trinity Western its law school accreditation.
In Redeemer’s case, human rights experts say the p