Proposal To Protect Gays At CU Incites Dissent

Legislator Says Nondiscrimination Policy Goes Against Taxpayers' Beliefs

A Republican legislator and a Christian group are fighting a proposal to protect gays from discrimination at the University of Colorado. CU Buffs Logo

The motion by regent Jim Martin, which was to be discussed at the regent's meeting Wednesday, would include sexual orientation in CU's nondiscrimination policy. The policy protects students, faculty and staff from discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, creed, religion or veteran status.

Senate minority leader John Andrews, R-Arapahoe County, is lobbying the nine-member CU Board of Regents to defeat the motion, and the Christian Coalition of Colorado is campaigning against it in its monthly newsletters. Regents are scheduled to vote on the motion in March. "We're not taking the lead in this by any stretch of the imagination. We're just catching up," Martin said. "Some of our corporate leaders like Coors and Hewlett-Packard include sexual orientation in their nondiscrimination policies."

C.U. students and faculty talk about discrimination on campus
FORUM: Tell Us What You Think Several other state schools such as Colorado State, Northern and Southern Colorado, Fort Lewis, Adams State and Metropolitan State include sexual orientation in their nondiscrimination policies, as do more than half of the schools in the Big 12, Martin said. Regents in 1999 defeated such a motion 5-4. However, a Democrat replaced a Republican on the board in January, which the Christian group and Andrews fear could sway the outcome. "To adopt such a policy would put the university at variance with the deeply held values of most people in Colorado, and outside the legislative parameters often reaffirmed by the General Assembly," Andrews wrote in an e-mail sent to each regent member. "Please do not associate our state's premier educational institution with a socially radical stance disapproved by so many taxpayers who fund your budget and the parents who entrust you with their children." The Christian Coalition of Colorado in its newsletter said Martin wants "to spend your tax dollars for special benefits for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transsexual partners." Martin said that he received 1,000 phone calls as a result of the article. "This is creating no rights or obligations on the university," Martin said. "There are no public or private dollars being spent on this. This is making a statement from the boardroom that behavior that targets people based on sexual orientation ought not to be tolerated at the University of Colorado." More Information:

Contact Regent Jim Martin

Read Non-Discrimination Policy

CU's Office Of Diversity and Equity

Office Of the Chancellor